This week has been an absolutely fantastic one for new albums. We’ve got new LPs from The Killers, The Front Bottoms and The Lemon Twigs, and all are pretty damn good. And, of course, we’ve got a hot new selection of singles, ranging from London Grammar‘s earthy vibey tones to a great new track from local band St. Peter’s Dream to a new remix of AJR‘s ‘Bang!’, with the addition of Hayley Kiyoko. Stay tuned for my hot takes on this week’s new music.
TUNE OF THE WEEK – The Front Bottoms – ‘montgomery forever’
Ah, The Front Bottoms. A staple part of most indie fans’ discography and record collection, they’re back again with their newest album, In Sickness and In Flames, but more on that later. ‘montgomery forever’, the fifth track on the album, is an absolute BANGER. Musically, the track has a killer guitar riff and drum beat, and a scream-along repetitive chorus (but repetitive in a good way) that you just can’t help but jump to. Lyrically, it follows a sad nostalgic vibe, focusing on long lost memories and accepting that your hometown changes and grows just as you do; the place of your past becomes as much of a long-gone reality just as your past self does. Ending on a piano moment and brief speech from Brian Sella, it’s great from start to finish. Poignant and personal, the track frankly slaps and is easy to listen to over and over again.
‘montgomery forever’ is available to listen to now via Fueled By Ramen.
The Front Bottoms – In Sickness and In Flames
The Front Bottoms are a widely beloved indie-rock duo, primarily for their cracking 2013 album, Talon of the Hawk, which spawned the iconic single ‘Twin Sized Mattress’ for all your peak post-breakup crying needs. They’re back with their newest LP In Sickness and In Flames which shows them keeping some aspects of their original sound, whilst also evolving to adapt to a new and younger audience.
In Sickness and In Flames is a good album, don’t get me wrong. My favourite tracks have got to be the aforementioned ‘montgomery forever’, which just reeks of nostalgia and a long yearning for home and simpler times, and ‘bus beat’, an intense and heavy banger (any time that a track opens up with mic feedback you KNOW you’re in for a good time). My main gripe with the album is that, in my opinion, it takes a while to get into it. The latter half of the LP is definitely better than the first, with the first just feeling like a bit of a buildup before it properly gets going. I’m hoping that those first few songs will grow on me, because otherwise, In Sickness and In Flames is definitely a great LP worth listening to.
In Sickness and In Flames is available to listen to now via Fueled By Ramen. Check out ‘camouflage’ down below.
The Lemon Twigs – Songs for the General Public
If you’re looking for that sweet 60s/70s nostalgia, The Lemon Twigs are most definitely the band for you. Crackly tones, brilliant twangy vocals and great vibey guitar riffs are no stranger to brothers Michael and Brian D’Addario, who capture that great 70s sound perfectly. With the addition of the occasional orchestra and clear theatrical showmanship showing through even just on record, Songs for the General Public is a great LP, sure to transport you to The Lemon Twigs’ world of Supertramp, Ramones and ELO influenced tunes, giving a listening experience akin to sailing a spaceship down a rainbow. Airy, light, and perfect for summer, Songs for the General Public is the perfect album to lay back and just listen to, with no distractions. I didn’t think that their latest album could live up to my favourite LP of theirs, 2016’s Do Hollywood, but boy am I glad that I was wrong.
Songs for the General Public is available to listen to now via 4AD ltd. Check out ‘The One’ down below.
The Neighbourhood – ‘Devil’s Advocate’
Alternative rock band The Neighbourhood are slowly shaping their newest era with their releases over the last few months, the latest of which being ‘Devil’s Advocate’. Deep and addictive, ‘Devil’s Advocate’ is an earthy tune, starting out with a slow, foot-tapping drum beat and repeating guitar riff that carries the song. Jesse Rutherford’s vocals slowly filter in, matching perfectly with the low tones of the backing track, singing of being a genuine and breaking away from being a ‘fraud’, rejecting brands and trends just to be his own person. The guitar riff, rather than getting boring after a while, sets a solid foundation for the track and just makes you want to listen to it over and over again. ‘Devil’s Advocate’ has got me proper excited to see what The Neighbourhood are planning on doing next with upcoming LP Chip Chrome & The Mono-tones.
‘Devil’s Advocate’ is available to listen to now via Columbia Records.
AJR ft. Hayley Kiyoko – ‘Bang! [AhhHaa Remix]’
I’m as much of fan of AJR and Hayley Kiyoko as the next person. But, I’ll be honest, this remix felt kind of unnecessary. Kiyoko and Jack Met’s voices work well together, but the original song is clearly superior to this newest rendition; Kiyoko just doesn’t match the theatricality and excitement of Met’s tones. She’s much more laidback and chilled than he is, and it takes you out of the song when she comes onto the track. The original ‘Bang!’, released earlier this year (and perhaps a precursor to an upcoming album? One can only dream), vibes much better than this newest track, not that this remix is bad; it just wasn’t needed.
‘Bang! [AhhHaa Remix]’ is available to listen to now via Black Butter Limited.
Other Selected Releases
Singles
London Grammar – ‘Baby It’s You’
St. Peter’s Dream – ‘What Molly Wants’
The Killers – ‘Blowback’
Madeon – ‘The Prince’
The Japanese House – ‘Sharing Beds’
boy pablo – ‘rest up’
Pharrell ft. Jay-Z – ‘Entrepreneur’
Madison Beer – ‘Baby’
You Me At Six – ‘MAKEMEFEELALIVE’
Albums
The Killers – Imploding the Mirage
Troye Sivan – In A Dream EP
Bright Eyes – Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was
Bully – Sugaregg
This Week In Records: Playlist Edition
Need a weekly music fix of all the songs you should care about? We’ve made a super handy playlist of all of this week’s biggest releases, so just sit back and listen to the good stuff. Updated every Friday.
