Album of the Week – 22/06/23

After a very busy week last week, it’s back down to earth with a bump. There are still new releases from the likes of Albert Hammond Jr. (of The Strokes – Melodies on Hiatus), Black Duck (Douglas McCombs, Bill MacKay, and Charles Rumback) and Cory Hanson (of Wand – Western Cum) among others.

We went for a returning friend in the form of M. Ward. It’s an album that features collaborations with First Aid Kit, Neko Case and Jim James among others. It also has a lovely Daniel Johnston cover with ‘Story of an Artist’. It’s short and sweet at just over 35 minutes. What’s not to like?

“Teach a kid guitar and he’ll be broke for the rest of his life.”

Albums of the Week — M. Ward – Supernatural Thing

‘Supernatural Thing,’ M. Ward’s upcoming twelfth studio album, will be released on 23rd June. The album’s guest stars — First Aid Kit, Shovels & Rope, Scott McMicken, Neko Case, Jim James and others — enliven the album with surprises. Eight of the album’s ten songs are Ward originals, but there is also an unorthodox Bowie choice, “I Can’t Give Everything Away” from ‘Blackstar,’ and a live rendition of Daniel Johnston’s “Story of an Artist.”

“The title ‘Supernatural Thing’ comes from an early thought as a kid that radio travelled the same airwaves as messages from supernatural things — and music, especially remembered music, is somehow tied up in this exchange,” Ward explained. “When you can’t go out and see it for yourself, radio is still the best way for me to connect with the outside world. Whether it be music or talk or news or politics – FM or AM or satellite – I re-learned this while stranded indoors during the pandemic – It’s constantly changing at the hands of someone far away who you don’t know and there’s a lot in that exchange to be inspired by when it comes to making records.”

Albums of Note:

— Albert Hammond Jr. (of The Strokes) – Melodies on Hiatus

— Bear’s Den – First Loves EP

— Black Duck (Douglas McCombs, Bill MacKay, and Charles Rumback) – Black Duck

— Cory Hanson (of Wand) – Western Cum

— Portugal. the Man – Chris Black Changed My Life

— The Watson Twins – HOLLER

June 23rd:

— Albert Hammond Jr. (of The Strokes) – Melodies on Hiatus

— Amanda Shires and Bobbie Nelson – Loving You

— Amy Stroup – Since Frank

— Ani DiFranco – Little Plastic Castle (25th Anniversary Edition)

— Andy Grammer – Behind My Smile

— Andy Hall (of The Infamous Stringdusters) – Squareneck Soul

— Ani DiFranco – Little Plastic Castle (25th Anniversary Edition)

— Anna Shoemaker – Hey Anna EP

— Austin Mahome – A Lone Star Story

— Atvin – Austere

— Ayron Jones – Chronicles of the Kid

— Baby Money – Young N**** Old Soul 2

— Bear’s Den – First Loves EP

— Bettie Serveert – Palomine (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

— Big Freedia – Central City

— Bishop Briggs – When Everything Went Dark EP

— Black Duck (Douglas McCombs, Bill MacKay, and Charles Rumback) – Black Duck

— BusCrates – Control Center

— Cable Ties – All Her Plans

— Caitlin Rose – CAZIMI (Deluxe Edition)

— Candlebox – Live at the Neptune

— Casey Neill & The Norway Rats – Sending Up Flares

— Charles Mingus – Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Recordings

— Cody Lawless – Sunshine State of a Happy Camper

— Coi Leray – COI

— Corvair – Bound to Be

— Cory Hanson (of Wand) – Western Cum

— Dan Tyminski – God Fearing Heathen

— DEATHCOLLECTOR – Death’s Toll

— Dee Calhoun – Old Scratch Comes to Appalachia

— Destiny Bond – Be My Vengeance

— Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter – Rollers EP

— Elijah Wolf – Forgiving Season

— Emily James – Grey EP

— Eric Clapton – The Definitive 24 Nights

— Fear Factory – Mechanize (Reissue)

— Fear Factory – Re-Industrialized (Reissue)

— Geese – 3D Country

— Hause Plants – Field Trip to Coney Island EP

— High Priest – Invocation

— Jason Mraz – Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride

— JeGong – The Complex Inbetween

— Johanna Samuels – Bystander

— John Lee Hooker – Live at Hunter College 1976 (Vinyl Reissue)

— Joyhauser – In Memoro

— Kelly Clarkson – chemistry

— Kenzo B – Top 2 Not 2

— Key Glock – Glockoma 2 (Deluxe)

— Kim Petras – Feed the Beast

— Lastlings – Perfect World

— Lloyd Cole – On Pain

— The Lloyds – Attitude Check

— Loveboat Luciano – Parole

— Lunice – Open

— Lutalo – Once Now, Then Again EP (Reissue)

— M. Ward – Supernatural Thing

— Madonna – Finally Enough Love: The Rainbow Edition (Vinyl Release)

— Mammatus – Expanding Majesty

— Martin Frawley – The Wannabe

— Militarie Gun – Life Under the Gun

— Nat Myers – Yellow Peril

— Nickodemus – Soul & Science

— Niia – Bobby Deerfield

— Pardoner – Peace Loving People

— Pecos & The Rooftops – Pecos & The Rooftops

— Pete Townshend – Empty Glass (Vinyl Reissue)

— Pete Townshend – Rough Mix (Vinyl Reissue)

— Portugal. the Man – Chris Black Changed My Life

— Power Trip – Live In Seattle

— Pyramaze – Bloodlines

— Sabina Sciubba (of Brazilian Girls) – Sleeping Dragon

— Secret Night Gang – Belongs on a Place Called Earth

— Sid Simons – Beneath the Brightest Smiles

— Skating Polly – Chaos County Line

— Sleepy Gonzales – Mercy Kill EP

— Straight No Chaser – Yacht on the Rocks

— Swans – The Beggar

— The Soft Moon – Exister Remixed EP

— Teezo Touchdown – Ended Up Being Me

— Tommy Prine – This Far South

— Trophy Eyes – Suicide and Sunshine

— TSJUDGER – Helvegr

— The Watson Twins – HOLLER

— Valley – Lost in Translation

— Various Artists – Asteroid City (Original Soundtrack)

— Various Artists – Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos

— Vexed – Negative Energy

— Wallice – Mr Big Shot EP

— Willie Nelson – The Great Divide (Vinyl Reissue)

— Wye Oak – Every Day Like the Last