Album of the Week – 02/06/23

A lot of good albums this week, and many of them are from artists whose first name starts with the letter B! That’s a bit weird, isn’t it? We have albums from the likes of Ben Folds (What Matters Most), Bob Dylan (Shadow Kingdom) and Baxter Dury (I Thought I Was Better Than You) to name but a few. There are also bands like Beach Fossils (Bunny)and Bully (Lucky For You) joining in the madness.

We decided to ignore the B thing and just pick the album we like the most. We haven’t had any loud music in a few weeks, so we’ve gone for Detroit Rockers Protomartyr. We reviewed the album here if you want to hear our thoughts on it.

Album of the Week – Protomartyr – Formal Growth in the Desert

“Since their 2012 debut, Protomartyr have mastered the art of evoking place: the grinding Midwest humility of their hometown, as well as the x-rayed elucidation of America that comes with their vantage. The group’s sixth album was recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, TX with producer Jake Aron. “The desert is more of a metaphor or symbol,” singer Joe Casey says, “of emotional deserts, or a place or time that seems to lack life.” The “growth” came from a period of colossal transition for Casey, including the death of his mother. But life does go on, and Casey describes the great theme of Formal Growth In The Desert as an embrace and acknowledgment of that fact: a 12-song testament to “getting on with life,” even when it feels impossibly hard.”

Albums of Note

— Beach Fossils – Bunny

— Ben Folds – What Matters Most

— Bob Dylan – Shadow Kingdom

— Bully – Lucky For You

— Cowboy Junkies – Such Ferocious Beauty

— Lanterns on the Lake – Versions of Us

— Old Crow Medicine Show – Live At Third Man Records

Albums Released – June 2nd:

— The Aces – I’ve Loved You For So Long

— The Alarm – Forwards

— American Nightmare – Dedicated to the Next World EP

— Ashnikko – WEEDKILLER

— Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But a Dream…

— Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You

— Beach Fossils – Bunny

— Ben Folds – What Matters Most

— Ben Harper – WIDE OPEN LIGHT

— Big Time Rush – Another Life

— Bob Dylan – Shadow Kingdom

— Body Type – Expired Candy

— Bongzilla – Dab City

— Brandt Brauer Frick – Multi Faith Prayer Room

— Buckcherry – Vol. 10

— Bully – Lucky For You

— Cloudland Canyon – Cloudland Canyon

— Comet Gain – The Misfit Jukebox

— Corey Kent – Blacktop

— Cowboy Junkies – Such Ferocious Beauty

— Craig Strickland – Lost in the Rewind EP

— Cowboys in the Campfire (feat. Tommy Stinson) – Wronger

— DIETH (feat. David Ellefson, Guilherme Miranda, and Michał Łysejko) – To Hell and Back

— Drew Parker – At the End of the Dirt Road EP

— DZ Deathrays – R.I.F.F.

— Extranauts – The Alchemist

— Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

— Gal Pal – This and Other Gestures

— Generationals – Heatherhead

— Gorgeous – Sapsucker

— Gringo Star – On And On And Gone

— Half Moon Run – Salt

— Hallan – The Noise of a Firing Gun EP

— HELLWITCH – Annihilational Intercention

— The Hollywood Vampires – Live In Rio

— Jack Johnson – In Between Dub

— Jake Shears (of Scissor Sisters) – Last Man Dancing

— JD Darling – Looking Forward Thinking Back

— Jelly Roll – WHITSITT CHAPEL

— John Mellencamp – Orpheus Descending

— Joshua Radin – though the world will tell me so, volume 2 EP

— Juan Waters – Wandering Rebel

— Kenny Rogers – Life Is Like a Song

— Kiltro – Underbelly

— Lamron – Forever

— Lanterns on the Lake – Versions of Us

— Laura Wolf – Shelf Life

— Linda Gail Lewis – A Tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis

— Lonestar – Ten To 1

— Louise Post (of Veruca Salt) – Sleepwalker

— McCoy Tyner – Time for Tyner (Vinyl Reissue)

— McKinley Dixon – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?

— Metro Boomin – Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man™: Across the Spider-Verse Soundtrack from and Inspired by the Motion Picture

— mui zyu – Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century (Expansion Pack) EP

— Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – What If I EP

— NECROFIER – Burning Shadows in the Southern Knight

— Nickelback – Get Rollin’ (Deluxe)

— Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Council Skies

— Norah Jones – Little Broken Hearts (Deluxe Edition)

— Old Crow Medicine Show – Live At Third Man Records

— Passion Pit – Gossamer (Expanded Edition)

— Protomartyr – Formal Growth in the Desert

— Purr – Who Is Afraid of Blue?

— Q Da Fool – Home Detention

— Rancid – Tomorrow Never Comes

— Reckless Son – Reckless Son

— Renao – A Space Between Orange & Blue EP

— The Revivalists – Pour It Out Into the Night

— Roger Waters – The Lockdown Sessions (Physical Release)

— The Royston Club – Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars

— Rival Sons – Darkfighter

— Ron Pope – Inside Voices

— RVG – Brain Worms

— Ruen Brothers – Ten Paces

— Rufus Wainwright – Folkocracy

— Sam Blasucci (of Mapache) – Off My Stars

— SAMWOY – Awkward Party

— Speakers Corner Quartet – Further Out Than The Edge

— Steve Hackett – Dark Town (Vinyl Reissue)

— Steve Hackett – Guitar Noir (Vinyl Reissue)

— The Stools – R U Saved?

— The Suffers – It Starts With Love (Deluxe)

— Surprise Chief – Friendship EP

— Sylvester – Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years 1977-1981

— Tanya Tucker – Sweet Western Sound

— Terry Ohms – Rock Songs

— Tigercub – The Perfume of Decay

— Tom Waits – Closing Time (50th Anniversary Reissue)

— Toosii – Naujour

— Toots and the Maytals – Sweet and Dandy (Vinyl Reissue)

— Trapland Pat – Professor Trap

— Vulture Feather – Liminal Fields

— Wicca Phase Springs Eternal – Wicca Phase Springs Eternal

— WITCH – Zango

— Young the Giant – Both Sides EP