New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums Out On April 12

When singer Norah Jones dropped her much-beloved debut album Come Away With Me in 2002, she won over legions of fans with her soul-soothing croon and blend of jazzy pop and bluesy folk. In more recent years she's explored a much deeper and sometimes darker sonic landscape. You can hear this remarkable range on her latest album, Begin Again, an inspired and often moody collection of songs she wrote and recorded with a number of collaborators, including Jeff Tweedy and Thomas Bartlett. We take a listen to it on this week's edition of New Music Friday, along with a heartbreaking acoustic album from singer Damien Jurado; Glen Hansard has a stirring collection of ambitious studio improvisations and Anderson .Paak returns to form on Ventura, a followup to last November's Oxnard. Hear those and more as hosts Robin Hilton, Rodney Carmichael, Lars Gotrich and Stephen Thompson share their picks for the best new albums out on April 12.

Featured Albums:

1. Shovels & Rope: By Blood
   Featured Song: "Mississippi Nuthin'"
2. Damien Jurado: In the Shape of a Storm
   Featured Song: "Newspaper Gown"
3. Norah Jones: Begin Again
   Featured Songs: "My Heart is Full" and "A Song With No Name"
4. Anderson .Paak: Ventura
   Featured Song: "Come Home"
5. Glen Hansard: This Wild Nothing
   Featured Song: "I'll Be You, Be Me"
6. Odonis Odonis: Reaction
   Featured Song: "Collector"
7. LSD: Labrinth, Sia, Diplo Present LSD
   Featured Song: "Genius"

Other notable releases for April 12: BTS: Map of the Soul; The Budos Band: V; Chris Forsyth: All Time Present; Emily Reo: Only You Can See It; Fontaines D.C.: Dogrel; Inter Arma: Sulphur English; John Paul White: The Hurting Kind; Jeff Tweedy: Warmer (vinyl only); Melissa Etheridge: The Medicine Show

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