This week’s got everything from garage punk to shoegaze to rock to indie pop. This is the New Music Friday we’ve been waiting for all year.
Enjoy yourselves, I know I did.
Spice Boys – Glade
The Swedish garage punk foursome releases their first full-length after an EP back in 2016. If you’re looking for a surf-inspired fast-paced album with a pinch of sludgy goodness in the backend, this is your jam for the week. The co lead vocals of Forsberg and Holmlund make for an exciting record with some gritty guitar and drums that’ll knock you over.
Favorite tracks: “Vessel” & “Can’t Turn Back”
Jaguwar – Ringthing
German shoegaze outfit’s first full-length with a sound that feels almost magical at points. For the most part, you’re going to recognize the influence of My Bloody Valentine, but they’ve got enough of their own vibe to make it an exciting debut. If you’re ready to float through a ramped up dream world, this’ll do ya nicely.
Favorite tracks: “Gone” & “Night Out”
Tonight Alive – Underworld
If you’re looking for the old Tonight Alive, you’re only going to see a glimpse of them in this one. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just a less punky and more pop sound than their previous works. There’s a lot to like in this one and the vocals coming out of Lynn Gunn are on another level. Overall, it’s a powerful stadium rocking pop rocker.
Favorite tracks: “Temple” & “Crack My Heart”
Unlikely Friends – Crooked Numbers
Mix up fourteen songs of indie, pop, and ’90s rock and you’ll most likely have some unlikely friends, so it’s a perfect band name. The record is half an hour of feel-good tunes that’ll put a smile on your mug with great hooks and just a good vibe that’ll leave you glowing.
Favorite tracks: “Fifteen Rounds” & “Hey Sunshine”
The Sufis – After Hours
And in comes the synths. There are traces of the band who put together their 2013 album Inventions, but it’s definitely headed in a new direction. Even one song, “Till I Get Home,” with a reggae vibe. If you’re looking for a trippy, synth-ladden album with an old school sound, this’ll be spinning all weekend long.
Favorite tracks: “Take Care of Yourself” & “It’s Hard”
Black Veil Brides – Vale
If this isn’t a rock/metal opera, I don’t know what is. Strap in for 46 minutes of a sound somewhere between Metallica and Fall Out Boy with theatrics that’ll wish you already knew the words to sing along with the harmonies. If you love classic metal, you can almost picture someone with long hair thrashing in the middle of a field with their guitar, which is never a bad thing.
Favorite tracks: “Wake Up” & “My Vow”
Typhoon – Offerings
“Listen, of all the things you’re about to lose, this will be the most painful.” is a good first line for an album like this. It’s dark, it’s brooding, it’s atmospheric, and somehow brings a calmness to the listener. When you’re done, the hour and 8 minute long record, you’ve gone through hell and came out alive. As we all know, it’s about the journey.
Favorite tracks: “Chiaroscuro” & “Rorschach”
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Wrong Creatures
This is the soundtrack to riding a motorcycle through the desert and landing at a dimly lit bar that’s oddly packed. You can almost smell the leather and sex appeal that’s synonymous with BRMC. For a group that’s been around for 20+ years, it’s not breaking down any walls for a new sound, then again, they don’t have to.
Favorite tracks: “Question of Faith” & “Little Thing Gone Wild”
Crater – Unearth
The Seattle-based synth duo is back with an album that almost throbs as you go through it. While there’s no doubt about the dark vibe to the album, it feels like the darkness is owned and while chilling, it’s all going to be alright. It’s a powerful album that’ll haunt your brain wherever you listen.
Favorite tracks: “Physical” & “Bluets”
BONUS EP: The Neighbourhood – To Imagine
Five tracks and 17 minutes of introspective mixtures of electronic, R&B, and hip hop. This is the sound of a broken heart you not only can, but want to dance to. It’s a seductive album that shows yet again that they will not confine themselves to one genre or sound.
Favorite track: “Scary Love”
See ya in a week!
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