Here’s a rundown of new releases on DSPs and physical releases in record shops this week.
New Albums
Caroline Polachek – Desire I Want To Turn Into You
It’s the former Chairlift singer’s secondsolo album to 2019’s Pang, and first since the standalone hit of ‘Bunny Is A Rider’ (which features on the album), and pre-release singles including the Spanish-guitar-featuring ‘Sunset’, the spacious electronic choral of ‘Billions’ the morphing ‘weird’ 80s pop of ‘Welcome To My Island’, and ‘Blood And Butter’ produced by Danny L.Harle and featuring a bagpipes solo from Scottish folk artist Brìghde Chaimbeul. The album also features Grimes and Dido on the song ‘Fly To You’.
Inhaler – Cuts & Bruises
Second album from the Dublin rockers – singer Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon. Their debut album It Won’t Always Be Like This became the fastest-selling debut album on vinyl by any band this century. ‘If You’re Gonna Break My Heart’
Five To Two – Talk Soon
Five To Two are the Irish jazz trio of Matthew Breen, Jonah Byrne and Finn Mac Anna and this is their second album, released on Soft Boy Records. ‘Song 50,000’ features Jar Jar Jr. Bandcamp
Chósta – Twilight Transmission
Twilight Transmission is a concept record from the Dublin producer Conor Kelly aka Chósta about a fictional network of interconnected radio stations, inspired by the outliers of radio station programming in an increasingly homogenous radio landscape, including Donal Dineen, NTS and Dublin Digital Radio. The album was written and recorded through lockdown. Watch Chósta perform ‘Vox’ live at Swords Castle. Bandcamp.
Avey Tare – 7S
The fourth album from Avey Tare, the solo project of Animal Collective’s Dave Portner.
New Pagans – Making Circles Of Our Own
Belfast alt spiky punk rock releasing their second album via Big Scary Monsters. ‘There We Are John’ / Bandcamp.
Anna B Savage – in|FLUX
Savage is a master of delicate songcraft with subtle flourishes and intimate lyrics. Plays March 24 at Workman’s Club, Dublin / March 25 at Black Box, Belfast. ‘Pavlov’s Dog’
LOWLY – Keep Up The Good Work
Danish quintet releasing their third album of electronic/indie pop on Bella Union. Title track.
Skull The Pierre – LABUM
Third album from Dublin-based alternative psychedelic acoustic pop artist. ‘Danced In The Darkness’
Skrillex – Quest For Fire
The electronic producer debuted his new album with a live set in a basement in NY before his big weekend set at MSG with Fred Again.. and Four Tet. Those feature alongside Missy Elliott, Mr Oizo, Aluna, Pete Wentz, Porter Robinson and loads more.
Orbital – Optical Delusion
Tenth studio record from the Hartnoll brothers, who have Dublin, Limerick and Belfast gigs next month. The album features Penelope Isles, Anna B Savage, Sleaford Mods.
Wesley Joseph – Glow
Birmingham-born British songwriter, producer and filmmaker based in London, who is coming to Forbidden Fruit this year, and supporting Loyle Carner this weekend. Bandcamp.
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Land of Sleeper
The fourth full-length release for British rock band with the same word repeated seven times. Bandcamp.
Les SalAmandas – There’s a Sea Between Us
Debut album from West Cork-based Irish-French duo Les SalAmandas are Julie O’Sullivan and Colyne Laverriere, recorded with award winning producer Daniel Ledwell last year in Nova Scotia featuring bright indie folk of ‘Mary’s Got Issues’
Catch Les SalAmandas live at The Commercial, Limerick (Feb 17th), Black Gate, Galway (Feb 18th), Green Room, Dingle (Feb 24th), Coughlan’s, Cork (March 3rd), and Whelan’s, Dublin (March 23rd).
Romance & Dean Hurley – River Of Dreams
A second collaborative album ambient escapism, with emphasis on daytime TV soaps as source material. Bandcamp.
Glüme – Main Character
Second album of electronic pop on Italians Do It Better. ‘Do Me A Favour’
Screaming Females – Desire Pathway
Eighth album from the American underground rock power trio.
P!nk – Trustfall
Ninth studio album by American singer features guest appearances from The Lumineers, Chris Stapleton and First Aid Kit.
Oh No – Good Vibes
Madlib’s younger brother has a new short 16-minute release.
Kerala Dust – Violet Drive
London light electronica trio release their second. ‘Violet Drive’
Anna Wise – Subtle Body Dawn
Former Kendrick collaborator and LA R&B artist takes a turn to fairy ethereal folk pop music, informed by motherhood. ‘Jealousy Blocks Your Blessings Every Time’
Sam Goku – The Things We See When We Look Closer
Ambient electronic nature-inspired meditative excursions on Innervisions from a German producer, Finding new life in the different microcosms and gaining new perspectives on things by switching the angle and developing a meditative and psychedelic swirl. Bandcamp.
EP & 12″ Releases
Qbanaa – Rise Above EP
Cuban/Irish neo-soul/jazz singer releases a two-track EP with a more live sound.
Sharpson / Double Screen – U Found Me
Choki Biki’ label boss Dónal Sharpson couldn’t decide if this four-track EP fell under his club moniker Sharpson or the live electronic alias Double Screen, so he said why not both? Features Blakkheart on vocals.
“I recently got a job as a lecturer teaching music production in North London,” he says. “As I live in the South, my commute takes about an hour and a half every morning. I figured that’s 3 whole hours a day I could be doing something productive with, rather than just trying to get a quick pre and post work sleep. I thought it would be a good idea to make something on the tube and show it to my students once I arrived to work. I started to make simple loops and melodies every day, and before I knew it, I had 4 tracks that I was happy with that all sounded cohesive when played together. “That spurred the idea of an EP which used foley elements of my journey. That’s why this EP is also very loop heavy compared to my other ‘Double Screen’ stuff, as it was just convenient on the journey to just slap a few drum loops together and write some basic melodies.”
