Welcome to another installment of Today's Release Highlights, where the TND writers room gathers up some brand new projects they want to draw your eyes and ears to.

Today, we have a rather eclectic mix of eight new releases we'd like to key you into as you head into the weekend. Check them all out below.

Ba bam!

Avantgardet – United States av Sverige [Avantgardet]

Sociorealist rock band Avantgardet have been in the game for a decade now, building a cast-iron reputation as one of Sweden’s most loved live bands and a formidable discography that now stretches to 11 albums and a B-sides collection. United States av Sverige (“United States of Sweden”) continues their winning streak of shining a light on the ideological rot at the heart of modern Swedish politics, and of empire in general, charged by songwriter Rasmus Arvidsson’s defiantly everyman appeal. Of course it helps to understand the language but tracks like “Förnedrade” (“Humiliated”) and “Hansa City,” a song about runaway corporate capitalism, have a singalong urgency that translates regardless. – Alan Pedder

Carla dal Forno – Confession [Kallista]

In this good-humored new album, Italian singer-songwriter Carla Dal Forno is, indeed, confessing. In the lyrics to these 12 new tracks, Dal Forno is dealing with an unrequited crush turned to obsession, reflecting on how to act on feelings she has for a friend. Such strong emotions could turn intense real quick, but instead, she balances out the depthness of her feelings with cute, sunlit ambient pop and post-punk tunes, with fun bass lines and whispery vocals. If you're from the Northern hemisphere, these songs will remind you that your complicated emotions and problems won't go away, but at least summer is almost here! – Amanda Cavalcanti

Foo Fighters – Your Favorite Toy [Roswell/RCA]

A surprising number of people found 2023's But Here We Are to be the first Foo Fighters album worth hearing in who knows how long, but maybe they were in a forgiving mood after the death of Taylor Hawkins. Your Favorite Toy, though, proves they were onto something, as this is arguably the best Foo Fighters album in more than 20 years. The trebly, jangly-fuzzy guitar tone helps, because Dave Grohl is deep in his Bob Mould bag here, on cut-and-dry intense little rippers that never approach "Everlong" or "Big Me" but don't stoop to filler either. It also helps that, for once, the tabloid stuff gives him something to emote about. Grohl's anguished yowl sounds authentic enough on "Of All People," maybe his most lacerating survival-guilt song yet. And don't forget that career highlight The Colour and the Shape was forged in the flames of Grohl's first doomed marriage, too. – Daniel Aaron

Friko – Something Worth Waiting For [ATO]

Over the past few years, Chicago has become a hotbed of young indie rock upstarts. While some of them reap the benefits of nepotism, Friko has made a name for themselves on their own terms. Their sophomore LP, Something Worth Waiting For, follows up their critically acclaimed debut Where we've been, Where we go from here with more of what made them great in the first place. Frontman Niko Kapetan's larger-than-life vocal performance evokes the bravado of the '70s rock-and-roll boom, Bailey Minzenberger's drumming is tight as ever, and production from the prolific John Congleton rounds out their edges. TL;DR: it's a blast. – Leah Bess

Gia Margaret – Singing [Jagjaguwar]

This fourth album from Gia Margaret bears its straightforward title as a badge of honor, marking her recovery from a vocal injury that forced her to rethink her vision and move into an almost exclusively instrumental space for a couple albums. But Singing is about more than just the act of reclamation. Across these dozen tracks, the Chicago-based artist’s creative transformation over the past years does just as much of the heavy lifting as her voice, if not more. Having sharpened her instincts for ambience with 2020’s Mia Gargaret and neoclassical-ish composition with 2023’s Romantic Piano, Margaret has made her most exquisitely detailed and affecting album yet. There’s a sense of coming in from the cold across these dozen mellow songs, but it’s not without reflection on the ego death-like sensation of voicelessness and how it heightened other ways of moving through the world. Collaborators on the album include Guy Sigsworth, Kurt Vile, Sean Carey, Amy Millan, David Bazan, and ILĀ, who adds Gregorian chant vocals to standout track “Good Friend.” – Alan Pedder

Kehlani – Kehlani [Atlantic]

Kehlani is pumped and ready to celebrate their 31st birthday with this self-titled fifth album. The record is a love letter to old-school R&B, and the single "Out The Window" proved that back last November with a music video chock-full of homages (especially the classic trope of belting out in the rain). R&B fans will also appreciate the stacked list of collaborators, with legends like Brandy, Usher, and Missy Elliott featuring alongside relatively new crooners like Leon Thomas. Kehlani gives back to the genre they grew up on in nearly an hour's worth of smooth, buttery vocals – sure to transport you back to a time of flip phones, boomboxes, and desperation. – Dana Badii

Loukeman - Sd-3 [September Recordings]

Toronto-based DJ Loukeman is back with the third and final installment of his Sd trilogy, aptly titled Sd-3. Like its predecessors, it’s a glitchy mix of house and downtempo, with two-minute tracks that frantically jump between electronic micro-genres. You’ll catch flashes of drum and bass, moments of ambient drift, but overall, this might be his most club-ready release yet (cuts like “To The Sky” and “Baby Why” will absolutely get your body moving). But, longtime fans, do not fret: he hasn’t abandoned his softer side. My boy still gets folky on this thing, with “All Kindz” landing halfway through the tracklist as a mellow, acoustic breather. The past few years saw Loukeman collaborating with A$AP Rocky and PinkPantheress, and opening for Fred again.. — but, thankfully, none of that A-list exposure has seemed to dull his erratic sound. – Drew P. Simmons

Trueno – TURR4ZO [Sur Capital Records]

Argentine rapper Trueno is back, and he’s sounding fresher than ever. Still only 24, Mateo Palacios first emerged a decade ago when he started to compete in freestyle battles, like the legendary El Quinto Escalón in Buenos Aires, at 14. Turr4zo is already his fourth studio album, and it sounds like, after 2024’s dance-leaning El Último Baile, the rapper has turned his eye inward again. He looks to his beloved Argentina, as he samples classic Argentine rock group Pescado Rabioso and legendary cumbia villera band Pibes Chorros, and includes features from modern pop and trap artists like María Becerra and Milo J. But he also looks to himself, in what he calls his most personal album yet. With production from El Guincho, Spanish producer known for work with Rosalía, Charli XCX and FKA Twigs, Turr4zo pushes Trueno's sound further than ever before. – Amanda Cavalcanti