This New Music Friday is one of the most diverse we’ve put out. Everything from metal to folk to electronic, we covered them all. Then again, one of the albums below covered all the genres by itself.
Give a hoot, and tell us who your favorite on the list was this week on Twitter!
This Wild Life – Petaluma
VASTLY different from their first record which was straight up pop-punk, this one is a mix between acoustic emo and melancholy pop. If you’re looking for whispy vocals and incredible acoustic guitar playing, this’ll do nicely.
Favorite tracks: “Headfirst” & “Come Back Down”
Yukon Blonde – Critical Hit
Sparkling, synth-pop goodness. You can almost light up a room with how bright this album is. It’s got a nice mix of funk and ’80s synth sound throughout, with just the right amount of samples thrown into the mix.
Favorite tracks: “Love the Way You Are” & “Feeling Digital”
Death Grips – Year of the Snitch
If you’re looking for something “easy” move along. This is a highly experimental hip-hop album with a crazy mix of everything from rock to industrial to noise. One of the most interesting albums of the week, maybe the year.
Favorite tracks: “Black Paint” & “Streaky”
Panic! at the Disco – Pray for the Wicked
By far their poppiest album yet. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but there’s no doubt about it being fun. The record is heavily focused on vocals for good reason, and a lot of people will enjoy the even heavier focus on theatrics.
Favorite tracks: “Roaring 20s” & “High Hopes”
Soulwax – Essential
Twelve songs and one hour of brand new “essential” songs. And when the duo says “essential,” they mean it, every single song is focused around the word. Prepare the dance floor.
Favorite tracks: “Essential Four” & “Essential Six”
Khemmis – Desolation
At only six tracks you might have thought this was an EP, but it comes in at just over 40 minutes with most songs around six to seven minutes. The doom-y heavy metal is the kind of song you’d expect to be played on a Viking battlefield if you’re into that kind of thing, and I am.
Favorite tracks: “Bloodletting” & “From Ruin”
Jedi Mind Tricks – The Bridge and the Abyss
You can call this a hip-hop album, but it’s got so many influences throughout it that everyone will find something they love. And I’m talking folk singing, funk, rock, psychedelic, trap, classical, everything, and it’s 19 tracks long, coming in just under an hour.
Favorite tracks: “God Forsaken” & “Certified Dope”
BONUS EP: Surf Dads – Long Weekend
It’s happily depressing pop-punk with a surf vibe. The four songs are full of hooks and feel good, until you realize it’s all about heartbreak and loss. That being said, it makes you want to see what they have in store for their full-length coming soon.
Favorite track: “Hold onto Me”
See you next week!
