The Lead Sheet ~ 2/24/2026

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.

This week’s Lead Sheet features a few blasts from the past, with new music from classic acts like Mumford and Sons, Moby, and perhaps most surprisingly, Hilary Duff, who returned Friday with her new LP, luck…or something. Her previous album, Breathe In. Breathe Out was released in 2015. While Breathe Out was her highest rated at the time, the record still only achieved lukewarm to mildly positive reviews. Luck…or something is faring about the same, though listeners and critics appreciate Duff’s mature approach to pop. Luck…or something, produced with her husband, Matthew Kona, reflects on Duff’s younger self in the early days of her music career, but also embraces her audience’s growth, exploring topics like motherhood and marital tension through synth pop and sweeping strings. Listeners also point out that Duff’s voice sounds healthy as ever, delivering high-register vocals with poignant, sometimes blunt lyricism. Duff is preparing a massive comeback world-tour in June of this year, and will perform in North America, Mexico, Europe and Australia. 

While most know him from his 1999 album Play, multi-genred musician Moby never stopped producing new music, releasing a new LP almost every year since. This week his new record Future Quiet launched to excellent reviews, and is his highest rated work since 2016’s Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep. The stirring new album includes fresh music, as well as some remixes of old hits, in particular an orchestral redux of 1995’s “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die”, made popular again by a recent episode of Stranger Things. Future Quiet is described by Moby as a refuge from the hyper-connected, noisy world of 2026. In contrast to his explosive, techno-punk early work, Future Quiet expresses calmness through minimalist piano and pensive, ambient soundscapes. Listeners find the new work soothing and refreshing, and a much needed break from contemporary chaos. Moby will perform at Coachella in April, with an album tour set for Europe later this year. 

Mumford and Sons are largely responsible for the indie-folk revival of the 2010s, with massive hits like “The Cave,” “Little Lion Man” and “I Will Wait”. However, definitive bands of that era burned too bright and fast, oversaturating the airwaves, and over the next decade we saw audiences pivot away, condemning “stomp-clap” music as hackneyed. Mumford and Sons’ newest album Prizefighter demonstrates an inoffensive reminiscence, recapturing the sound of that era without the “ick” described by younger listeners. For example; a dialing back of banjo, polished mixing and a few exciting features from artists that never seemed to go out of style, like Hozier and Chris Stapleton. Prizefighter is described by critics as the group’s most intimate album yet, with standout tracks like “Rubber Band Man” and “Here”. While 2025’s Rushmere is technically the band’s comeback album, Prizefighter feels more like a spiritual return to form, and the three-piece is also gearing up for a North American tour to begin in June. 

English heavy metal group Sylosis released their seventh studio album this week, titled The New Flesh. The new work shifts from the experimental 2023 LP A Sign of Things to Come towards more anthemic, mosh-pit approved tracks, and critics are calling it their most “career-defining” work to date. High-octane tracks like “Spared from the Guillotine” dazzle with catchy hooks and impressive riffs. Fans also note peak vocal power and range from singer Josh Middleton, whose rattling baritone holds nothing back in creating memorable melodies. The New Flesh is scoring great with critics, and proves that sometimes formulas work for a reason. The only track that seems to be universally disliked is a slower ballad, “Everywhere at Once”, which despite authentic emotion, detracts from the album’s power and slows the momentum. Sylosis is currently on a massive European tour, with a North American leg set for later this year. 

After a decade-long hiatus, Canadian electronic artist Peaches is back with a new album, No Lube So Rude. A progressive protest album, No Lube So Rude focuses on topics like trans and queer rights, bodily autonomy, and expectations for aging women. Critical reception is mostly positive, with some calling it her best work since her 2000 debut, The Teaches of Peaches. Musically, No Lube So Rude explores several unique genres like hyperpop, industrial-techno, and even blends death metal with retro-chiptune on “Panna Cotta Delight,” keeping listeners on their toes with what comes next. The closing track “Be Love” is called Peaches’ most memorable in years, with unprecedented texture between trip-hop and orchestral symphony. At 59, Peaches hasn’t lost any grit, and still has her finger on the pulse of contemporary politics. Peaches is currently touring the new album in North America, and will move to Europe in April. 

Hilary Duff - luck…or something

Released Feb 20, 2026

Atlantic Records

Moby - Future Quiet

Released Feb 20, 2026

BMG Records

Mumford and Sons - Prizefighter

Released Feb 20, 2026

Glassnote 

Sylosis - The New Flesh

Released Feb 20, 2026

Nuclear Blast

Peaches - No Lube So Rude

Released Feb 20, 2026

Kill Rock Stars