BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD – Forever Howlong
A very different band from the one that made The List in 2021, and again in 2022, they venture towards a pastoral, orchestral pop that has much more in common with, say, Joanna Newsom than Slint. (7)
BON IVER – Sable, Fable
Totemic indie figure goes easier on the experiments and sound effects, focuses more on the actual songs, and it’s all the better for it. (8)
BUTLER, BLAKE & GRANT – Butler, Blake & Grant
A supergroup featuring an ex-Suede, a guy from Teenage Fanclub and James Grant, that hasn’t made any headlines even in the UK, and I wonder why as this is the most gorgeous Crosby, Stills & Nash album since 1969. (8)
CRAIG FINN – Always Been
The Hold Steady frontman gets his buddy Adam Granduciel from War On Drugs to produce his latest solo album, so it does sound a bit like War On Drugs. It also sounds a bit 70’s L.A. singer-songwritery, in case you didn’t get the hint from the album cover which recreates the album cover of Randy Newman’s “Little Criminals”. As always, Finn’s world-class storytelling is front and centre. (8)
GALACTIC & IRMA THOMAS – Audience With The Queen
Wow, what a great old-school funk/soul album! (8)
THEA GILMORE – These Quiet Friends
English singer/songwriter doing covers of some of her favorite songs. She strips the songs bare to their essence using minimal, mainly acoustic instrumentation, and it works. Great taste too, from Liza Minelli’s “Cabaret” to G’n’R’s “Sweet Child O’Mine” to the Bunnymen’ “The Killing Moon” to Myley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball”. (8)
VALERIE JUNE – Owls, Omens, And Oracles
Singer/songwriter’s sixth album is her most ambitious and kaleidoscopic to date, building on influences from a million sources – Fats Domino’s New Orleans, Phil Spector girl groups, gospel, folk, blues, psychedelia, you’ll find it all here topped by her unique voice. (8)
THE LORD WEIRD SLOUGH FEG – Traveller Supplement I
A sequel of sorts to a 2003 album, this EP delivers the expected Maiden-esque classic metal with epic overtones, galloping riffs etc. They’ve probably listened to too much Thin Lizzy when they were younger. Pretty great if you’re into this sort of thing. (8)
THE MARS VOLTA – Lucro Sucio; Los Ojos Del Vacío
Moving away from bonkers prog rock into some weird doodling jazz shit. (6)
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS – Death Hilarious
Doom/sludge metal band Pigs x7 instill a bit of Helmet into their formula and bring home the bacon. (8)
SOUL COUGHING – Live 2024
A reunion I thought impossible given the bad blood between Mike Doughty and the rest of the band (plus the fact that the bucks to be made out of such a reunion wouldn’t be too much), but here we go – my favorite NYC stream-of-consciousness jazz-rap art-funk band from the mid-90’s revisits its repertoire. I really missed that Gabay/Steinberg groove. (11)
THE WATERBOYS – Life, Death And Dennis Hopper
I thought these guys had broken up a hundred years ago but not only they’re still around, they just released a very high-profile concept album about a dead actor featuring guests like Bruce Springsteen and Fiona Apple. And it doesn’t suck! (8)
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