STACK #250 August 2025

MUSIC FEATURE

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WHAT’S OUT GOOD CHARLOTTE Motel Du Cap INERTIA Twenty years after Ben Lee sang, “They play Good

Whether it’s a voyage of musical discovery or a sonic reacquaintance with a favourite band or artist, check out these fresh releases heading to JB this month.

Charlotte on the radio and that’s the way I like it”, the Madden twins, Joel and

Benji, are unleashing their eighth studio album, Motel Du Cap , their first in seven years. The title was inspired by their first show in five years, when they played at a friend’s wedding at France’s Hotel du Cap. “It reminded us why we started this,” Joel says, “pure, unfiltered connection.”

EDITOR’S PICK CHARLIE COLLINS Nightwriter ISLAND “This one’s gonna hurt,” Charlie Collins admits on her third solo album. When the party’s over, Collins has documented the aftermath. What goes up must come down. And it’s not pretty, though the artist cloaks the darkness in some magical melodies. The singer songwriter, who grew up in Tamworth, possesses a sweet voice, but she’s singing about adult themes. Hitting rock bottom. Overdosing. Self-sabotaging. Broken relationships. Addiction. Seeking help. “Playing Twister with my trauma,” she calls it. In the end, Collins realises the trick is “learning to love myself”. And in the process, she has delivered one of the albums of the year.

LAINEY WILSON Whirlwind UNIVERSAL

BABYMETAL Metal Forth UNIVERSAL

CMAT Euro-Country ROCKET

It’s been a Whirlwind 12 months for American country star Lainey Wilson. A year after the release of her

Metal Forth is the fifth studio album for Japanese metal band Babymetal – featuring Su-metal, Moametal,

Ireland’s CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) delivered one of 2025’s

finest live shows in Australia, a joyful

fifth album – a Top 5 hit on the US and Australian country charts – comes the deluxe edition, featuring five new songs, including the live favourite Bell Bottoms Up .

and Momometal. Their sound is a compelling collision of cuteness and power. It’s a thrilling mix. As one YouTube commenter stated: “Babymetal, killing enemies with their smile for 15 years.” THE BLACK KEYS No Rain, No Flowers INERTIA American rock duo The Black Keys have been a remarkable success story, with nine Top 40 albums in Australia in the past 21 years, including five Top 10 entries. Their 13th studio set finds Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney in fine form. “There’s evil people in this world,” Auerbach sings in the title track. “Live long enough and you will be burned [but] it won’t be long till we’re back in the sun.” BRYAN ADAMS Roll with the Punches MGM

celebration of country pop. Now she issues her third album, which combines her trademark sense of humour with serious themes. Titles include The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station, Janis Joplining and Lord, Let That Tesla Crash . Glorious.

CRAIG DAVID Commitment ROCKET

LAUFEY A Matter of Time ROCKET

Twenty-five years after his debut long-player, England’s Craig David delivers his ninth studio album, which

A Matter of Time is the third album for Iceland’s Laufey. “Every new album for me is a blank book of stories to write,” she

features collaborations with JoJo, UK The X Factor winner Louisa Johnson, and Nigerian artist Tiwa Savage. The album features In Your Hands , the R&B star’s take on the classic He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands . ETHEL CAIN Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You ROCKET Ethel Cain (the stage name for Australia – with an album that’s a prequel of sorts, focusing on the main character’s teenage years and her relationship with a man named Willoughby. It starts in 1986, five years before the first album, which Cain says is “the year everything changed forever”. The record confirms that Cain is one of the finest storytellers in today’s pop world. “Her nails are heartbreak red,” she sings in F-ck Me Eyes . “She goes to church straight from the clubs. They say she looks just like her momma before the drugs.” America’s Hayden Silas Anhedönia) follows her stunning debut Preacher’s Daughter – a Top 5 hit in

explains. “I’m constantly thinking about classical and jazz, how to properly preserve them and pay homage. For this album, I just wanted to let my heart wander.” In the first single, Silver Lining , she sings: “When you go to hell, I’ll go there with you, too.”

MGK Lost Americana UNIVERSAL

It’s been a busy couple of years for Canadian superstar Bryan Adams. After splitting with his manager of 44 years, he launched his own record

MGK – aka Machine Gun Kelly, the stage name for American rapper and actor Colson Baker – has had five Top 40 albums in Australia, including the 2022

label, Bad Records. Now comes his 17th studio album. Despite all the changes, this is no radical reinvention; indeed, the artist’s typical pop-rock sound will delight his legion of fans. Explaining the title track, Adams says: “This song is for everyone who’s ever felt defeated but chose to fight another day.” The approach? “Simply rocking out.”

chart-topper Mainstream Sellout . The build-up to this album has been big, including a trailer voiced by Bob Dylan, who admitted he was an MGK fan. “ Lost Americana is a personal excavation of the American dream,” Dylan read. “A journey to find what’s been lost... it’s a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention and a quest to reclaim the authentic essence of American freedom.”

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