I have a busy week coming up — mostly good-busy, so I can’t really complain. But still, I’m gonna be here and there and up and down and in and out and on the move for a few days. And they playing catchup for a few more days after that. Even so, I’m going to make time in my schedule to check out these new albums. I suggest you do likewise:
Ibibio Sound Machine
Pull The Rope
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pull The Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard–led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. The atmosphere has changed, but you’re still having the time of your life. Produced by Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) and Grunhard, Pull The Rope finds Ibibio Sound Machine pushing the sonic frontier with elements of post punk and Chicago house giving Williams’ rapturous vocals a timeless edge. New bangers like Got to Be Who U Are would be just as intoxicating in 1984 or 2044 as they are today.”
Kelly Jones
Inevitable Incredible
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Inevitable Incredible is a brand-new studio album that sees Kelly Jones writing primarily on the piano for the first time. Recorded on a remote island in Norway, the forthcoming album see’s Kelly step away from the comfort of Stereophonics and explore emotion and vulnerability. Recorded in just six days, the album features eight incredibly evocative cinematic songs, all with live vocal & piano plus stunning orchestral strings. Inevitable Incredible marks a bold stylistic shift for Kelly Jones. After a long tenure as one of the U.k.’s most prolific and beloved singer-songwriters, the re-invented solo artist pushes himself out of his comfort zone with piano-led fare, tapping into a newfound depth and vulnerability as he allows his work to speak for itself.”
Will Kimbrough
For The Life Of Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Folkies, even the ones with a good dose of country in their sound, tend to create quiet, introspective songs that are designed to pack a subtle but no less potent punch. Revered, multi-talented folk-Americana artist Will Kimbrough doesn’t quite fit that mold, and it is most evident on the 11 tracks that comprise For The Life Of Me, his eighth solo album. Here, Kimbrough crafted a batch of anthems with engulfing choruses and stinging musicianship. These songs rush into your consciousness and rattle your insides. “This album is not afraid to closely examine the wreckage and ruin of the past and the present,” says Kimbrough. “But it also expresses gratitude for every breath, for those we love, those who are still here, and those who we have lost. In the end, it’s just another expression of love.”
The Lemon Twigs
A Dream Is All We Know
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the release of Everything Harmony, which garnered acclaim from Questlove, Iggy Pop and countless others, The Lemon Twigs — the New York City rock band fronted by brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario — have once again captured the attention of the music listening public. They are in their premature “comeback” stage, and coming back this early has its benefits; the brothers have the energy of 24- and 26- year-olds, plus the experience and songwriting chops of seasoned musicians, having recorded their first album, Do Hollywood, nearly a decade ago at ages 15 and 17. Set for release less than a year after their last album, A Dream Is All We Know is a joyous affair. As the title suggests, it’s less of a sober look at the darker side of life, and more a hopeful sojourn into the realm of dreams. The tone has shifted away from dreary melancholic ballads and moody power pop. Brian and Michael are revisiting their 1968 sound. This album feels closely related to Do Hollywood, but their songwriting and recording techniques have vastly improved over the course of five albums.”
Mdou Moctar
Funeral For Justice
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Funeral For Justice is the new album by Mdou Moctar. Recorded at the close of two years spent touring the globe following the release of 2019 breakout Afrique Victime, it captures the Nigerien quartet in ferocious form. The music is louder, faster, and more wild. The guitar solos are feedback-scorched and the lyrics are passionately political. Nothing is held back or toned down. The songs on Funeral For Justice speak unflinchingly to the plight of Niger and of the Tuareg people. “This album is really different for me,” explains Moctar, the band’s singer, namesake, and indisputably iconic guitarist. “Now the problems of terrorist violence are more serious in Africa. When the U.S. and Europe came here, they said they’re going to help us, but what we see is really different. They never help us to find a solution.”
Bill Nelson
Powertron
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Powertron is an album of predominantly vocal pieces. Work on it commenced in 2016, immediately after former Be-Bop Deluxe and Red Noise singer-guitarist Bill Nelson completed work on The Jewel album when he realised that he then had 13 albums waiting in the queue for release. The starting point was the track Drive Shaft which was a leftover from the The Jewel sessions. Within four weeks Nelson had recorded 11 tracks for the album and announced that he needed to add just one more song to finish it. On 16 July 2016 he confirmed that the album was now complete but that it would be at least four albums down the line in his release schedule out of the 14 albums he then currently had in the can. As it turned out, Powertron would continue to be overlooked a number of times in favour of newer recordings and it would take a further eight years for it to finally appear. “It’s an album of left-field rock songs, mainly vocal but layered with loud and edgy guitars,” says Nelson. “It will appeal to those who enjoy the wilder side of my work.”
Frank Turner
Undefeated
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finding the sweet spot between youthful outspokenness and surviving midlife’s challenges, Undefeated, Frank Turner’s new album, is a record that explores both emotionally compelling topics and lighter reflections on those troubles that eventually come to most of us: Who you are versus who you wanted to be in your youth, life-altering love, fading friendships, wistful nostalgia, the mental fallout and political consequences that still linger from the pandemic era, and the more prosaic issue of persistent backache. Undefeated serves as Turner’s 10th studio album and the followup to his critically acclaimed No. 1 U.K. album FTHC. “Now I’m surprised to report that as I enter my 40s, I’ve returned to being an angry man,” Frank Turner sings on the recent track No Thank You For The Music. And that’s a concise statement as to what to expect from the album. “There are no clichés about the difficult 10th album, so in some ways, that’s a liberating statement,” he continues. “But at the same time, I have a duty to justify writing and releasing a 10th album. That’s a lot of records for anybody. Also, I’m 42. Which is not a sexy, rock ’n’ roll age. But all through my career, I’ve been interested in writers like Loudon Wainwright III or The Hold Steady, people who write about adulthood, essentially.”
Kamasi Washington
Fearless Movement
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Turning his attention to dance for his latest album Fearless Movement, Kamasi Washington resumes his ongoing study of music as a means of connection. His 2015 album The Epic, as well as 2018’s Heaven And Earth, were received by critics and audiences as a reimagination of modern jazz showcasing Washington’s larger-than-lift compositions full of celestial grandeur and his distinct blend of jazz, Latin, funk, classical, hip-hop and soul. Fearless Movement, however, offers something different: Terrestrial rhythms and collaborations from rappers, musical icons and even Washington’s own daughter. Features include: Thundercat, Taj Austin, Ras Austin, Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, Brandon Coleman, D-Smoke, George Clinton, Bj the Chicago Kid and Andre 3000. Washington calls Fearless Movement his dance album. “It’s not literal,” Washington says. “Dance is movement and expression, and in a way it’s the same thing as music — expressing your spirit through your body. That’s what this album is pushing.”
Zolle
Rosa
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Zolle return with an album where the heavy parts are lovingly heavier and the melodic parts are monstrously more melodic than in the past. Imagine Crowbar on a diet, singing Ramones songs at an AC/DC show with Metallica as an opening act. Rosa is Italian for pink but it also refers to the flower itself. Rosa sounds incisive and unconventional, its nine tracks brimming with a buzzing energy and featuring playful vocals and melodies, muscular riffs and highly propulsive drums. Rosa tells, in a universal language, of different elements united. Zolle are an incisive, unconventional rock duo, featured by playful voices and melodies, powerful guitar riffs and super energetic drums. Rosa was conceived in the countryside close to the Po river. Zolle find their maximum expression playing live: A smiling approach, guaranteed vibration.”
