diff --git a/resources/album_carousel_album.blp b/resources/album_carousel_album.blp
index a2f511b..a0835f9 100644
--- a/resources/album_carousel_album.blp
+++ b/resources/album_carousel_album.blp
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ template $AudreyUiAlbumCarouselAlbum: Adw.Bin {
     spacing: 6;
 
     Image {
-      icon-name: "media-optical-cd";
+      paintable: bind template.cover_art;
       pixel-size: 160;
       halign: center;
       hexpand: false;
diff --git a/resources/style.css b/resources/style.css
index 9f80e8d..5cbbeba 100644
--- a/resources/style.css
+++ b/resources/style.css
@@ -93,7 +93,6 @@ gridview.albums child image {
 
 .album-carousel listview row image {
   border-radius: 3px;
-  background-color: oklch(0 0 0);
 }
 
 .album-carousel .labels {
diff --git a/src/ui/album_carousel.rs b/src/ui/album_carousel.rs
index 360cea5..9a7e9ed 100644
--- a/src/ui/album_carousel.rs
+++ b/src/ui/album_carousel.rs
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ mod imp {
         pub fn on_bind(&self, item: &gtk::ListItem, _factory: &gtk::SignalListItemFactory) {
             let child: super::Album = item.child().and_downcast().unwrap();
             let album: model::Album = item.item().and_downcast().unwrap();
-            child.bind(&album);
+            child.bind(self.client.borrow().as_ref().unwrap(), &album);
         }
 
         #[template_callback]
diff --git a/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs b/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs
index 463ba93..df67327 100644
--- a/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs
+++ b/src/ui/album_carousel/album.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 use crate::model;
+use adw::gdk;
 use adw::{prelude::*, subclass::prelude::*};
 use glib::subclass::InitializingObject;
-use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::cell::{Cell, RefCell};
+use tokio::sync::Semaphore;
+use tracing::{event, Level};
 
 mod imp {
     use super::*;
@@ -12,6 +15,11 @@ mod imp {
     pub struct Album {
         #[property(get, set, nullable)]
         item: RefCell<Option<model::Album>>,
+
+        #[property(get, set, nullable)]
+        cover_art: RefCell<Option<gdk::Paintable>>,
+
+        pub cover_art_loading: Cell<Option<glib::JoinHandle<()>>>,
     }
 
     #[glib::object_subclass]
@@ -37,6 +45,9 @@ mod imp {
     impl BinImpl for Album {}
 }
 
+// only fetch 10 thumbnails at a time
+static SEM: Semaphore = Semaphore::const_new(10);
+
 glib::wrapper! {
     pub struct Album(ObjectSubclass<imp::Album>)
         @extends adw::Bin, gtk::Widget,
@@ -44,11 +55,37 @@ glib::wrapper! {
 }
 
 impl Album {
-    pub fn bind(&self, album: &model::Album) {
+    pub fn bind(&self, client: &crate::wrappers::Client, album: &model::Album) {
         self.set_item(Some(album));
+
+        let client = client.clone();
+        let id = album.id();
+        let this = self.downgrade();
+        let scale_factor = self.scale_factor() as u32;
+        let handle = glib::spawn_future_local(async move {
+            let _permit = SEM.acquire().await.unwrap();
+
+            // see pixel-size in album_carousel_album.blp
+            let pixbuf = match client.cover_art(&id, Some(160 * scale_factor)).await {
+                Ok(image) => audrey::util::image_to_pixbuf(image),
+                Err(err) => {
+                    event!(Level::ERROR, "could not fetch cover for album {id}: {err}");
+                    return;
+                }
+            };
+
+            let this = this.upgrade().unwrap();
+            this.set_cover_art(Some(gdk::Texture::for_pixbuf(&pixbuf)));
+        });
+
+        self.imp().cover_art_loading.replace(Some(handle));
     }
 
     pub fn unbind(&self) {
         self.set_item(None::<model::Album>);
+        if let Some(handle) = self.imp().cover_art_loading.take() {
+            handle.abort();
+        }
+        self.set_cover_art(None::<gdk::Paintable>);
     }
 }