Real life has caught up with me a bit recently and I haven’t been keeping up with my weekly posts, so this one’s a catch up covering my favourite releases from late August into early September.
Best New Albums
The Coral – Sea of Mirrors
The Coral will probably never re-produce anything quite as exciting as some of those wild early indie-psych bangers like Dreaming of You or Goodbye. But, with each new release they cement themselves as one of the UK’s most consistent bands. And they kind of specialise in making really nice music now. Time has smoothed out some of the edges, but there’s still a psych-y hint to things, albeit a gentler version, all sweet harmonies and cinematic flourishes. Sea of Mirrors is another success, which sounds something like Simon & Garfunkel soundtracking a spaghetti western.
emzae – All Those Things I Thought I Knew
A self-assured alt-pop debut emerges amidst struggle and self-doubt. An album about the dream of being a pop-star clashing with the struggles of real life. Full Review
Thrillhouse – Something About This Place
The Brighton band deliver a promising debut, reflecting on nostalgia and growing older, as told through the rose-tinted lens of their influences. Full Review
Best New Tunes
SOFT PLAY – Punk’s Dead – The duo formerly known as Slaves return and they address the backlash against that name change head-on. I was going to spend some time contemplating the spirit of punk, but quite frankly, debating what the meaning of punk is in 2023 just seems pointless. The tune bangs, that’s all you need to know.
Toddla T & Aitch feat. TAET – Hide N Seek – A 90’s club classic meets northern hip-hop for a pure party tune.
Revival Season – Everybody – I’m not sure whether Fatboy Slim is a cool name check nowadays, but this brings me back to being a kid in the late 90’s and hearing that collision of big beats and vocal soundbites, which seemed designed to worm your way into your brain. This feels like a throwback, but is also a breath of fresh air as this sort of booming delivery is a rarity in modern hip-hop.
Teezo Touchdown feat. Janelle Monáe – You Thought – Teezo Touchdown is one of the big upcoming names in hip-hop, racking up high-profile features with the likes of Travis Scott and Tyler, The Creator. Unfortunately, on first impression, his debut album is a bit of a disappointment, with far too much time dedicated to pop-punk pastiches. But, this track shows his potential as he twists around beats which switch from stuttering rap-rock to smooth R&B.
Morgan Harper-Jones – Main Character – Laura Marling meets Taylor Swift’s indie-folk phase. A new folk-pop star here.
Les Black – I Don’t Mean To Wish You Ill – As someone who loves The National, but has been mostly non-plussed by their recent work, I find that Les and his band, Fake Empire, give me a better fill of my gloom-rock needs these days. This solo effort is a hauntingly beautiful effort. It’s worth listening for the piano part alone.
Tiga & Hudson Mohawke – Ascending Into The Clouds – A high-octane euphoric dance banger.
Dictator – Enough is Enough – An anthemic indie call to arms with a funky Madchester undertone.
Du Blonde & Samuel T. Herring – Pelican Canyon – With just some soft finger-picked guitar for company, this is a masterclass in contrast, as Du Blonde’s sweet notes meet the deep soul of Herring’s voice. If you ever wondered what a Joni Mitchell and Johnny Cash duet would sound like, look no further (they actually did duet, but let’s ignore that).
You can check out previous weeks’ new music roundups at the Best New Music Weekly archive. And you can keep up with the latest updates by following No Frills Reviews on your chosen social media platform.
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