This week’s New Music Friday features new album releases from First Aid Kit, Ezra Collective, Special Interest, Daniel Avery, and Phoenix. Happy listening!
"Palomino" by First Aid Kit
Album: Palomino
Description:
“On their fifth album, Palomino, they strike melodic gold once more with some of their most uplifting and pop-centric songs to date. There’s still a sense of open hearts and broken hearts, of wishes and kisses being carried off on the desert wind, but perhaps what comes through on this album is a feeling of liberation, freedom, and hope. Indeed, the title track itself is a symbol of escape.”
– Under the Radar
"No Confusion" by Ezra Collective ft. Kojey Radical
Album: Where I'm Meant to Be
Description:
“Ezra Collective are dominating UK jazz. The group’s sophomore album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ is a glorious collection of tracks that demonstrate not only their striking musicality, but also their inherent camaraderie. The features on ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ are carefully picked. Kojey Radical, Emeli Sandé and Nao expertly add to the already vibrant tracks.”
– The Skinny
"Cherry Blue Intention" by Special Interest
Album: Endure
Description:
“On their remarkable third album, the New Orleans band pushes their sound to both its bleakest and its sweetest brinks. Pop, disco, and house all melt into their raucous, revolutionary glam punk. Lit up and led by searingly charismatic singer Alli Logout, they call out the stakes of the era as they see them, excoriating gentrifiers, cops, warmongers, and trust-fund art-school kids with keenly tuned sneers. Songs about bracing for revolution brush up against songs about great sex on great drugs.“
– Pitchfork
"Ultra Truth" by Daniel Avery
Album: Ultra Truth
Description:
“Avery is known for his technical mastery and way with melody, yet perhaps a sense of balance defines this masterful record. His melodies are nearly always harmonious, full of counterplay, and intuitively played off his polyrhythmic beats. The indefatigable tracks are softened by more ruminative numbers, affording respite and retrospection amid the jungle-thick maze of emotion and mood. Ultra Truth is both a danceable and listening collection that packs a corporeal punch and a spiritual cleanse.”
– pop matters
"After Midnight'" by Phoenix
Album: Alpha Zulu
Description:
“The French band recorded their seventh album amidst splendour in Paris’ Louvre Palace, and the museum’s varied, often stunning, artifacts seep into their ever-consistent songwriting. It’s like wandering the halls of the band’s own personal gallery, a stroll through time, and a chance to see some of their most glistening pieces yet up close. “
– NME
