On her debut studio album, Heaven Knows, the English singer and producer PinkPantheress navigates a heady mix of gothic horror and blissful solitude. It's a record that reflects on the ways we survive trauma only to exist in a kind of uncertain purgatory — alive, unsure of the future and, ultimately, how it's OK to not be OK. We open this week's show with a listen and debate which side the album lands most on: dark melancholy or life-affirming joy.
We've also got a meticulously recreated cover of Bob Dylan's legendary, 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert from Cat Power, an elegant and seductive new album from the Chilean artist Mon LaFerte and more. NPR Music's Ann Powers joins critic and writer LaTesha Harris and host Robin Hilton as they share their picks for the best albums out on Nov. 10.
Featured albums
- PinkPantheress, Heaven Knows — Featured Songs: "Another Life (feat. Rema)," "Nice to Meet You (feat. Central Cee)," "Blue"
- Cat Power, Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Concert Hall — Featured Songs: "Fourth Time Around," "Ballad of a Thin Man," "She Belongs to Me," "Just Like a Woman"
- Mon LaFerte, Autopoiética — Featured Songs: "Autopoiética," "Tenochtitlán," "40 y MM," "Casta Diva"
- Aïsha Devi, Death is Home — Featured Song: "Immortelle"
- mxmtoon, plum blossom (revisited) — Featured Song: "1-800-DATEME (revisited)"
- Chris Stapleton, Higher — Featured Song: "White Horse"
- Lila Blue, Sweet Pea — Featured Song: "Sweat Pea"
- Aesop Rock, Integrated Tech Solutions — Featured Song: "Infinity Fill Goose Down"
- R.E.M., Up — Featured Song: "Lotus"
Other notable releases
- AJR, The Maybe Man
- Brandy, Christmas With Brandy
- Beirut, Hadsel
- Daneshevskaya, Long is the Tunnel
- Jelani Blackman, The Heart of It
- Scream, DC Special
- Tyvek, Overground