Album of the Week – 21/05/21

This week sees new releases from… Chrissie Hynde with her collection of Bob Dylan songs (Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan). Fans of The New Pornographers should check out Fancey (Todd Fancey) with his new album called Someone.

There are also new releases from Gary Numan (Intruder) and Fly Pan Am (Frontera) but in the end it came down to the impossible choice between two of our favourites, Gruff Rhys (Seeking New Gods) and Colleen (The Tunnel and the Clearing). They were near impossible to split, but as Gruff already got a glowing review from us yesterday, we went for Colleen.

Album of the Week— Colleen – The Tunnel and the Clearing

Colleen, aka multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Cécile Schott, has shared the swirling, unshakable new single “Implosion-Explosion” from her forthcoming album The Tunnel and the Clearing, out 21 May. Emblematic of an album centered on processing the complicated washes of emotion while moving through tribulation towards revelations, “Implosion-Explosion” explores instabilities both internal and external through nimble gestures in production and composition. Schott elaborates:

“The album is a sonic translation of the highly emotional state and the heightened sense of perception that come in the wake of a breakup and a period of great changes, with the subsequent necessary reconstruction this entails. “Implosion-Explosion” is an attempt at expressing both the sensation of being completely “see-through” once out alone in the outside world, and the combined feelings of pain and anger at what cannot be changed. The song, paying homage to dub, is an exploration in rhythm and heavy filtering and delaying: it features two rhythms in unison from the rare 1969 Elka Drummer One drum machine going through the legendary Roland RE-201 Space Echo, with Japanese Ace Tone organ whistling and roaring through Moog filter and delay, and swirling, echoing vocals.”

Albums of Note:

— Colleen – The Tunnel and the Clearing

— Cloves – Nightmare on Elmfield

— Chrissie Hynde (of The Pretenders) – Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan

— Erika de Casier – Sensational (Digital Release)

— Fancey (Todd Fancey of The New Pornographers) – Someone

— Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals) – Seeking New Gods

— Gary Numan – Intruder

— Fly Pan Am – Frontera

— My Bloody Valentine – ep’s 1988-1991 and rare (Reissue)

— Robert Finley – Sharecropper’s Son

Albums Released on May 21st:

— 22 for Silicone Alone – Only Dark Matters

— 299 – The 299 Game

— ABKEHR – In Blut

— Abraham Fogg – Metamorphosis EP

— Ace Hashimoto – Play.Make.Believe.

— Adam Sanders – What If I’m Right

— Alan Doyle – Back To The Harbour EP

— Albert Eno – Dark ‘n’ Stormy

— Alex Cuba – Mendó

— Alexander Ludwig – Alexander Ludwig EP

— Allison Russell (of Birds of Chicago and Our Native Daughters) – Outside Child

— The Amorphous Androgynous & Peter Hammill – We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal

— An Autumn For Crippled Children – As The Morning Dawns We Close Our Eyes

— Anabel Englund – Messing With Magic (Deluxe Edition)

— Anchorsong – Mirage

— André Uhl – I Want to Be Clear in Your Sight EP

— Animal Years – This Is Part Two of An Album Called Animal Years EP

— Ariel Bart – In Between

— Arovane – Atol Scrap

— Audrey Nuna – a liquid breakfast

— August Burns Red – Leveler: 10th Anniversary Edition

— Beach Tiger – Yenta

— Betty Bass – Grown

— Betty Moon – Cosmicoma

— Biig Piig – The Sky Is Bleeding EP

— Billie Marten – Flora Fauna

— Blake Shelton – Body Language

— Blessings – Biskopskniven

— BLK JKS – Abantu / Before Humans

— Bob Malone – Good People

— Brian Bromberg – A Little Driving Music

— BSÍ – Sometimes depressed… but always antifascist

— Bùmarang – Echo Land

— Cave States – Julie Says EP

— CHAI – Wink

— Charles – Let’s Start A Family Tonight

— Charming Liars – Sequence 1: Noise Maker EP

— Charlatan – The Glass Borders

— Chrissie Hynde (of The Pretenders) – Standing in the Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan

— Claire George – The Land Beyond The Light

— Cloves – Nightmare on Elmfield

— Colleen – The Tunnel and the Clearing

— Conquerors – Stormbringer

— Conquerors – Dawn of War (Reissue)

— Cory Hanson (of Wand) – Pale Horse Rider (Physical Release)

— Course – A Late Hour

— Cradle Of Haze – Zehntausend Seelen

— Dayglow – Harmony House

— Destroyed In Seconds – Divide and Devour

— The Devil Wears Prada – ZII EP

— Digital Negative – Digital Negative EP

— Disturbios – Disturbios

— Dive Index – Refolded: Waving At Airplanes Remixes

— Doug Carn – Revelation (Reissue)

— Ducks Ltd. – Get Bleak EP

— Earth Girl Helen Brown Center for Planetary Intelligence Band – Earth EP

— Edmar Castañeda – Family

— Elkka – Euphoric Melodies EP

— End You – Aimless Dread

— Erika de Casier – Sensational (Digital Release)

— FACS – Present Tense

— Fancey (Todd Fancey of The New Pornographers) – Someone

— Fiddlehead – Between The Richness

— Finnish Nobody – Eternal Infernal

— Fly Pan Am – Frontera

— Gary LeVox – One On One EP

— Gary Numan – Intruder

— Gavin Preller – There Is Wonder

— Georgia Anne Muldrow – VWETO III

— Ghoulies – Reporgram EP

— Grace Aimi – Picnic EP

— Gridfailure Featuring Mac Gollehon – Dismemberment Cabaret

— Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals) – Seeking New Gods

— HAERTS – Dream Nation

— Hanging Garden – Skeleton Lake

— Hannes – When the city sleeps EP

— Herman Frank – Two For a Lie

— Hippie Death Cult – Circle of Days

— Holiday Ghosts – North Street Air

— Hundred Headless Horsemen – Apokalepsia

— Icewear Vezzo – Rich Off Pints

— Illusory – Crimson Wreath

— Imogen Clark – Bastards EP

— Impure Wilhelmina – Antidote

— I Was the Lion & Peter Groenwald – Come to Life EP

— Il Est Vilaine – Les Mystères de Lorient

— IO – Fire

— The Jailbirds – Jungle EP

— James Francies – Purest Form

— JD McPherson – I’m Still Here

— Jim McCulloch – When I Mean What I Say

— John Hiatt with The Jerry Douglas Band – Leftover Feelings

— Johnny Lloyd & Nathan Coen – Rare Beasts (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

— John Orpheus – Saga Boy

— Jon Allen – … Meanwhile

— Joviale – Hurricane Belle EP

— Kaktus Einarsson (of Fufuanu) – Kick the Ladder

— KHIRKI – Κτηνωδία

— Kitt Wakeley – Symphony of Sinners and Saints

— Lakely – Cold War

— Lambchop – Showtunes

— Late Aster – True & Toxic EP

— Lily Konigsberg (of Palberta) – The Best of Lily Konigsberg Right Now

— LINDEMANN (Till Lindemann of Rammstein) – Live in Moscow

— Little Arrow – Music, Masks & Poems (10 Year Anniversary)

— Livingmore – Take Me

— Lord Huron – Long Lost

— Lula Wiles – Shame and Sedition

— Lydia Ainsworth – Sparkles & Debris

— Mach-Hommy – Pray For Haiti

— Maisie Peters – Trying: Season 2 (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack)

— Mannequin Pussy – Perfect EP

— Mara Connor – Decades EP

— Marinero – Hella Love

— Masego – Studying Abroad: Extended Stay

— Mat Kearney – January Flower

— The Mavericks – En Español Edicion Deluxe

— Michael Brinkworth – Wasted Wonder

— Mischa Blanos – City Jungle

— The Mistons – World of Convenience

— Mdou Moctar (of Tuareg) – Afrique Victime

— Monster Magnet – A Better Dystopia

— Morbid Breath – In the Hand of the Reaper

— Mothman and The Thunderbirds – Into the Hollow

— My Bloody Valentine – ep’s 1988-1991 and rare (Reissue)

— My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything (Reissue)

— My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (Reissue)

— My Bloody Valentine – m b v (Reissue)

— Nadja – Luminous Rot

— Nahaya –Vital Alchemy

— Nerve – Tall Poppy Season EP

— Nicholas Britell – Cruella (Original Motion Picture Score)

— Nicholas Krgovich – This Spring

— Nick Jaina – Credo

— NIDEN DIV. 187 – Impergium / Towards Judgement

— Nightjacket – Following the Curves EP

— Nils Frahm – Graz (Physical Release)

— No Kill – Gold Chorus

— Nobody – Eternal Infernal

— Noomi – Life Aqua EP

— Northlane – 2D EP

— Nuclear Winter – Greystone

— Odeum Deus – Brutal Slaughter

— Oliver Wood (of The Wood Brothers) – Always Smilin’

— Olivia Rodrigo – TBA

— Only Sun – Tangled Mind

— PACKS – take the cake

— The Palace Guard – All Night Long: An Anthology, 1965-1966

— Para One – SPECTRE: Machines of Loving Grace

— Patrick Droney – State Of The Heart

— Patrick Paige II (of The Internet) – If I Fail Are We Still Cool?

— Paula Cole – American Quilt

— Paul Handyside – Loveless Town

— Penfriend – Exotic Mountains

— Pickle Darling – Cosmonaut

— P!NK – All I Know So Far Setlist

— Pink Chameleons – Peace and Love

— Pixel Grip – Arena

— Porlolo – No Praise, No Blame

— Pop Evil – Versatile

— Rachel Eckroth – Rachel Eckroth EP

— Reigning Sound – A Little More Time with Reigning Sound

— RES – Strife of Performance

— The Reverend Shawn Amos – The Cause of It All

— Revisionist – The Emptiness of Gravity EP

— Robert Finley – Sharecropper’s Son

— Robots Of The Ancient World – Mystic Goddess

— Rockabye Baby! – Lullaby Renditions of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’

— Roddy Woomble – Lo! Soul

— Salem Ilese – (L)only Child EP

— San Holo – bb u ok?

— Sara Bareilles – Amidst the Chaos: Live at the Hollywood Bowl

— Scattered Ashes – Parallel Lines EP

— Sinéad Harnett – Ready Is Always Too Late

— Sister John – I Am Day By Day

— Skeletal Remains – Beyond the Flesh (Reissue)

— Skeletal Remains – Condemed to Misery (Reissue)

— Skeletal Remains – Desolate Isolation – 10th Anniversary Edition

— slenderbodies – are we? EP

— Sons of Raphael – Full-Throated Messianic Homage

— Spang Sisters – Spang Sisters

— Standard Human Experience – Never Belong

— Starlight Cleaning Co. – Starlight Cleaning Co.

— Storefront Church – As We Pass

— STRFKR – Reptilians (10-Year Anniversary Edition)

— Sunny Jain (of Red Baraat) – Phoenix Rise

— Sunroof (Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones) – Electronic Music Improvisations Volume 1

— Suzi Moon – Call the Shots EP

— Svarta Sanningar – Kapitel 2

— Swallow the Rat / Clone – Split LP

— Sylph – Silver As It Was Before EP

— Tati Falco – Selva Y Mar EP

— This Is The Deep – The Best Is Yet To Come (Part 1) EP

— Thundermother – Heatwave (Deluxe Edition)

— Timothy Howls (Tim Lopez of Plain White T’s) – The Rubble EP

— Tokky Horror – I Found The Answers And Now I Want More

— Tooth and Claw – Dream of Ascension

— Trade Wind – The Day We Got What We Deserved

— Trapper Schoepp – May Day

— Trick Or Treat – The Unlocked Songs

— Turkey the Bird – Turkey the Bird

— Tuvaband– Growing Pains & Pleasures

— Twenty One Pilots – Scaled and Icy

— Various Artists – City Lab (Volume 1)

— Various Artists – Conform 21st Century

— Various Artists – Cruella (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

— Various Artists – Hideous Mink Collective Vol.1

— Various Artists – Shared Secrets: WAVE

— Various Artists – Situation Chicago 2

— VEXED – Culling Culture

— Video Nasty – Video Nasty

— Violent Femmes – Add It Up (1981-1993) (Vinyl Reissue)

— Vola – Witness

— Waves of Distortion – Race Against Time

— W.O.D. – 1994 (Vinyl Reissue)

— Waterparks – Greatest Hits

— We Were Sharks – New Low

— WYTCH – Exordium

— Xisco Rojo – Transfigurations

— Yautja – The Lurch

— Yoo Doo Right – Don’t Think You Can Escape Your Purpose

— Young M.A – Off the Yak

— Yung Mal – 1.5 Way or No Way

— Zebrah – Stripes EP

— Zgard – Place of Power

— Zoo Wees – Golden Wings EP