It's been a little over a month since Bob Boilen and I have sat together and shared some essential tunes, but we're back with some keepers, including a new, swoon-worthy song from singer Julien Baker and a beautifully infectious track from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. "My Only" finds Pains frontman Kip Berman reflecting on a new chapter in his life: "I'm married, with a young daughter," he says, "and an old Volvo."
Also on the program: Former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant continues to find new and beautiful ways to use his voice, while deftly navigating the blues and global music; the Australian band Liars, now essentially the solo project of Angus Andrew, returns with a profoundly warped new record; the trio known as Daughter get set to release what I think is its best album yet, with a mix of songs inspired by an upcoming, story-driven video game; and the Canadian noise rock band METZ has a raw and powerful new track from the group's upcoming album Strange Peace. -- Robin Hilton
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