A quieter but still stacked week of New Music for everyone today. Let’s dive right in!
Florence Black: BED OF NAILS
We’ve done a review of this album already. Check it out here!
Striker: ULTRAPOWER
We’ve ALSO already covered this awesome album. Check it out here!
Gabby Barrett: Chapter & Verse
Joe: The Modern country star returns with her sophomore album, and first since she exploded onto the scene with 2020’s Goldmine. As an album as a whole, it’s fantastic! Tracks like ‘Cowboy Back’ and ‘Off the Highway’ are traditional country bangers, while stuff like the title track and ‘Jesus on a Train’ feel more modern and poppy. Meanwhile there are plenty of ballads like ‘Dance Like No One’s Watching’ and ‘Hard to Read’. The latter is definitely a highlight of the album, too! It’s generally a little slow, and a fair few of the songs do sound similar. However, having this on on a long car journey it was a damn good chilled album to fill the silences! There is no denying Gabby’s talent, her vocals are flawless and fit every style she performs here. And all of the writing is impeccable; it’s clear to see why she’s such a big name. I’ll certainly have this on again, though it probably won’t be my favourite country album of the year 7.5/10
The Miserable Rich: Overcome
Joe: The soft/indie rock band are back with their first studio album in over a decade. Channelling everything from David Bowie to Jethro Tull to The Monkees to even a bit of Lou Reed, it’s certainly an interesting listen. It’s odd, quirky and feels like a step back into the 60s/70s at times. It’s not particularly my sort of things, but I did find myself enjoying tracks like ‘Crows’, ‘FHS’ and ‘Penny For’. Their blending of genres is constantly interesting, though, and I found it almost impossible to turn off. 4.5/10
Hauntologist: Hollow
Joe: Though a lot of this is typical black metal, there is definitely more to it than that. Darkside and The Fall (actual titles of band members, yes) have created something really interesting and unique with this album. Don’t get me wrong, it still isn’t necessarily what I’d choose to listen to. The slower, more reflective tracks like ‘Golem’ and the almost Tool-like title track were great. Honestly, the latter is a real masterpiece in atmosphere and build-up. However, there isn’t a bad track on the album. It’s dark, heavy and yet still has enough breathing room and atmosphere for me to enjoy, not the typical wall of sound the genre is on occasion. The playing from the both of them is top notch, too. I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to this often, but the more I listen, the more it grows into one of my favourite black metal albums I’ve checked out. 7.5/10