I already voted in the federal election. And I paid my taxes weeks ago. So next week is pretty wide open for me. Good thing — I’m going to need all that free time to listen to these great new albums. Here are my (and your) plays of the week:
Pink Breath Of Heaven
Colors Make A Sound
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A reverie of shimmering guitars, haunting melodies, and introspective lyricism, Colors Make A Sound is the debut album from Pink Breath Of Heaven, the visionary project of Liv Field and Rex John Shelverton. They spent the past year crafting a sonic landscape that merges the vast textures of shoegaze with the boundless energy of modern psychedelia. From hypnotic, slow-burning compositions to towering walls of sound, the album immerses listeners in a world where color and emotion intertwine, leaving echoes long after the music fades. Colors Make A Sound is a spellbinding experience.”
Pink Floyd
At Pompeii MCMLXXII
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pink Floyd At Pompeii is a concert film that pre-dates the release of The Dark Side Of The Moon. The film documents what Pink Floyd did before they became giants of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic, where their music remains celebrated to this day. Set in the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Pompeii, Italy, this unique and immersive film captures Pink Floyd performing an intimate concert without an audience. Filmed in October 1971, the performance marked the very first live concert to take place at Pompeii, and features the vital Echoes, A Saucerful of Secrets and One of These Days. The breathtaking visuals of the amphitheatre, captured both day and night, amplify the magic of the performance. Additionally, the film includes rare behind-the-scenes footage of the band beginning work on The Dark Side of the Moon at Abbey Road Studios. Nick Mason said “Pink Floyd: Live At Pompeii is a rare and unique document of the band performing live in the period prior to The Dark Side Of The Moon.”
Propagandhi
At Peace
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Speaking for myself, this record might be a snapshot of me deciding whether I’m going to live out the rest of my life as Eckhart Tolle or live out the rest of my life as Ted Kaczynski,” laughs Propagandhi guitarist and vocalist Chris Hannah. In true Propagandhi fashion, the Manitoba outfit’s eighth album At Peace is smart music for dangerous times. “Everything I’m singing about is still coming from being the same person that wrote and sang our first record How To Clean Everything in 1993,” Hannah states recalling the band’s snarky skate-thrash origins. “But what we’re putting into the songs now, probably reflects more despair than 30 years ago when we had similar perspectives, but with strands of hope and naivete. Now it’s the existential dread of eking out a life worth living in this completely failed society.”
PUP
Who Will Look After The Dogs?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Who Will Look After The Dogs?, PUP’s pummeling and cathartic fifth LP, is their most immediate, no-frills, and hard-hitting full-length yet. It was made in Los Angeles with producer John Congleton over the course of three weeks, and it’s the culmination of PUP’s past decade of constant touring and their palpable, livewire chemistry. The album evokes the lightning-in-a-bottle intensity of their self-titled debut (except they are much better at their instruments now), and finds our self-deprecating frontman Stefan Babcock at his most reflective, vulnerable and prolific. Over 12 tracks, Babcock excavates his life’s relationships — romantic, with his bandmates, and most ruthlessly, his relationship to himself. There’s plenty of growth, but also plenty of unpredictable mayhem in the arrangements and an acerbic bite in the writing. And while PUP historically are at one another’s throats during the album process, this time they scrapped their tedious perfectionism and rediscovered the joy of making loud music together. They had fun this time, we swear!”
Regal Cheer
Quite Good
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Regal Cheer are a short attention-span punk two-piece. They are based in Brighton, U.K. Max Cleworth sings and plays guitar. Harry Menear sings and plays drums. Quite Good is their sophomore album. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Tom Hill at the Bookhouse Studios, London. Ellie Cook supplied additional vocals on The Queue. Menear played slide guitar on The Queue. Cleworth was designated driver. Thanks for listening, Tell your mates.”
Mei Semones
Animaru
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “No second-guessing, no overthinking. The way I want to live my life is by doing the things that are important to me, and I think everyone should live that way,” says Mei Semones of her strengthened self-assurance. Through continuously honing in on her signature fusion of indie rock, bossa nova, jazz and chamber pop in a way that highlights her technical prowess on guitar, the 24-year-old Brooklyn songwriter and guitarist is quickly establishing herself as an innovative musical force. Since the release of her acclaimed 2024 Kabutomushi EP, a series of lushly orchestrated reflections on love in its many stages, Mei has gone on to tour extensively across the US, cultivate a dedicated following, and write and record her highly anticipated debut album Animaru. Inspired by the Japanese pronunciation of the word “animal” in Japanese, Animaru is the embodiment of Mei’s deeper trust in her instincts — a collection of musically impressive tracks that see Mei sounding more adventurous, more vulnerable and more confident than ever before.”
Sextile
Yes, Please.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Some bands find their groove and stick to it; others reinvent themselves constantly. Sextile belong to the latter camp, embracing the thrill of an ever-changing road map. The L.A. duo of Melissa Scaduto and Brady Keehn craft music with a lust for life, drawing inspiration from no wave to hardstyle. Their latest album, yes, please, pushes their sound into bold new territory, fusing anarchic electro fire with raw personal recollections — and enough beefed-up bass to bust a speaker or two. Yes, Please. is an album of contrasts: a vulnerable record that bares its soul as much as it revels in excess, showing just how far you can push your sound when you shake off your inhibitions. Together, the pair betray a confidence that never wavers, making a bold splash on the speedy intro with a rave siren cut from a ‘00s New York house party or sweaty Brooklyn warehouse.”
Slung
In Ways
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In Ways is a collaborative combustion of Slung’s experiences, circumstances and supreme musicianship. Their sonic universe — comprising the power of guitarist Ali Johnson’s incendiary riffs, vocalist Katie Oldham’s enviable dynamic and tonal range, bassist Vlad Matveikov’s undulating, yet grounding basslines and drummer Ravi Martin’s expert rhythmic punctuation — is a veritable musical supernova. Influences within the Slung camp are far reaching, with the band’s members referencing artists from Deftones and Baroness, to Wednesday and MJ Lenderman, to Queens Of The Stone Age and even a sprinkling of Chappell Roan and Fleetwood Mac. Katie communicates that one of her personal missions for the band relates to representation, inclusion, sisterhood and women being a more dominant force in music, whether that’s on stage, behind the scenes or in the crowd. She says “My love for women knows no bounds. Everything I do, I do for the girlies, the women and the female gaze exclusively. (This extends of course to ALL women inclusively, no TERF bullshit here.)”
Tonguecutter
Minnow
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tonguecutter marries mathy, heavy riffs and melody into an aggressive grunge sound. The music is a robust nod to riot grrrl culture peppered with atonal breaks from complex themes. Still, in true West Michigan punk spirit, brevity reigns supreme, with most songs clocking in around three minutes. Boredom is an uninvited guest on McCracken street. Their first full-length record Minnow is an expression of dark melody, groove, and crushing sounds with topics ranging from neighborhood chemical spills to family estrangement.”
Suzanne Vega
Flying With Angels
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Widely regarded as one of the foremost songwriters of her generation or any other, Suzanne Vega is set to release her first full-length album of new music in over a decade. Flying With Angels was produced by longtime collaborator and guitarist Gerry Leonard (David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, Duncan Sheik). “Each song on the album takes place in an atmosphere of struggle,” notes Vega. “Struggle to survive, to speak, to dominate, to win, to escape, to help someone else, or just live.”
Eli Winter
A Trick Of The Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A Trick Of The Light is the new album by Chicago guitarist / composer / bandleader Eli Winter. Winter’s 2022 self-titled album found the bandleader often ceding control of his improvisation-inclusive songs to his committed collaborators. On A Trick Of The Light, he has further refined this approach, resulting in an elegantly crafted and vibrant collection that finds Winter, as both composer and bandleader, at the height of his powers. The phrase “a trick of the light” references an optical illusion that can appear to produce uncanny, transitory mirages. On balance, it’s a remarkably apt title for this album. Such phenomena can only occur, of course, under the most fragile and fleeting of conditions: when imagination collides with natural magic. Winter’s compositions and performances, alongside those of his fellow performers over these six songs, creates an audio equivalent — a situation where what you are hearing has somehow, perhaps alchemically, created something even greater and more extraordinary.”
