New Release Album Cycle For April 25th
Full album list, my thoughts on some, and Apple Music and Spotify Playlists
Happy Sunday! Here is this weeks new list of albums released. Sorry this is late again this week, but this week it was just because there was SO much to absorb and listen to and even though I was going through new releases non-stop since Thursday I still had many today. I actually paired down the playlist a lot-it started off with forty songs from forty different albums. Anyway, here is the playlist for Apple Music and Spotify. Below are my thoughts on some and the full album list.
HERE IS THE APPLE MUSIC PLAYLIST
-Beach Bunny-Tunnel Vision-Third album from Beach Bunny. Pretty good, and the single Big Pink Bubble is an infectious gem. Kind of bummed this is only streaming until June when it physically gets released.
-Billy Idol-Dream Into It-First full album from Idol in forever. It’s a fun listen and he is giving people what they want, that Billy Idol and Steve Stevens sound. Stevens is excellent as always. The whole thing sounds dates of course and the guest artists detract from it and add nothing. Nice throwback, but not an essential recording to own or anything. “Still Dancing” is basically “White Wedding 2025”.
-Broncho-Natural Pleasure-The Oklahoma pop band is back with their first album in seven years.
-Cloth-Pink Silence- Scottish band Cloth are on the playlist with their light indie pop sound. Members of Portishead and Mogwai join in on this one.
Emma-Jean Thackray-Weirdo-When I was checking out singles to put together this weeks playlists and what-not, I heard the song “Maybe Nowhere” and went immediately down a rabbit hole to find out who this was. She is a UK jazz musician and this is her second album and everything I head was fantastic. So I purchased this album Friday morning and have been listening to it a lot over the weekend. It’s a jazz album, sure, but one that will appeal with fans of pop, funk, soul and more. It’s a vocal album, that honestly is more of a funk-soul album than a jazz album. Lot’s of strong basslines. The album also has a lot to say lyrically dealing with mental health and grief, but it’s actually a very uplifting listen. This will be up there among my top albums of the year, and I bet it makes a lot more lists also.
Fib-Heavy Lifting-Second album from Portland band. It’s that whole angular art rock sound that bands like Cola and the band Convenience that was on last weeks playlist does. This is more immediate, upbeat, and probably listenable to a wider audience. Very solid release that I look forward to listening to more.
Fly Anakin-(The) Forever Dream-The first of probably a couple albums from Fly Anakin that will come out this year. This one has moments when it breaks out from repetitive hip-hop cliches. Quelle Chris, bbymutha, The Alchemist and Pink Siifu guest.
The Golden Dregs-Godspeed-Fourth album from this London project. I have never listened to them before, and I am still on the fence on if I just like this guys voice because it sounds like and has a little vocal swagger that a lot of my other favorite deep voiced singers have-like Matt Johnson of The The. It’s certainly not bad and honestly could go either way for me. Repeated listens could really sink this in as it has been engaging me. They were on 4AD at one point it looks like. I don’t even know how to describe it. Matt Johnson, Future Islands, Magnetic Fields. The title track had me singing A-Ha’s “Take On Me” to it.
Luke Titus-From What Was Will Grow A Flower - Jazzy indie bedroom pop that is a very nice listen. Not sure if it will be more than that after repeated listens, but I will listen again.
Lyn Lapid-Buzzkill-Pretty straight forward indie-pop artist not breaking any new ground, but a fun listen with some catchy tunes-especially the song “Caroline”. It’s an ear worm.
Maria Sommerville-Luster-Yup there is an album cover above. We finally have a 4AD sounding artist on 4AD! The second album from Maria Sommerville is shoegaze and dream pop goodness that doesn’t stay in one lane. I must have missed her first one. Gonna go check it out. Look, if you like Cocteau Twins, just put this one and you will probably dig this-though they are not copying them at all. She has a sound all her own, it just owes a lot to a lot of the bands that originally made this label what it was. More of this!
Prima Queen-The Prize-fun debut from the UK duo. As I was listening to this, I thought that whomever signed them is banking on the Wet Leg popularity. Sure enough, Prima Queen has toured with Wet Leg.
Rodeo Boy-Junior-because you need a little alt. rock on the playlist.
Salami Rose Joe Luis-Lorings-Salami is Lindsay Olsen, a scientist turned musician. This is wonky, synth pop music that is not too weird, but a little weird. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
Samia-Bloodless-On Samia’s third album Honey she established herself among the higher echelon of current indie-singer songwriters. Honestly the trend lately among others in the current crew of these artists has been to disappoint a bit with their latest albums. Not Samia. She bucks the trend and makes an even better album, one with a more fleshed out sound and a little more varying in the style of tracks and breaking out of the sound that dominated Honey. There is a little more singer-songwriter tracks where she lays things a little more bare rather than hide behind the fuzz and production. She really separates herself from those she is compared to, and might be the one who ends up being the one they should be compared to.
Slow Leaves-In Solitude, For Company-I guess this guy has been around for awhile. No idea. He has a nice classic songwriter sound-like old school classic.
Viagra Boys-Viagr Boys-The humorous post punk band is back with another album. They have been on a roll since 2018 with a handful of albums. Welfare Jazz is their best, and this is fun, but Welfare Jazz is still their best album
Full Album List
Beach Bunny – Tunnel Vision
Bells Larsen – Blurring Time
BIG|BRAVE – OST
Billy Idol – Dream Into It
Bitchin Bajas and Natural Information Society – Automaginary
Broncho – Natural Pleasure
BRUIT ≤ – The Age Of Ephemerality
Changeling (Tom “Fountainhead” Geldschläger) – Changeling
Cloth – Pink Silence
Coco Jones – Why Not More?
Conan – Violence Dimension
Cosmic Cathedral – Deep Water
d4vd – WITHERED
David Longstreth – The Legend of Ochi (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
DeathbyRomy– Hollywood Forever
Deerhoof – Noble and Godlike in Ruin
Eliana Glass – E
Elita – HELL HILL
Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo
Femi Kuti – Journey Through Life
Fib – Heavy Lifting
Fly Anakin – (The) Forever Dream
Ghost – SKELETÁ
Gigi Perez – At the Beach, In Every Life
The Golden Dregs – Godspeed
Hannah Rose Platt – Fragile Creatures
H.E.A.T – Welcome to the Future
Heart Attack Man – Joyride The Pale Horse
JakoJako – Tết 4
Jeff Goldblum – Still Blooming
Jensen McRae – I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!
Joan Osborne – Dylanology Live
Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen – The Bywater Sessions
KARDASHEV – Alunea
Karneef – It’s How You Say It
Kice – Something Real
LANDMVRKS – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been
Ledisi – The Crown
Luke Titus – From What Was Will Grow A Flower
Lyn Lapid – Buzzkill
Luke Spiller (of The Struts) – Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine
Machine Head – UNATØNED
Màiri Morrison and Alasdair Roberts – Remembered in Exile: Songs and Ballads from Nova Scotia
Maria Somerville – Luster
Matt Anderson – The Hammer & The Rose
The Moonlandingz – No Rocket Required
Niontay – Fada<3of$
The Opheilas – Spring Grove
Peter Wolf – Crying the Neck
Prima Queen – The Prize
Rodeo Boys – Junior
Sacred Steel – Ritual Supremacy
Salami Rose Joe Louis – Lorings
Samantha Fish – Paper Doll
Samia – Bloodless
Self Esteem – A Complicated Woman
Shaboozey – Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going: The Complete Edition
Simple Minds – Live in the City of Diamonds
Slow Leaves – In Solitude, For Company
Smokey Robinson – What The World Needs Now
Stereophonics – ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’
Sting – Sting 3.0 Live
SUMAC and Moor Mother – The Film
Sunflower Bean – Mortal Primetime
Tennis – Face Down in the Garden
Tucker Wetmore – What Not To
Um, Jennifer? – Um Comma Jennifer Question Mark
Uwade – Florilegium
Vendredi sur Mer – Malabar Princess
Viagra Boys – viagr aboys
Vitamin String Quartet – VSQ Performs Frank Ocean
Wednesday 13 – Mid Death Crisis
William Tyler – Time Indefinite
Willie Nelson – Oh What A Beautiful World
The Yagas – Midnight Minuet