August 21, 2026

New Music Friday: The best albums out Aug. 21

Brennan Wedl. Jorja Smith. Brandon Flowers. Host Stephen Thompson chats with Celia Gregory from WNXP in Nashville about their favorite albums out Friday, August 21. Plus, a handful of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round.The Starting 5(01:23) Album No. 1- Brennan Wedl, 'Brennan Wedl'(08:34) Album No. 2- Squirrel Flower, 'Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going'(16:07) Album No. 3- Westside Cowboy, 'It Goes On'(22:45) Album No. 4- Brandon Flowers, 'THRASHER'(28:50) Album No. 5- Jorja Smith, 'What Are The Odds'(34:27) The Lightning Round- Rapsody, 'God Gotta Afro & Gold Hoops'- OK Cowgirl, 'Rhinestone Cowgirl'- Elanor Moss, 'The Knife, The Needle'- Julia Holter, 'Materia'- The Cramps, 'Gravest Gravy'Sample the albums via our New Music Friday playlist and see our Long List of notable releases on NPR.orgCredits:Host: Stephen ThompsonGuest: Celia Gregory, WNXPAudio Producer: Noah CaldwellDigital Producer: Dora LeviteEditors: Elle Mannion, Otis HartExecutive Producer: Suraya MohamedSpecial thanks to Ann Powers, Sheldon Pearce and Lars GotrichSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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