Yes, this is late—again. I’m sorry! It was Oscars week and because I’m a chronic procrastinator, I had a lot of Best Picture nominees to catch up on. Not that it mattered since the winner — One Battle After Another — was a movie I saw during its theatrical release and didn’t think deserved to win over Sinners. But I digress. This is New Music Friday: Ampersand Edition, not “Annie B****es About Movies” (though, now that I think about it, that would also be a fun column to write).
Though it’s already closer to Friday March 20 than it is to March 13, it would be remiss of me to not do a New Music Friday roundup for last week, if only because James Blake just released one of my favorite drops of the year thus far.
From the aforementioned James Blake project to a British rapper’s first album in seven years, here are four albums that might have missed your radar this (last) New Music Friday.
Trying Times - James Blake
Did I mention that James Blake just dropped one of my favorite albums of 2026 thus far? I did? Well, I’m saying it again. As to be expected with Blake, the production on Trying Times is experimental without being off-putting or unpalatable. Blake has a way of creating new sounds that are paradoxically fresh and familiar, such as in “Doesn’t Happen Again (feat. Dave).” Vocally and lyrically, the work stands up to the high bar the production sets. Blake’s signature airy and transcendent vocals work perfectly with the music’s instrumentation. His voice and production weave into one another, creating a sonic double helix much like a DNA sequence.
Standout track: “Trying Times”
SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL - Ms. Banks
English rapper Ms. Banks starts her second album, SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL, with a bold and vulnerable declaration of what it’s like to be a Black woman in her home of South London. The introduction track is a poignant moment of storytelling that any Black woman can relate to. It is also the perfect way to open up the doors for what the rest of this album brings. SOUTH LDN LOVER GIRL is for Black women — full stop. Ms. Banks’ album is a love letter where Ms. Banks says “I see you, you’re not alone” to Black women, as exemplified in songs like “Why?” and “Work Harder.” Despite the fact that the album has a clear target audience, it is a work that anyone with an affinity for an old-school rap sound with a London twist would enjoy.
Standout track: “4C”
Into Oblivion - Lamb of God
It may come as a surprise to people who only know me from writing this column, in which no metal has before made an appearance, but I quite enjoy metal and its many subgenres (even, crabcore, at times). Lamb of God’s latest album, Into Oblivion is a perfect example of what attracted me to the genre to begin with. The LP begins the way all metal albums should—with the type of video game-esque intro, heavy guitar riffs customary of the genre, unapologetically rageful vocals and eyebrow raising lyrics typical of metal music. These characteristics carry on throughout the entire album, with peaks occurring at “Sepsis” and “Blunt Force Blues.” In the middle, “El Vacio,” is a perfect reprieve from some of the heavier tracks, with a focus on lead singer Randy Blythe’s clean vocals and subdued (but still distinctly heavy metal) instrumentation.
Standout track: “El Vacio”
You’re Free to Go - Anjimile
Sometimes in my music discovery I will stumble upon a small artist whose work blows me away and makes me wonder, “how in the world has this person not blown up yet?” This week, Anjimile is that artist. A queer-trans folk singer-songwriter, Anjimile’s voice is exactly what you want to hear when you desire a lullaby. His storytelling is heartfelt, vulnerable and earnest, as best shown in “Rust & Wire” where he repeats the simple yet visceral refrains “Ripen in the heat like wine” and “Your body, it changed me.” The album is an introspective exploration of Anjimile’s queer and trans identity that is at times absolutely heart-wrenching like on “Point of View.” But overall, You’re Free to Go is soft, both sonically and emotionally. It wraps around you like blades of grass do when you lay in a lush field or a warm blanket from your living room does as rain falls outside.
Standout track: “Waits for Me”