Album of the Week – 10/09/21

I could pretend this was a tight contest that was deeply considered, but yeah, no surprises this week really! Still, it’s an album I’ll be listening to and enjoying in six months time, so it’s hard to ignore. Low release their new album Hey What this week, and pretty much everyone (whose opinion I respect) is enjoying it.

There are a number of other very good new releases this week worth checking out, of which we’d recommend Common (A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2), There’s also the wonderfully named —__–___ (Seth Graham and More Eaze) with their spooky new release The Heart Pumps Kool-Aid.

There are also new releases from Matthew E. White (K Bay), Saint Etienne (I’ve Been Trying To Tell You) and Sleigh Bells (Texis) in what is a bit of a classic week for new releases! Too many options…

Album of the Week – Low – Hey What

“f you found 2018’s Double Negative a bit much, this Low album is definitely not for you as they are now making the most jarring music of their career. But Low are really pushing the envelope, they keep reinventing their sound to break new ground.” – by Killian Laher from our review.

HEY WHAT, the astonishing new Low album, will be released worldwide on September 10th, 2021 on Sub Pop Records. I

HEY WHAT is Low’s thirteenth full-length release in twenty-seven years, and their third with producer BJ Burton. The new album finds the group focusing on their craft, staying out of the fray, and holding fast their faith to find new ways to express the discord and delight of being alive, to turn the duality of existence into hymns we can share. These ten pieces—each built around their own instantaneous, undeniable hook—are turbocharged by the vivid textures that surround them. The ineffable, familiar harmonies of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker break through the chaos like a life raft. Layers of distorted sound accrete with each new verse -building, breaking, colossal then restrained, a solemn vow only whispered. There will be time to unravel and attribute meaning to the music and art of these times, but the creative moment looks FORWARD, with teeth.

Albums of Note

— —__–___ (Seth Graham and More Eaze) – The Heart Pumps Kool-Aid

— Common – A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2

— Laura Nyro – Go Find the Moon: The Audition Tape

— The Death Set – How To Tune A Parrot

— Matthew E. White – K Bay

— Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright: Unfollow The Rules – The Paramour Sessions

— Saint Etienne – I’ve Been Trying To Tell You

— Sleigh Bells – Texis

— Tim Hecker – The North Water (Original Series Score)

Albums Released September 10th:

— —__–___ (Seth Graham and More Eaze) – The Heart Pumps Kool-Aid

— Abiura – Hauntology

— Aborted – ManiaCult

— Adeline – Adi Oasis EP

— AJ Davila (of Davila 666) – El Mar

— AJ Mitchell – Skyview

— Alan Walker – Walker Racing League EP

— Alisa Amador – Narratives EP

— Al Ross & The Planets – Blue Crystal

— Amyl & the Sniffers – Comfort To Me

— anaiss – This Is No Longer a Dream

— Andrea Bocelli – Concerto: One Night In Central Park – 10th Anniversary Edition

— Andrew W.K. – God Is Partying

— Anette Olzon – Strong

— Annie – Neon Nights EP

— April 21st – Courage Is Born from Fear EP

— AZ – Doe Or Die 2

— Baby Cate – UFO EP

— Baby Keem – The Melodic Blue

— Backyard Tire Fire – Black Dirt Blue Sky EP

— Béla Fleck – My Bluegrass Heart

— Berry – Vault of Light

— Black Mass – Feast at the Forbidden Tree

— Bomba Estéro – Deja

— BON – Pantheon

— Central Heat Exchange – Central Heat Exchange

— Chris Jagger – Mixing Up the Medicine

— Chrome Waves – The Rain Will Cleanse

— Colleen Green – Cool

— Common – A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2

— Cult Burial – Oblivion EP

— Cult of Scarecrow – Cult of Scarecrow EP (Reissue)

— Cult of Scarecrow – Tales of the Sacrosanct Man

— Daniel Romano’s Outfit – Cobra Poems

— Darlingside – Birds Say Deluxe

— The Dead Deads – Tell Your Girls It’s Alright

— The Death Set – How To Tune A Parrot

— Deb Never – Where Have All The Flowers Gone EP

— Delta Sleep – Spring Island

— Depeche Mode – Ultra | The 12″ Singles

— Derision Cult – Charlatans Inc. EP

— Desperate Acts – State Secrets

— Donny Osmond – Start Again

— Dori Freeman – Ten Thousand Roses

— Ella Fitzgerald – Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (Vinyl Reissue)

— ella jane – THIS IS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! EP

— Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Spanish Model

— Fabrizio Grossi & the Soul Garage Experience – Counterfeited Soulstice Vol. 1

— face to face – No Way Out But Through

— Flossing – Queen of the Mall EP

— Foy Vance – Signs Of Life

— Future Crib – Full Time Smile

— Future Utopia – 12 Questions After Dark

— Gaspar Claud – Tancade

— Gemma Ray – 30 Years Live Anniversary

— Genix – 199X

— Gift of Gab – Finding Inspiration Somehow

— Girl K – Girl K Is For The People EP

— The Go-Go’s – Beauty andm the Beast (Vinyl Reissue)

— God Damn – Raw Coward

— The Great Destroyer – The Great Destroyer

— Gurrumul – The Gurrumul Story

— Gutterfire! – Chill

— GWAR – Scumdogs XXX Live

— Hail Spirit Noir – Mannequins

— Hawthorne Heights – The Rain Just Follows Me

— Hayden Calnin – What It Means To Be Human

— Heartless Bastards – A Beautiful Life

— Homeshake – Under The Weather

— Hunted – Deliver US

— Hydraulix – Imposter Syndrome

— I Feel Fine – The Cold In Every Shelter

— Inglorious – Heroine

— J Balvin – Jose

— JANN – Other Side EP

— Jazz Cartier – The Fleur Print

— Jazzmeia Horn – Dear Love

— Johnny Gillespie – How You Like Me Now?

— Jon Randall – Jon Randall

— Joshua Henry – Grow

— Joshua Speers – Midnight Horses EP

— Julia Bardo – Bauhaus, L’Appartamento

— Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed

— Kashena Sampson – Time Machine

— King Krule – You Heat Me Up, You Cool Me Down

— Kollmorgen – You Are The EP

— Laura Nyro – Go Find the Moon: The Audition Tape

— Lazarus Kane – Psychobabble EP

— Lee Gamble – Flush Real Pharynx 2019-2021

— loadbang – Plays Well With Others

— Lord Baltimore – Angel EP

— Low – Hey What

— Lunar Ark – Recurring Nightmare

— LVCIFYRE – The Broken Seal

— Machinedrum – Psyconia EP

— Manasseh – Chasing Moonlight EP

— Man Tau – A New Beginning

— MANifesto – Pinky Swear

— Marcin Wasilewski Trio – En Attendant

— María Isabel – I Hope You’re Happy Without Me EP

— Marillion – Fugazi (Deluxe Edition)

— Martin Sexton – 2020 Vision EP

— Martina Topley-Bird – Forever I Wait

— Masked Wolf – Astronomical

— Mastiff – Leave Me The Ashes Of The Earth

— Maston – Souvenir

— Matthew E. White – K Bay

— Matthew Fowler – The Grief We Gave To Our Mother

— Max Shakun – Heatwave EP

— Mehenet – Ng’ambu

— Memorybell – Glass Garden

— Metallica – Black Album Remastered

— Metallica – The Metallica Blacklist (Digital Release)

— Mikayla Lane – Miles From Nowhere EP

— Militarie Gun – All Roads Lead To The Gun II EP

— Mister Strange – I EP

— Mitochondrial Sun (Niklas Sundin of Dark Tranquility) – Bodies and Gold EP

— MMYYKK – Science EP

— more* – 2/2EP

— Nordista Freeze – Big Sky Pipe Dream

— Norman W. Long – Black Brown Gray Green

— Odd Beholder – Sunny Bay

— Ohr – Walk In The Light

— 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – Before I Die

— Pat Metheny – SIDE-EYE NYC (V1.IV)

— Perfect World – War Culture

— Pokey LaFarge – In The Blossom of Their Shade

— Purbayan Chatterjee – Unbounded – Abaad

— Quiet Arrows – Fault Lines EP

— R.Y.F. – Everything Burns

— Ray Charles – True Genius

— Riddy Arman – Riddy Arman

— Robert Levon Been (of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) – The Card Counter: Original Songs From The Motion Picture

— Ross Adams – Escaping Southern Heat

— Rotted Through – /the_Depths

— Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright: Unfollow The Rules – The Paramour Sessions

— Saint Etienne – I’ve Been Trying To Tell You

— Sam Barron – A Prayer for a Field Mouse

— Samantha Fish – Faster

— Sarah Davachi – Antiphonals

— Seeds Of Perdition – Suffering Of The Dead

— Seven Spires – Gods Of Debauchery

— Shumaun – Memories & Intuition

— Silverfish – Fat Axl (Vinyl Reissue)

— Sincere Engineer – Bless My Psyche

— Sister. – Something/Nothing EP

— Skip Marley – Higher Place One Year Anniversary Vinyl

— Sleigh Bells – Texis

— Slothrust – Parallel Timeline

— Slow Leaves – Holiday

— Spencer. – Are U Down?

— Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space (Vinyl Reissue)

— Starless – Hope Is Leaving You

— Static – Toothpaste and Pills

— The Stranglers – Dark Matters

— Subfire – Define The Sinner

— Sulfate – Godzone

— Tommy Emmanuel – Accomplice Series Vol. 2 EP

— Tommy Genesis – goldilocks

— Tony Seltzer – Hey Tony

— Trappist / Connoisseur – Cross Faded

— The Vaccines – Back In Love City

— VARIÁT – I Can See Everything From Here

— Various Artists – Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

— Various Artists – Home In This World: Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads

— Various Artists – R&B in D.C. 1940-1960

— The Way Down Wanderers – More Like Tomorrow

— We Were Promised Jetpacks – Enjoy the View

— Wildflower – The Ocean Rose

— Wild Pink – A Billion Little Lights: Live

— Yebba – Dawn

— Zach Pietrini and McKenna Bray – Modern Love EP