2022 has already been a great year for new music and the next few weeks will surely carry on the epic new releases. Today, Spiritualized return with their brilliant new album Everything Was Beautiful. On this one, the space rockers transcend to new heights with rich, lush, and totally euphoric arrangements that reach the stratosphere. Following a more meditative last album, this is Spiritualized firing on all cylinders and the result is one of their best records to date, quite the statement for a band that has already delivered so much, but this one is true thing of wonder. Everything on it is beautiful indeed.
Pusha T’s latest, It’s Almost Dry, was produced by Pharrell and Ye (ugh) and has some pretty key features from Jay Z and Kid Cudi. However, Cudi made it clear earlier this week that it’s his last time working with West. On the singles, Pusha sounds as hungry and robust with his rhymes as ever and it’s set to be one of the bigger rap albums of the year.
Hatchie’s sophomore record is out today and it rides the wave of her celestial singles that mix dreamy shoegaze and dance-driven post-punk for some euphoric moments that are sure to leave you feeling blissed-out to the max. Claire Rousay is also back with another record that will satisfy your ASMR needs.
The Smile, the band of Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwoods, and Tom Skinner, finally announced their debut album this week and shared yet another single, the mystical “Free in the Knowledge.” Florence + the Machine also dropped another single, “Free,” and it’s the best preview we’ve had of their new album yet. A surging, euphoric track that is sure to be an absolute monster when performed live.
Wilco has been playing shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their iconic record Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and this week they also announced an absolutely epic box set to celebrate the milestone. It features a whooping 82(!!!) unreleased tracks and will be spread across 11 LPs or 8 CDs. An 11 LP box set feels rather ridiculous for most and seems to be excessive given the current vinyl crisis, but no doubt this will be a treasure trove for die hard fans.
Hot Chip are back with a new album, their first in three years, and it’s lead by the new single, “Down,” which continues to fuel their electro-soul sound with pop melodies that will beckon you back to the dance floor. Bartees Strange announced his debut album for label 4AD and shared the buzzing new track, “Cosigns” which proves we’ll never really know what he’ll do next, but whatever it is, you’ll want to keep him on your radar.
Neko Case has a new career spanning compilation out this week and it features one new track, the flowing “Oh, Shadowless.” Slowcore act Horse Jumper of Love have a new album out soon and along with the record’s announcement, the band shared a new one called “I Poured Sugar in Your Shoes.”
Albums:
Spiritualized | Everything Was Beautiful
Pusha T | It’s Almost Dry
Hatchie | Giving The World Away
S. Carey | Break Me Open
Fontaines D.C. | Skinty Fia
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Omnium Gatherum
Claire Rousay | everything perfect is already here
Mdou Moctar | Afrique Refait [remix album]
Songs:
Hot Chip | “Down”
Bartees Strange | “Cosigns”
Florence + the Machine | “Free”
The Smile | “Free in the Knowledge”
Megan thee Stallion | “Plan B”
Ethel Cain | “American Teenager”
Neko Case | “Oh, Shadowless”
Horse Jumper of Love | “I Poured Sugar in Your Shoes”
Wilco | “Reservations” (Live at the Pageant, St. Louis, MO 7/23/02)
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2022) here!