Temperatures are scorching and so are this week’s releases. black midi take my top spot as the jazzed-up post-punk band unleash their third album of wildly complex, chaotic, spaced-out tracks and the singles set the bar high for what the band has in store this go around. Lizzo is the other big release this week as we finally get the follow-up to her breakthrough, Cuz I Love You, after years of watching her rise to number one on the charts.
Interpol are back with a new one this week as well that sees them pushing things into further directions without losing their core sound. Steve Lacy, the former guitarist for The Internet, has a new one out this week which has also been hyped by some excellent singles in recent months. The Besnard Lakes dropped an epic, sixteen-minute track called “Silver Shadows” that rounds out their new EP, The Besnard Lakes Are the Prayers for the Death of Fame.
Despite being longtime collaborators as musician and producer/mixer, Panda Bear and Sonic Boom have finally announced their first ever co-billed album, entitled Reset, and it’s due this summer. The pair shared the track “Go On” with the announcement and it’s a groovy, beat-heavy track that features a healthy sample of The Troggs. Four Tet recently announced a happy result in his case with label Domino and this week shared a new song called “Scythe Master” that is part of the Eat Your Own Ears Recordings EP 1 due later this month.
Maggie Rogers will release her highly anticipated new album in a few weeks and has shared the third single from the record, “Horses,” which feels more stripped back than the electronic forward earlier singles and lends further excitement for the album. New Zealand’s The Beths have a new record on the way and this week they dropped the second single, the buzzing “An Expert In a Dying Field.”
‘90s indie rock heroes Archers of Loaf announced their first album in twenty four years and with it shared the excellent new song “In the Surface Noise.” It’s a bruising track full of blown-out guitar and chugging rhythms that hit hard with emotional urgency. Post-metal trio Russian Circles have come roaring back this week as well with an intense, furious new track, the second offering from their new record.
Tegan and Sara recently signed with Mom+Pop and this week they shared another new song and announced their new album along with it. “Yellow” is a killer track and adds new elements to their sound hinting at promising new directions. Indigo Sparke returns with her second record in as many years and this time she’s teamed up with Aaron Dressner of the National to handle production duties.
Albums:
black midi | Hellfire
Lizzo | Special
Steve Lacy | Gemini Rights
Interpol | The Other Side Of Make-Believe
The Besnard Lakes | The Besnard Lakes Are The Prayers For The Death of Fame EP
Gordi | Inhuman EP
Bing & Ruth | Species (Solo Piano) EP
Songs:
Panda Bear / Sonic Boom | “Go On”
Four Tet | “Scythe Master”
The Beths | “An Expert In a Dying Field”
Maggie Rogers | “Horses”
Russian Circles | “Betrayal”
Archers of Loaf | “In the Surface Noise”
Marci | “Pass Time”
Tegan and Sara | “Yellow”
Indigo Sparke | “Pressure In My Chest”
Mykki Blanco | “French Lessons” (ft Kelsey Lu)
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2022) here!
Yes, Tegan and Sara!