Album of the Week – 29/04/24

A week with new albums from St. Vincent (All Born Screaming), Iron & Wine (Light Verse) and Thom Yorke (Confidenza – Music For the Film)? A lot of Indie royalty on display so some tough choices ahead.

There are also new sounds from Six Organs of Admittance (Time is Glass), Fat White Family (Forgiveness Is Yours), GospelbeacH (feat. Brent Rademaker of Beachwood Sparks – Wiggle Your Fingers) and more besides.

After much thought and considerable effort, it proved impossible to ignore the talents of Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), with his first full album in 7 years. Worth waiting for, just look at the lyrics for Cutting it Close below if you’re not already in full agreement!

Iron & Wine – Cutting it Close – Lyrics

“Long-lost friend of mine
I know we only fucked a couple of times
Love owes nothing to us
Nobody’s perfect or as dumb as their luck
Kissing this, kissing that
I’m kissing anybody kissing me back
Time likes pulling my teeth
I never knew how many teeth I would need
So it goes and it goes
It doesn’t matter but it’s cutting it close”

Album of the Week – Iron & Wine – Light Verse

“The opening track and recent single ‘You Never Know’ echoes the percussive sound of the songs of Beast Epic, easing the listener in with a recognisable prospect. ‘Anyone’s Game’ embraces a funkier vibe, with an 80s-inflected rhythm that builds to a glorious finish. ‘All in Good Time’, a duet with Fiona Apple, is an instant classic. The country music inflections nod to Dolly and Kenny while the songwriting is timeless. ‘Taken by Surprise’ is a sonic slice of loveliness, an ode to a past love that shimmers with fond regret, while ‘Yellow Jacket’ could have come straight out of a Bernstein musical. ‘Tears That Don’t Matter’ is the most obtuse song on the album, an ominous list of random advice that builds to a cascade of pulsing cello and swirling strings, reminiscent of The Beatles ‘A Day in the Life’. Closing number ‘Angels Go Home’ makes the best use of the orchestral arrangements and is just crying out for a big-screen movie to soundtrack”. – From our review by Cathy Brown here

Albums of Note:

— Six Organs of Admittance – Time is Glass

— Fat White Family – Forgiveness Is Yours

— GospelbeacH (feat. Brent Rademaker of Beachwood Sparks) – Wiggle Your Fingers

— St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

— Thom Yorke – Confidenza (Music For the Film) (Digital Release)

April 26th:

— ACCEPT – Humanoid

— ACxDC – G.O.A.T.

— AG Club – Brodie World

— Alien Ant Farm – ~mAntras~

— Anders Osborne – Picasso’s Villa

— Anitta – Funk Generation

— Art Tatum – Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings

— AWOL – Tear ‘Em to Bits

— Babehoven – Water’s Here In You

— Billy Idol – Rebel Yell (Expanded Edition)

— Billy Tibbals – Nightlight Stories EP

— Black Tusk – The Way Forward

— Blitz Vega (feat. Andy Rourke of The Smiths) – Northern Gentlemen

— Brother Ali – Love & Service

— Bullion – Affection

— Charley Crockett – $10 Cowboy

— Corridor – Mimi

— Daisy World – Toothpick

— Decide – Banished by Sin

— Def Leppard – Pyromania (40th Anniversary Edition)

— Ellis – No Place That Feels Like

— Eric Slick – New Age Rage

— Fat White Family – Forgiveness Is Yours

— Faun Fables – Family Album (Vinyl Reissue)

— Faun Fables – Mother Twilight (Vinyl Reissue)

— Full of Hell – Coagulated Bliss

— Glassing – From the Other Side of the Mirror

— GospelbeacH (feat. Brent Rademaker of Beachwood Sparks) – Wiggle Your Fingers

— Grumpster – Grumpster

— Hayden Everett – I Miss the Sky EP

— Hovvdy – Hovvdy

— Inter Arma – New Heaven

— Iron & Wine – Light Verse

— Jane Paknia – Orchid Underneath EP

— Jeff Beal –  New York Études

— Jess Glynne – Jess

— Joyer – Night Songs

— Justice – Hyperdrama

— Juvenile – 400 Degreez (Vinyl Reissue)

— Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand – Willson Williams

— King + Country – The Inspired By Soundtrack

— Lawrence Rothman – The Plow That Broke the Plains

— Liz Brasher – Baby Damn

— Loren Kramer – Glovemaker

— The Lostines – Meet The Lostines

— Luke Hemmings – boy EP

— LustSickPuppy – Carousel From Hell

— Maggie Rogers – Heard It In A Past Life: 5 Year Anniversary Exclusive Deluxe LP (Limited Edition)

— Mandy (Melkbelly’s Miranda Winters) – Lawn Girl

— Margaret Glaspy – The Sun Doesn’t Think EP

— Maria Chiara Argirò – Closer

— Microwave – Let’s Start Degeneracy

— Mister Goblin – Frog Poems

— Neil Young + Crazy Horse – FU##IN’ UP

— Nisa – Shapeshifting

— Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling, and Andreas Werliin – Ghosted II

— OU – 蘇醒 II: Frailty

— Owen (Mike Kinsella of American Football) – The Falls of Sioux

— Parsnip – Behold

— PartyNextDoor – PartyNextDoor Four (4)

— Personal Trainer – What Was There Before? EP

— Pet Shop Boys – Loneliness

— Pigeons Playing Ping Pong – Day in Time

— Porij – Teething

— The Rifles – Love Your Neighbour

— Ringo Starr – Crooked Boy EP

— Sega Bodega – Dennis

— Shelter Boy – Mercyland

— shirlette ammons – Spectacles

— Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Live in France: The 1966 Concert in Limoges

— Six Organs of Admittance – Time is Glass

— Skilla Baby – The Coldest

— St. Vincent – All Born Screaming

— Stephen Sanchez – Angel Face (Club Deluxe)

— Sun Ra – Sun Ra at the Showcase: Live in Chicago

— Sunny Day Real Estate – Diary: Remastered and Expanded Edition

— Tara Jane O’Neil – The Cool Cloud of Okayness

— Thom Yorke – Confidenza (Music For the Film) (Digital Release)

— VHOOR – Resenha

— Yosa Peit – Gut Buster

— The Zutons – The Big Decider

April 29th:

— IVE – IVE SWITCH EP

— SEVENTEEN – 17 IS RIGHT HERE