“More than anything, I wanted to make an album that was generous, that was useful,” says Ben Folds. “I want you to finish this record with something you didn’t have when you started.” Indeed, Folds’ masterful new collection, What Matters Most, isn’t so much a statement as it is an offering, an open hand reaching out to all those wounded and bewildered by a world that seems to make less and less sense every day. Recorded in East Nashville with co-producer Joe Pisapia, the album marks Folds’ first new studio release in eight years, and it’s a bold, timely, cinematic work, one that examines the tragic and the absurd in equal measure as it reckons with hope and despair, gratitude and loss, identity and perspective. The songs are bittersweet here, hilarious at times, but often laced with a quiet sense of longing and dread: a text message goes unanswered; an old classmate descends into the dark depths of internet conspiracies; a relationship unravels in the middle of a lake. And yet, taken as a whole, the result is an undeniably joyful record that refuses to succumb to the weight of the world around it, an ecstatic reminder of all the beauty and promise hiding in plain sight for anyone willing (and present enough) to recognize their moments as they arrive.
Release date:
June 2, 2023
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
-
Vinyl Care - Top Picks
A selection of accesories to keep your turntable equipment & vinyl records in the best shape
-
Cartridges - Top Picks
A selection of turnatble cartridges that provide great performance and sound quality
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Jennie Ruby Vinyl
Columbia Records Group
August 22, 2025 -
R.J.F. Cleaning Out the Empty Administration Building
Dais
August 15, 2025 -
Black Honey Soak
Black Honey
August 15, 2025 -
Grinderman Grinderman Eco
Bmg
July 18, 2025 -
Wayne Shorter The Soothsayer (Blue Note Classic Edition)
Blue Note
August 15, 2025 -
Burning Witches Inquisition
Napalm Records
August 22, 2025 -
Somerset Thrower Take Only What You Need to Survive (Half Clear/ Half Neon Pink with Neon Pink Splatter)
Smartpunk Records
August 8, 2025 -
Superchunk Songs In The Key Of Yikes
Merge Records
August 22, 2025 -
Orianthi Some Kind of Feeling
WOODWARD AVENUE RECORDS
September 19, 2025 -
Ups and Downs Stained Glass Memories (Random: Red, Yellow Or Blue)
Basket Case Records
July 25, 2025 -
twenty one pilots Breach (Amazon Exclusive; Clear Glitter)
Fueled By Ramen
September 19, 2025 -
John McLaughlin Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 [2xLP]
Earmusic
August 8, 2025 -
Belinda Carlisle Once Upon A Time In California (Picture)
Demon / Edsel
August 29, 2025 -
Minus the Bear Menos El Oso (20th Anniversary; Pink) [2xLP]
Suicide Squeeze
August 22, 2025