The weather is cooling down, but the schedule of new album releases remains fired up. For their debut as Plains, Katie Crutchfield and Jess Williamson are equal parts folk tradition and vanguard Americana on I Walked with You a Ways. Speaking of collaborations, omnipresent super-producer Jack Antonoff is a perfect foil for new wave revivalists The 1975; their fifth LP, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, is a dynamic set. Returning with their second Rick Rubin-produced LP of the year (following April’s Unlimited Love), Red Hot Chili Peppers cut loose on the freewheeling Return of the Dream Canteen.
In addition to Plains, several other groups are making debuts this week: Tacoma quartet Enumclaw deliver on their self-proclaimed status as “The Best Band Since Oasis” on the thrilling Save the Baby. River Shook, aka Sarah Shook of the Disarmers, makes an appealing sonic shift on Cruel Liars, their first full-length as Mightmare. Though it’s hardly a debut, FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE‘s distinction as Brian Eno‘s first collection to feature vocals in over than half a decade makes it a must-listen for fans of the pioneering musician. Philly-rooted experimental combo Palm‘s Nicks and Grazes brings whirling textures and expert musicianship to the forefront. As we near the sixth anniversary of his passing, some of Leonard Cohen‘s best-loved compositions are covered by Iggy Pop, Norah Jones, and Nathaniel Rateliff on the tribute collection Here it Is.
PRESS PLAY on these new releases below. Listen for spotlights on new records like these (and more) every Friday on the XPN Morning Show and Indie Rock Hit Parade.