Album of the Week – 19/01/24

And we’re back… it’s the 19th of January and the first week with more than a trickle of new releases.

Cowboy Sadness are a new band that features members of The Antlers, Bing & Ruth, and Port St. Willow. Ok, maybe the Antlers are the only band there that really makes an impact from that list, but the collective has a new album called Select Jambient Works Vol. 1.

There is also a new one from Sleater-Kinney (Little Rope) and a live album from the wonderful Daniel Johnston (Alive in New York City).

We’ve gone for the debut album from County Armagh singer Conchúr White called Swirling Violets. If you’re a fan of the live scene in Dublin, you might have seen him somewhere along the way as a support act. Now is the time for him to take centre stage…

Album of the Week – Conchúr White – Swirling Violets

“I like surreal settings, but with tangible messages,” says Conchúr – pronounced Conor – White. A singer-songwriter from County Armagh, White navigates the dreamlike and the grounded with blissful fluency on his beautifully lambent debut album. Released through Bella Union in January, Swirling Violets is allusive and intimate, unearthly yet instantly accessible: touching on fully felt themes with grace and lightness, it’s a richly imagined album of multitudes from an instinctive talent.

As White explains it, “There wasn’t a conscious theme, though the songs operate in the same sort of space, that sense of surrealism. There’s ghosts, there’s other worlds. There’s a cosmic feeling, questions about the beginning and the end and dreams. And then there’s simpler songs, love songs about the feelings of infatuation you have when you’re young…”

Albums of Note:

— Cowboy Sadness (feat. members of The Antlers, Bing & Ruth, and Port St. Willow) – Select Jambient Works Vol. 1

Daniel Johnston – Alive in New York City

— Sleater-Kinney – Little Rope

January 19th:

— 90 Day Men – We Blame Chicago

— Birthmark (Nate Kinsella of American Football) – Birth of Omni

— Bolts of Melody – Film Noir

— Chemtrails – The Joy of Sects

— Cobrakill – Serpent’s Kiss

— Conchúr White – Swirling Violets

— Cowboy Sadness (feat. members of The Antlers, Bing & Ruth, and Port St. Willow) – Select Jambient Works Vol. 1

— Daniel Johnston – Alive in New York City

— Danny Brown – Quaranta (Physical Release)

— Dylan LeBlanc – Coyote – The Expanded Edition

— Eddie Berman – Signal Fire

— EKKSTACY – EKKSTACY

— Eliza McLamb – Going Through It

— ericdoa – DOA

— The Fauns – How Lost

— Feral Family – Without Motion

— Flat Party – Flat Party EP

— glass beach – Plastic Death

— Green Day – Saviors

— Hot Garbage – Precious Dream

— Jango Flash – Jango Flash EP

— Judy Whitmore – Come Fly with Me

— Keyon Harold – Foreverland

— Lil Dicky – PENITH (The DAVE Soundtrack)

— Lizzie No – Halfsies

— Neck Deep – Neck Deep

— Nick Oliveri – N.O. Hits At All Vol. 8

— Nick Oliveri – N.O. Hits At All Vol. 9

— PACKS – Melt the Honey

— The Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition)

— Saxon – Hell, Fire and Damnation

— Selmer – Body Wash

— Sleater-Kinney – Little Rope

— SLIFT – ILION

— Spiritualized – Amazing Grace (20th Anniversary Edition)

— Swervedriver – 99th Dream (Reissue)

— Touché Amoré – Is Survived By: Revived

— TR3 (featuring Tim Reynolds) – Watch It

— UKAEA – Birds Catching Fire in the Sky

— ZHU – Grace