New & Upcoming Canadian Album Releases: Fast-Rising Pop Star LU KALA Delivers a New EP

LU KALA continues her rise with a new EP this week.

No Tears On This Ride is the keenly anticipated new offering from the Congolese-Canadian pop dynamo. The big-voiced vocalist was honoured with the Rising Star award at last year's Billboard Canada Women in Music, and performances at the 2024 SOCAN Awards and opening for Cyndi Lauper further boosted her profile. The collection includes the new single "Work" with Shelailai as well as previous breakout hits like "Pretty Girl Era," "Hotter Now" and "Who's Gonna."

Also this week, DJ/production duo The Halluci Nation (formerly A Tribe Called Red) release Path Of The Baby Face, featuring a guest turn from Bret 'The Hitman' Hart.

Other notable releases this week include Indigenous artist Digawolf with Trapline, much-talked about singer-songwriter Bells Larsen with Blurring Time, and singer-songwriter Braden Lam with The Cloudmaker's Cry). Juno-winning East Coast blues-soul powerhouse and multiple Juno Award nominee Matt Andersen returns with The Hammer & The Rose, Winnipeg hip-hop artistAnthony OK deliversMake Way, and indie folk artist Rachella Wred releases her debut album, Leave The Light On.

Prize-winning Métis alternative country singer-songwriter Kyle McKearney releases To The River, adventurous Toronto indie artist Vivienne Wilder serves up Terrible Human, Bangladeshi-Canadian producer Raf Reza puts out his official debut, Ekbar, and Montreal soul singer Karneef returns with It’s How You Say It.

Artists announcing upcoming album release dates include Hamilton hard rock faves The Dirty Nil (their fifth album, The Lash, out on July 25), Penny & The Pits (Liquid Compactor, coming June 27), Cassia Hardy (In Relation, out May 23) and The Lightning Struck (Century Storm, on May 2). Coming June 6, many noted artists appear on ANTHEMS, a tribute to the classic Broken Social Scene album You Forgot It In People.

Here is the full list of new and upcoming Canadian album releases.

April

17: Harkness , Ciao To The Beauty

17: Neil Young, Coastal: The Soundtrack (Reprise Records)

18: GMINXR, Hit List (91 North Records)

18: DVTR, Live Aux Foufs (Lisbon Lux Records)

18: MIEN, S/T

18: Drew Smith, Leaf by Leaf

25: Digawolf, Trapline

25: Rachella Wred, Leave The Light On

25: Braden Lam, The Cloudmaker's Cry

25: Bells Larsen, Blurring Time (Royal Mountain)

25: Dennis Ellsworth, Hardcore Freewheelin' (Tonic Records)

25: Marsella Duncan, BRIGHT

25: Michael Cloud Duguay,Wobbly Yonder (Watch That Ends The Night)

25: Naomi, Un coin sombre pour danser - Deluxe Edition

25: Anthony OKS, Make Way

25: Matt Andersen, The Hammer & The Rose (Sonic Records)

25: Cody Lawless, Heaven Has a Special Place For You

25: The Dream Eaters,The Dream Eaters Quarterly Report: Q125

25: 1001 Est Crémazie,S/T (We Are Busy Bodies)

25: Hawksley Workman, Fly Like An Ego

25: Raf Reza, Ekbar (Telephone Explosion)

25: The Halluci Nation, Path of The Baby Face

25: The Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet, IMPACT

25: Philippe Massé, Le Vent

25: Vivienne Wilder, Terrible Human

25: Richard Moody, Tobacco & Rose

25: LU KALA, No Tears On This Ride

25: Karneef, It’s How You Say It

25: Kyle McKearney, To The River

25: Madisyn Gifford, A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine (604 Records)

25: METÒ, Wed To The Moment

25: Heather Ferguson, Found

30: Jolie Laide, Creatures (Victory Pool)

May

1: Hermitess, Death & The Fool

2: Lights, A6

2: Kelly Bado, Belles âmes (Good People) (Odd Doll Records)

2: Marie Dresselhuis, A Little Quiet At First

2: Lowest Of The Low, Over Years and Over Night (Sonic Envy)

2: The Lightning Struck, Century Storm

2: Tumble, Lost In Light

2: PUP, Who Will Look After The Dogs?

2: Reuben and The Bullhorn Singers, All These Roads

2: Moonshine, MS for Location, Vol. 6 ( Moonshine/ADA Warner)

9: Kate Maki, Impossible Knot

9: Hanorah, Closer Than Hell (Ensoul Records)

9: Kara-Lis Coverdale, From Where You Came (Envision Records)

9: Ryan Wayne, Functioning Dysfunctionals

9: Robert Thomas & The Sessionmen, The Way We Roll

9: Rube & Rake, Good Times After Bad (LHM Records)

9: Skydiggers, Dreams & Second Chances

9: Bibi Club, FEU DE GARDE (LES BRAISES)- Deluxe edition (Secret City)

14: Absolute Treat, Shattered Love (Victory Pool)

15: Wardrobe, Common Touch

16: Ensign Broderick, Come Down and Mirror Ring

16: Alex Henry Foster, A Nightfall Ritual (Hopeful Tragedy)

16: Chinese Medicine, The Trans Agenda

16: Larry Kurtz & The Lawbreakers, Take A Ride

16: Shawny - Go Go Stop -Music & Movement for Kids

16: Tanika Charles, Reasons To Stay

16: Dan Mangan, Natural Light ( Arts & Crafts)

16: EKKSTACY, forever

20: Gordon Tentrees & Jaxon Haldane, Double Take

23: David Celia , Organica (vinyl edition)

23: New Chance, A Rock Unsteady, (We Are Time)

23: Cassia Hardy, In Relation (Mint Records)

23: Flara K., Seasons

23: Two Hours Traffic, I Never See You Anymore

23: Stephane Archambault, Point

25: Alexander Gallant, Rubber Monster Suit (Tibet Street Records)

26: The Dirty Nil, Free Rein To Passions (Dine Alone)

27: Opal Dar, Birds Hurting Birds Who Hurt Birds

30: Amy Millan, I Went To Find You (Last Gang Records)

30: Mint Simon, Chimera

30: SamWoy, Even Sad Boys Like to Have Fun (Hidden Ship)

30: Foxwarren, 2 (Arts & Crafts)

June

6: Born Ruffians, Beauty’s Pride (Wavy Haze Records)

6: Suzie Ungerleider, Among the Evergreens (MVKA)

6: Mother Mother, Nostalgia(Warner Music)

6: Monkey House, Crashbox (ALMA Records)

6: Nadah El Shazly, Laini Tani (Backward Music)

6: Various Artists, ANTHEMS: A Celebration of Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People (Arts & Crafts)

6: Ken Yates, Total Cinema

6: The Knocks and Dragonette, Revelation (Neon Gold Records / Futures / Virgin)

6: Dominique Fils-Aimé, Live At The Montreal International Jazz Festival

6: Steve Marriner, Hear My Heart (Cordova Bay Records)

6: Empanadas Ilegales, Sancocho Trifásico (We Are Time)

6: Ambre Ciel,still, there is the sea (Gondwana Records)

13:Common Holly, Anything Glass ( Paper Bag Records)

13: Sandra Sutter, Shadow Stories

13: Mike Elliott, Let You Go (Busted Flat Records)

13: APACALDA,There's a Shadow in my Room and it isn't Mine

20: Sunshine Makers, The Sun Still Shines (Lovetown Records)

20: Celeigh Cardinal, Boundless Possibilities - Deluxe Edition

20: Meggie Lennon, Desire Days ( Mothland)

25: The Souljazz Orchestra, Manifesto (vinyl)

27: Royale Lynn, Black Magic (Epitaph Records)

27: Penny & The Pits, Liquid Compactor (Forward Music)

July

11: Tami Neilson, Neon Cowgirl (Outside)

25: The Dirty Nil The Lash (Dine Alone Records)

August

29: The Beaches, No Hard Feelings (AWAL)

September

12: Camilla Sparksss, ICU Run (On The Camper Records)