After a month of stellar, best of the year worthy releases, February comes to a bit of a quiet close. Spiritualized were set to have the big release this week, but the new album has been pushed back to April due to the ongoing vinyl crisis. Still, there are some great things this week worthy of your time.
Blood Incantation, the psych-death metal band, return with a new ambient album that is sure to alienate some fans while winning over others. A cool departure to see for a band so firmly planted in a scene and a hopefully worthy payoff in gaining a new audience.
Mdou Moctar has a deluxe version of last year’s stunning Afrique Victime which includes the single “Nakanegh Dich,” which was Mdou’s first experience using a wah pedal. Korean bedroom-shoegaze project Parannoul is also back with a follow-up to To See the Next Part of the Dream from last year. This one is also a collection of b-sides, demos, and includes a live track as well.
Veteran synth-pop heroes Tears for Fears return this week with their first new album in eighteen years while indie icons Superchunk have a new one out as well. Kitchen-pop act The Reds, Pinks and Purples have also continued their recent prolific streak with a new EP that’s (currently) a Bandcamp exclusive.
In soundtrack news, HBO’s sensational Euphoria drops the soundtrack for Season 2 which has included classics from INXS as well as Echo and the Bunnymen in addition to ‘90s hip-hop staples and continued excellence from Labrinth. Ty Segall, another prolific recording artist, has scored a soundtrack for Whirlybird, a movie about the people who filmed the OJ Simpson police chase via helicopter.
Enumclaw, the post-grunge quartet from Washington, announced this week that they’d signed to Luminelle Recordings and shared their new single, “2002.” The Afghan Whigs announced a one-off solo as well. “I’ll Make You See God” is a heavy track that, according to Greg Dulli, is “one of the hardest rock songs we’ve ever done. It was written and performed on sheer adrenalin” and it’ll be featured on the soundtrack to the video game Gran Turismo 7.
Former (?) Grizzly Bear singer Daniel Rossen has a new solo album on the way (his first) and shared the second single, the spellbinding “Unpeopled Space.” Following the break-up of the post-punk outfit Ought comes Cola, a new group formed from former members who’ve announced their first record and shared their new single “So Excited” in the process.
It feels as if I’ve written about the passing of someone far too frequently in 2022, but I’m sadly back to express my gratitude to Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age, The Gutter Twins, and so much more. Another prolific voice from grunge gone, another loss for music. Last year, so many classics from the scene turned thirty and now so many responsible for those songs are no longer with us. It’s hard to express the impact grunge had on me personally, but losing so many heroes so early is a rather crushing blow and reminder to appreciate creators in the moment.
Finally, this week marks a whole year of Gold Soundz. Every Friday for the past year, I’ve sent out this email and written about the best new releases of the week and I haven’t missed a Friday yet. Thank you to everyone who has been reading for the past year. It’s been a terrific hobby in the pandemic and your support means the world!
Albums:
Blood Incantation | Timewave Zero
caroline | caroline
Tears For Fears | The Tipping Point
Superchunk | Wild Loneliness
Gang Of Youths | angel in realtime
Mdou Moctar | Afrique Victime [Deluxe Edition]
The Reds, Pinks and Purples | Slow Torture of an Hourly Wage
Parannoul | White Ceiling / Black Dots Wandering Around EP
Euphoria | Season 2 Soundtrack
Ty Segall | Whirlybird (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Songs:
Enumclaw | “2002”
Afghan Whigs | “I’ll Make You See God”
Portico Quartet | “Next Stop”
Daniel Rossen | “Unpeopled Space”
Cola | “So Excited”
Toro Y Moi | “The Loop”
Hercules and Love Affair | “Grace”
Alan Vega | “Murder One”
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2022) here!