The Lead Sheet ~ 6/16/2026

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.    

Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo released her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, to phenomenal reviews from most major outlets, with strong consensus of “best album of the three.” You seem pretty sad breaks the single-word theming of Sour and Guts, but also makes a sonic pivot, shifting from alt-rock to a synth-heavy, goth 80s sound. Critics continue to rave about Rodrigo’s tremendous range, both in songwriting and vocals, and the artist has maintained charm and authenticity with a maturing musical palette. The record is also Rodrigo’s first concept album, exploring the life cycle of an adult relationship, and what it means to be happy. Structurally, you seem pretty sad functions like a rock opera, with repeated motifs, themes, and occasional looping back to earlier ideas. Featured artists Conan Gray, and Robert Smith of The Cure each lend their backup vocals to select tracks, another big first for Rodrigo, who had previously not had guest spots. Olivia Rodrigo will launch a massive, 86-date global tour starting September 25, spanning North America, the UK and Europe, to conclude in May of 2027. 

Multi-instrumentalist Kelsey Lu’s sophomore LP, So Help Me God arrives this week after a seven year wait, delighting critics with an expansive range of genres and off-beat creativity. Lu blends seemingly incompatible ideas through pop, classical, jazz, R&B, electronic, and even post-punk, which all contribute flavor to So Help Me God’s ten tracks. So Help Me God is also praised for its masterful composition and technical skill, created in part with all-star producer Jack Antonoff. Lu’s inspiration for the project came from the turbulent years following her first release, Blood. After experiencing several devastating breakups and losses, including the breaking of her prized Cello of twenty years, Lu looked inward, reflecting on the balance between contrasting concepts like light and dark, as well as pain and healing. The album also features some excellent collaborations, including Sampha, who contributes ethereal vocals and contemplative keyboard work.  Lu’s album tour will kick off in early fall of 2026, with major legs in North America, Europe, and the UK. 

In a shock, alt-rock ska group Sublime released an album for the first time in over 30 years. After playing their last concert in 1996, the band suffered a staggering and tragic loss: the passing lead vocalist Bradley Nowell. Today, his son Jakob sings in his place as the band’s new frontman. Their new album, Until the Sun Explodes remains deeply rooted in the original lineup's Southern California sound, mixing reggae, rock, and punk elements. After release, the record’s title track, “Until the Sun Explodes” hit #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, but the album’s overall reception is good, but not emphatic. Thankfully, not due in part to any underperformance on Jakob’s part, whose voice is marked as eerily similar to his late father’s and captures the group’s spirit perfectly. Until the Sun’s hesitant criticism comes from overall album bloat, at twenty-one tracks, not all necessary, and a lack of overall flow and cohesion. Some comment that the album is “accurate”, but unfortunately, safe. Sublime is currently on tour in North America, and will continue through November, and have teased a potential European extension.

In another blast from the past, legendary progressive rock band Yes releases their twenty-fourth studio album, Aurora, to mixed reviews. The album is heavily symphonic, backed by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra’s massive cinematic sound. Aurora is firmly planted in late 80’s melodic prog rock, and features prominent acoustic strings including guitar, autoharp, and sitar. Aurora’s lukewarm reception is due to several factors- while tracks are on average much shorter than 2023’s long-winded Mirror to the Sky,  some run longer than five minutes, and the central track “Countermovement” spans over thirteen minutes. The album’s slow pacing is made more noticeable by generally safe ideas and sounds, and falls short of the band’s early era. This makes sense given that 2026’s version of Yes contains no original members from the 1968 formation. Aurora also suffers from weak lyrics and general meandering that fails to dig deep. Due to a recent surgery for guitarist Steve Howe, the group’s upcoming tour has been postponed, with tentative rescheduling for 2027. 

Japanese instrumental post-rock band MONO released their thirteenth LP on Friday, titled Snowdrop. This is their first release since the passing of longtime producer Steve Albini, known also for his work with The Smashing Pumpkins. The album deliberately avoids grief, instead opting for a more hopeful, grateful sound, and is joined by a ten-piece orchestra and live choir, which add rich, celestial layers to the record’s profile. Snowdrop is a quick listen: the album’s eight tracks roar with energy, distorted guitars, and massive walls of sound, but also tiny, intimately quiet moments, mixed beautifully by new producer Brad Wood. The new work is well received by both general listeners and critics, who note that Snowdrop is cleaner, and more polished than MONO’s early discography, and appreciate its emotional authenticity. MONO will embark on a huge world tour, starting in Asia in July, Europe in January of 2027, and Australia later in April. 

Olivia Rodrigo - you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love

Released 6/12/2026

Geffen Records

Kelsey Lu - So Help Me God

Released 6/12/2026

Dirty Hit

Sublime - Until the Sun Explodes

Released 6/12/2026

Atlantic Records

Yes - Aurora

Released 6/12/2026

InsideOut

Mono - Snowdrop

Released 6/12/2026

Temporary Residence