TOPNOTE’s Monthly Picks: April

TOPNOTE’s Monthly Picks: April 2026. Image credit: TOPNOTE

Our ears have been thoroughly spoiled this month… in a good way.

There also seems to be a growing departure away from ‘radio-ready’ track-lengths, with more artists exploring longer pieces of music across singles and albums. April delivered some seriously strong albums, including from Holly Humberstone and Jessie Ware, as well as singles that mean business, whether in the relentless new track from World News or the welcome return of Palace.

Let’s get into TOPNOTE’s Monthly Picks below.

Palace, ‘Kid’. Image credit: Palace Presents

Palace - Kid

Palace have returned with their first release since 2025 EP, ‘Greyhound’, offering almost a reinterpretation of its eponymous single. ‘Kid’ is penned on similar themes of longing and distance, this time with a bolt of blue, and ‘hair out the sunroof’ shot into the chorus. This might just be the first Palace song you can dance to; and the single artwork’s fluffy, sunset-stained parting clouds seems a deliberate statement that the band are intent on leaning into positivity with their new music.

Arlo Parks - Ambiguous Desire

Arlo Parks has taken her soft-spoken poetry and turned it into something you can dance to. Laden with voice notes and off-the-cuff commentaries, it’s a time-stamp of Parks where she finds herself now. The primary driver of ‘Ambiguous Desire’ is its club-ready production, but from ‘Blue Disco’ onwards, we’re quick to enter the world of twenty-somethings through its lyrics… dancing through heartbreak and savouring the in-between moments, when the past is blurred by tears and the future is blurred by uncertainty.

World News, ‘Sidestep’. Image credit: Pie & Mash

World News - Sidestep

World News have delivered teasers of new music at live shows this year, though ‘Sidestep’ is their first studio release since last September. The track opens with a deliciously Police-esque guitar, before vocalist Alex Evans introduces a stretching, swelling vocal. The song blossoms when it reaches the bridge, building from the plucky riff outwards. It just keeps going, and going, and going… and really still going. It’s a bold commitment that we’re rewarded with through almost three minutes of ever-expanding music, transporting you back to an 80s cop chase sequence.

Nectar Woode - Naturally

There’s something very ‘Put Your Records On’ about Nectar Woode’s latest single – the kind of song you can shuffle about to in your bedroom alone, or blast through speakers in the park… a track that can eagerly be shared or kept preciously secret. ‘Naturally’ is the essence of Spring, the perfect song for those who need a snowdrop of hope to start their week. ‘We cried through all the colours / We laughed the storms away’ Woode skips over the melody, in her newest offering that cements her as an artist you should definitely have on your radar.

Holly Humberstone ‘Cruel World’. Image credit: Silken Weinberg, Chuff Media

Holly Humberstone – Cruel World

Holly Humberstone’s recent singles have carried her through to Coachella stages already this year, but she’s an artist intent on proving she’s not just a ‘hit-machine’. ‘Cruel World’ is an extensively curated album, where each track has a strong sonic identity infused with gothic-fairytale-inspired visuals. Some of its best lyrics and deepest cuts are found towards the end in ‘Blue Dream’ and ‘Beauty Pageant’ – the latter a semi-sarcastic chronicle on the industry’s prioritisation of aesthetic ‘perfection’. Read TOPNOTE’s full album review, where we praised Humberstone’s incisive, unforgettable songwriting and mastery of crying-on-the-dancefloor hooks.

GOMME ‘Debut’. Image credit: Fran Gomez de Villaboa

GOMME – Debut

The London-based trio of GOMME are not new players in the jazz and soul scenes, with ‘Debut’ representing their first single as a group. Formed of vocalists Bella and APK and keys player and producer Cam Ward, they’ve already played Glastonbury, The Jazz Cafe and the Royal Albert Hall between them; now blending their talents into a Kaytranada-meets-Stevie-Wonder vibe. ‘Debut’ conjures city rooftops, garden parties and glittering bars, fusing house beats with crystal-clear harmonies into a warm, grooveable tune. Get to know the band in our cocktail-making sesh with GOMME.

Jordan Rakei – Between Us

Jordan Rakei’s collaborative EP is a timely reminder that art is first and foremost an expression of human experience. Written during his residency at Abbey Road Studios, each of the five tracks were composed in a day, partnering with Jalen Ngonda, Tom McFarland, Femi Koleoso, FKJ and Nubya Garcia. Embracing chance encounters and long overdue partnerships, the essence of each musician is found and celebrated across ‘Between Us’, curated into a cohesive project through Rakei’s production. Read our full review of the EP on TOPNOTE.

Jessie Ware, ‘Superbloom’. Image credit: Universal Music

Jessie Ware – Superbloom

In ‘Superbloom’, Jessie Ware takes us into her world of fantasy and emboldened identity as wife, mother, and businesswoman. Some songs are as camp as Madonna, others as slick as Depeche Mode. Ware’s new album is delivered by an artist unafraid of conquering pop with a sophisticated twist. It’s a euphoric delight from start to finish, but if you really need a diving-in point, find yourself locked in a passionate brawl of eye contact with ‘Don’t You Know Who I Am?’, or open the windows and breathe deeply with ‘No Consequences.’ ‘Superbloom’ is made to be played loudly, in full, over and over again.

Underrated Gem:

Paul McCartney ft. Khruangbin — Pretty Boys

The entire tracklist of 2021 record, ‘McCartney III ReImagined’ is gargantuanly underrated. It’s hard to wrap your head around the fact you’re listening to a member of the Beatles alongside a star-studded set of contemporary features, including Dominic Fike, Phoebe Bridgers… and Khruangbin. This particular partnership sounds like you’d expect a Khruangbin song to sound – except Paul McCartney is singing in it, in between a bit of French. It’s groovy, it’s glam, it’s great.

Listen when: 

You want to have a boogie in your room/kitchen at the end of your workday.