The Lead Sheet ~ 4/7/2026

The Lead Sheet is your guide to this week’s new music - taking a look at newly released albums, who made them, and how listeners are responding. 

Stephen Bruner, A.K.A Thundercat released his fifth studio album, Distracted on Friday to generally positive reviews. Distracted is his first record in six years, following the massively successful It Is What It Is, which won the 2020 Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album. Distracted is aptly named; focusing on the barrage of stimuli and information in the modern era, and the lack of cohesion in navigating new technology. The new project also has some notable features including A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala and Willow. The late Mac Miller, and Lil Yachty also contribute to “She Knew Too Much” and “I Did This To Myself,” two tracks that discuss the “male loneliness epidemic” and struggles with modern dating. Musically, Distracted features Thundercat’s iconic six-string bass, which is the album’s heartbeat, and blends 70’s jazz-fusion, yacht rock, and some beach-boys inspired saccharine harmonies. Thundercat has confirmed a world tour, “Distracted AF”, which will begin in May and will perform in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America. 

Canadian experimental math rock duo Angine de Poitrine (in English, “chest pain”)  released their second LP, titled Vol. II. The band recently gained popularity for a live performance on KEXP Live, an FM station out of Seattle, Washington known for finding soon-to-be big acts. Similar to Daft Punk’s strategy of anonymity, Angine de Poitrine performs in bizarre costumes, and their identities have not been officially confirmed. The duo has carved out a niche in “anti-rock”, specializing in microtonal music, techno, disco, and math rock. Leaning into their alter-egos, the two speak a bizarre, made-up alien language in interviews while their publicist translates, and their songs are similarly titled, such as “Yor Zarad” and “Mata Zyklek”. Critics and listeners seem to be charmed by the bold identity, and genuinely enjoy the music, calling it “magnetic” and “supernaturally entertaining”. Angine de Poitrine’s upcoming tour is already almost sold out, with locations in Canada and the US this summer and fall, and a few dates in Europe after that. 

Arlo Parks seems to have nailed it again with her third album Ambiguous Desire. The British singer-songwriter first struck sonic gold with her debut 2021 album Collapsed in Sunbeams, and follow-up My Soft Machine in 2023. Ambiguous Desire sees Parks shift genres from acoustic indie-folk to the club scene, featuring EDM and industrial texture. Listeners appreciate the new direction and Desire’s more “adult” sound and content- Parks has swapped the teenage-diary motif for new themes like hedonistic exploration, queer romance, and London nightlife. The album’s standout track, Senses features Sampha in a vocal duet, and critics note how perfectly the two singers compliment one another with strikingly blended harmony.  While some fans miss the pared back, raw sound of Parks’ earlier work, Desire’s excellent mixing and polish have won most over. Arlo Parks is now on tour to support the album in the UK, with plans for a North American leg in August through October of this year. 

Psychedelic punk group Wax Head launched their debut album, GNAT to great early reviews. Wax Head has made a name for themselves through a series of extremely high-energy live shows, including a now infamous incident in which an exuberant fan rammed his head through the band’s kickdrum, which inspired the artwork for one of Wax Head’s early singles, “Rusty Cutter”. Wax Head blends high octane garage rock, psychedelia, and noise-punk, sometimes earning comparisons to Dead Kennedys and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. GNAT clocks in at under thirty minutes, and is non-stop thrash. It’s also a concept album, exploring a hypothetical bug-infested post apocalypse in which humans have been eradicated by parasitic insects. Critical consensus is that GNAT is a crashing success, holding nothing back in raw energy and exhibiting zero restraint. Wax Head will tour GNAT across Europe and the UK through April and May. 

Americana country singer Charley Crockett’s new album Age of the Ram concludes the musician’s “Sagebrush Trilogy”, wrapping up the three-part story of his fictional cowboy character, Billy McLane. Crockett’s music career began as a busker in various cities, and was eventually discovered by Evan Felker of the Turnpike Troubadours. Crockett was invited on tour with the group and gained widespread acclaim, releasing a whirlwind of seventeen albums since 2015. Age of the Ram evokes sounds and feelings of old Hollywood westerns, incorporating sound effects like horsehooves, gunshots and filmreels to create a cinematic experience. Age of the Ram leans into Crockett’s “gulf and western” sound, with no shortage of honky-tonk, blues, and even touches of psychedelia. The twenty track album is seen as a fitting end to the McLane saga, though critics will point out that while Age of the Ram succeeds in its atmosphere and cinematic appeal, it unfortunately doesn’t have any standout singles. Crockett is currently on his Age of the Ram tour with stops in the US and Canada from now through October. 

Thundercat - Distracted 

Released April 3rd, 2026

Brainfeeder Records

Angine de Poitrine - Vol II

Released April 3rd, 2026

Spectacles Bonzai

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Released April 3rd, 2026

Transgressive Records

Wax Head - GNAT

Released April 1st, 2026

Sour Grapes Records

Charley Crockett - Age of the Ram

Released April 3rd, 2026

Island Records