This week is yet another treasure trove of sparkling new tunes that are sure to excite and entertain. Arctic Monkeys return this week with The Car, an album that seems to be a sonic sister-piece to Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino and finds Alex Turner and company reaching for grand, compelling compositions aided by lush strings and reserved tension. They’ve come a long way from the hard-rocking dance grooves of their youth as they continue to expand their studio prowess with cinematic grandeur.
Last year, Dawn Richard made history as the first artist to claim Bad Boy Entertainment and Merge Records as labels that have released her work and she follows-up her excellent solo album Second Line with a collaborative album with Spencer Zahn. These abstract tunes are a striking new sound for Richard that finds her reaching far beyond the R&B styles that have dominated her records in the past for something much more enriching and experimental, proving her artistry knows no bounds.
Dry Cleaning hit it big with last year’s New Long Leg and are back with their sophomore record, Stumpwork, another album that fits the niche post-punk scene emerging from the U.K. right now that puts them in similar territory as many of their peers. Pop star Carly Rae Jepsen shares her first new album since 2019’s wonderful Dedicated. The singles haven’t given us the same great feeling as her last two records, but here’s hoping that a hidden banger will emerge.
Tegan and Sara have been quite busy as of late. Recently, the sisters’ book High School was adapted into a series by Amazon and today they have a new album out on their new label, Mom + Pop. Indie titans Archers of Loaf helped pioneer lo-fi music in the ‘90s and today they’re back with their first album in twenty-two years. The singles prove that the band hasn’t lost their groove and this one is expected to hit hard with nostalgia, but also highlights the band’s everlasting sound.
Sleater-Kinney haven’t shared new music since last year’s underrated Path of Wellness, but today the band will reminisce on their fantastic album Dig Me Out with a cover album featuring tons of great guests (including St. Vincent, Wilco, Courtney Barnett, The Linda Lindas, Low, and more!), each picking up a track from the album to pay homage to one of the best rock bands of the past thirty years. Matthew Connor also has a new album out this week which sees the artist further exploring the gothic pop sounds of the lead singles and finds him eschewing more towards country-noir, a suiting destination for the ultimate crooner.
Caroline Polachek hasn’t announced a follow-up to her solo debut Pang, but after dropping the phenomenal “Billions” earlier this year, she’s back with the Flamenco-inspired “Sunset.” This one has Spanish guitar aplenty and once again showcases her undeniable vocal range. Next week, Fred again.. will release a new album and he’s shared one more track ahead of time that’s ready for the dance floor.
Tom Skinner is busy with his main band The Smile after recently completing what looks to be the final tour for his group Sons of Kemet. However, even with those other projects commanding his attention, the jazz drummer still found time to record his first solo album under his own name and this week he shared the hypnotic, meditative song “The Journey.” Psych-rockers Mdou Moctar have another EP due out next week and dropped the instrumental single “Ibitilan” along with the announcement.
Living icon John Cale announced his first new album in a decade and shared the intensely gorgeous track “STORY OF BLOOD” which features Weyes Blood and is an automatic add for any Halloween playlist. Kelela dropped her second song of the year this week and unlike the reset track before it, this one finds the pop singer gliding back into her sultry, smooth R&B elements perfect for late night club vibes.
Albums:
Arctic Monkeys | The Car
Dawn Richard / Spencer Zahn | Pigments
Dry Cleaning | Stumpwork
Carly Rae Jepsen | The Loneliest Time
Tegan And Sara | Crybaby
Archers Of Loaf | Reason In Decline
Knifeplay | Animal Drowning
Dave Harrington / Tim Mislock | Hollywood Visit
Matthew Connor | Disappearances
Burial | Streetlands EP
Various Artists | Dig Me In: A Dig Me Out Covers Album
My Morning Jacket | MMJ LIVE VOL. 2: CHICAGO 2021
Songs:
Caroline Polachek | “Sunset”
Fred again.. | “Delilah (Pull me out of this)”
Tom Skinner | “The Journey”
Mdou Moctar | “Ibitilan”
John Cale | “Story of Blood” (ft Weyes Blood)
Kelela | “Happy Ending”
Boldy James | “Drop an Album”
dvsn | “Don’t Take Your Love”
Neil Young and Crazy Horse | “Break the Chain”
If you’re a Spotify user, you can listen to these songs (and more from 2022) here!