All Songs Considered | The best releases out on Oct. 27

The Austin, Texas, duo Black Pumas drew album-of-the-year nods when they dropped their self-titled debut in 2019. Now the group is back with its long-awaited followup, Chronicles of a Diamond, a scruffy, fuzzed-out soul and psych-rock album anchored by singer Eric Burton’s unforgettable voice. We give Chronicles of a Diamond a spin to kick off this week’s show and talk about the ways the band reimagines classic sounds with a steady dose of seemingly unrelated but completely captivating sonic shifts.

We’ve also got the thumping, idiosyncratic electronic music of Peruvian artist Sofia Kourtesis, an epic, story-driven album from The Mountain Goats, late-night brain music from Shabazz Palaces, the 30th anniversary of Nirvana‘s In Utero and more. Writer and critic LaTesha Harris joins NPR Music contributor Stefanie Fernández and host Robin Hilton as they share their picks for the best albums out on Oct. 27.

Featured Albums:

1. Black Pumas — Chronicles of a Diamond
   Featured Songs: “More Than A Love Song,” “Gemini Sun,” “Angel,” “Hello,” “Rock and Roll”
2. Sofia Kourtesis — Madres
   Featured Songs: “Funkhaus,” “Vajkoczy,” “Habla Con Ella,” “Estación Esperanza (feat. Manu Chao)”
3. The Mountain Goats — Jenny from Thebes
   Featured Songs: “Fresh Tattoo,” “Only One Way,” “Going to Dallas”
4. María José Llergo — ULTRABELLEZA
   Featured Song: “RUEDA, RUEDA”
5. Mint Field — Aprender a Ser
   Featured Song: “Respiro Profundo”
6. Taylor Swift — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
   Featured Song: “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)”
7. Shabazz Palaces — Robed in Rareness
   Featured Song: “Binoculars (feat. Royce The Choice)”
8. Nirvana — In Utero (30th Anniversary Super Deluxe)
   Featured Song: “Heart-Shaped Box (Live In Seattle, Seattle Center Arena – January 7, 1994)”

Other notable releases for Oct. 27:

• Angie McMahon — Light, Dark, Light Again
• DJ Shadow — Action Adventure
• Duran Duran — DANSE MACABRE
• The Gaslight Anthem — History Books
• The Kills — God Games
• Mayer Hawthorne — For All Time
• Mike Reed — The Separatist Party
• Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark — Bauhaus Staircase
• Poppy — Zig
• Wild Nothing — Hold

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.