Album of the Week: Keith Urban – THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

Its always exciting when Whangarei boy and Country superstar Keith Urban releases a new album. His country with pop and other contemporary nuances is fresh and gripping. He told Apple Music his main influences are Johnny Cash and Top 40 – he lives this again in this album.

Album of the Week: The Killers – Imploding The Mirage

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

On their sixth album The Killers don’t try going off on a tangent – they stick to the bombastic rock and melodies they were known for in their early years of the 2000s. Good decision – when an album is filled with great songs there is no need for reinvention, and the addition of new collaborators such as Weyes Blood and k.d.lang keeps things fresh. This will be on many ‘albums of the year’ lists.

Hard to choose this week’s album with great new work from Erasure and Bright Eyes amongst others. Hopefully we can feature them in coming weeks.

Album of the Week: Whitney – Candid

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

The third album from this Chicago band, PopMatters says “There’s slow-burn R&B, rootsy Americana, and slightly-askew pop, all of it connected by the songs’ reliance on melodic hook”.

Album Of The Week: The Naked and Famous – Recover

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

Auckland duo The Naked and Famous have produced a contemporary album with pop flourishes combined with personal reflection in the lyrics. Lots of earworms in here.

Album of the Week: HAIM – Women In Music Pt. III

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

Los Angeles band HAIM have received a lot of praise for this third album, which steps things up again in terms of production and complexity.

Album of the Week: Jack Garratt – Love Death and Dancing

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

Jack Garratt was the next best thing back in 2016. This is the difficult second album – and it is superb. There have been a couple of short EP’s/extended singles already but as a whole this album combines reflection on trauma and irresistable melodies and sounds. The Guardian complemented its “fresh sense of invention and originality”.

Album of the Week: Alanis Morisette – Jagged Little Pill

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

Another female artist this week, Alanis Morissette’s classic album Jagged Little Pill turns 25. Patronised by chauvinistic critics and scorned for its massive popularity, this album still stands up, filled with catchy clever songs.