Weekly Round-Up 40
February 16 - February 22
I had such a good week last night, and these albums were the soundtrack:
Artist: Claire Rosinkranz
Album: My Lover
Year Released: 2026
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 3.6
Best Song On First Listen: Bleeding Violet
Travie Says: The striking cover of My Lover by California’s Claire Rosinkranz gripped my attention and made me want to give this album a listen. Some Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor traces are found in this collection of songs. My Lover serves as Claire’s sophomore album, and I’m sure she has a great future of music-making to come.
Artist: WILLOW
Album: petal rock black
Year Released: 2026
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.4
Best Song On First Listen: holy mystery
Travie Says: WILLOW’s musicality stuns me every time. She’s jazz, she’s rock, she everything she wants to be. Her latest album, petal rock black, feels both urgent and pensive at the same time. WILLOW has so much to share musically, and how fortunate are we to have the chance to witness it.
Artist: Yolanda Adams
Album: Sunny Days
Year Released: 2024
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.2
Best Song On First Listen: Child of GOD
Travie Says: Fresh off a Grammy nomination at this year’s ceremony for Best Gospel Album and recent social media praise for her vocal support of the LGBTQIA+ community, I wanted to listen to Sunny Days to show some love to Yolanda Adams. She’s known in Gospel music for her powerful voice and uplifting songs throughout the 90s and 00s, and Sunny Days finds Yolanda continuing that legacy. Sunny Days feels modern enough, but listeners who have long enjoy her music will be able to feel good about the musical direction of the album.
Artist: Natanya
Album: Feline’s Return
Year Released: 2025
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.3
Best Song On First Listen: Guitar
Travie Says: The United Kingdom’s Natanya breaks out on her debut album, Feline’s Return. Vocally, she reminds me of fellow U.K. star NAO. It will probably take another full listen of this album for it to fully sink in, but even on first listen, I was pretty damn impressed.
Artist: José José
Album: Reencuetro
Year Released: 1977
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 5
Best Song On First Listen: Como Ser Diferente
Travie Says: This Midnight Marauders pick was from my friend Chris, and he chose Reencuetro by Mexican star José José. Now, I’ve mentioned before that I do not speak Spanish, but the beautiful thing about good music is that it can transcend language barriers. José José absolutely TEARS through the romantic “Sólo Tú,” and I think “Como Ser Diferente” will catch your ear as well.
Artist: Mumford & Sons
Album: Prizefighter
Year Released: 2026
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.2
Best Song On First Listen: The Banjo Song
Travie Says: Mumford & Sons returns with their latest album. Prizefighter features a roster of heavy-hitting guest vocalists, such as Chris Stapleton, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, and Gigi Perez. Any song with Chris Stapleton is always going to be a standout for me, but my favorite song on first listen was “The Banjo Song,” with its captivating lyrics like, “I'm a mess myself, but I think I could be someone if you need someone.” The runner-up to the best song here is “Conversation With My Son (Gangsters & Angels).”
Artist: Emergence Collective
Album: Perennials
Year Released: 2023
Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.5
Best Song On First Listen: Again & Again
Travie Says: I first heard of Emergence Collective thanks to my friend t. phoenix rahel’s amazing taste in music. You should definitely listen to this quartet is you love vocals. The harmonies here are immaculate! “Again & Again” absolutely stopped me in my tracks, but I also loved “Forgive Me” and the title track.



Those lyrics on Mumford’s “The Banjo Song” grabbed me, too!
That Willow album just showed up on my Spotify, I’ll check that one out.
I like the duets with Hozier and Gigi Perez on the new Mumford album!