NPR Music's Ann Powers and Sheldon Pearce are your guides to this week's most compelling new musical offerings. For October 18, their selections include an array of ambitious, melodic and emotional new albums spanning genres.

Plus: celebrating the arrival of a new music website and considering what drives us to write and talk about music in the first place.

Featured albums:
• Joy Oladokun, 'Observations From a Crowded Room'
• CKay, 'EMOTIONS'
• Kelly Lee Owens, 'Dreamstate'
• Porridge Radio, 'Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me'
• Bon Iver, 'SABLE,'

Check out our longer list of albums out Oct. 18 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at https://npr.org/music.

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