With fond memories of the past two and a half dozen days, we bid farewell to May with this week’s newly released albums. Containing sharply crafted anthems and peerless harmonies, Palace of Depression is the long-awaited sophomore album from Philly’s premiere psychedelic Americana collective, Cosmic Guilt. A showcase for namesake lead vocalist María Zardoya, The Marías’ Submarine follows the young LA band’s launch to festival-ready stardom. Neil Finn and the third iteration of Crowded House take stock of their legacy on Gravity Stairs. Grammy-winning composer Arooj Aftab’s Night Reign is a dreamy opus that features guest appearances by Cautious Clay, Moor Mother, and Kaki King.
Born in Uganda and based in Austin, Jon Muq offers a lively globetrotting sound on his Dan Auerbach-produced debut, Flying Away. His first album in six years, Richard Thompson’s Ship to Shore is a canny blend of folk, jazz, and soul that features plenty of signature guitar flourish. Natasha Khan’s own motherhood journey becomes the supernatural folktale at the center of Bat for Lashes’ sixth album, The Dream of Delphi. On The Border, his 75th solo studio album (and first as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee), Willie Nelson covers Rodney Crowell and debuts four new compositions co-written with longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon.
Listen for spotlights on new records like these (and more) every week on the XPN Morning Show and Indie Rock Hit Parade.
Cosmic Guilt – Palace of Depression
CHECK OUT: “Yesterday’s in the Astral Plane” “Queen of the Dream”
The Marías – Submarine
CHECK OUT: “Run Your Mouth” “No One Noticed”
Crowded House – Gravity Stairs
CHECK OUT: “Oh Hi” “Teenage Summer”
Arooj Aftab – Night Reign
CHECK OUT: “Whiskey” “Raat Ki Rani”
Jon Muq – Flying Away
CHECK OUT: “Runaway” “Shake Shake”
Richard Thompson – Ship to Shore
CHECK OUT: “Singapore Sadie” “Freeze”
Bat for Lashes – The Dream of Delphi
CHECK OUT: “Home” “At Your Feet”
Willie Nelson – The Border
CHECK OUT: “The Border” “Made in Texas”
Alan Vega – Insurrection, Anastasia Coope – Darning Woman, Anna Tivel – Living Thing, Another Michael – Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down, Babe Report – Did You Get Better, Beak> – >>>>, Bernard Butler – Good Grief, Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Her Way Out, Black Sabbath – ANNO DOMINI 1989-1995, Buffalo Tom – Jump Rope, Can – Can Live in Aston 1977, Half Waif – Ephemeral Being EP, Idaho – Lapse, Jessie Baylin – Strawberry Wind (Deluxe Edition), King Hannah – Big Swimmer, Lucius – Wildewoman (The New Recordings), Maya Hawke – Chaos Angel, The Menzingers – Some of it Was True (Deluxe Edition), Neutrals – New Town Dream, Nightmares on Wax – Carboot Soul (25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition), Noelle & the Deserters – High Desert Daydream, The Other Two – The Other Two & You (Reissue), Peter Bibby – Drama King, +/- – Further Afield, Richard Hawley – In This City They Call You Love, Scott Guild & Cindertalk – Plastic: The Album, Small Black Arrows – The British Museum, Swamp Dogg – Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th Street, THOU – Umbilical, Winnetka Bowling League – Sha La La, The Woggles – Time Has Come, World News – Escape EP
