Hello and welcome back everyone! I’m starting a new blog segment today called the new music roundup! Every month I’ll be going through a couple of my favorite and least-favorite tracks or new releases! Feel free to leave suggestions or comments on music that I should review for the next month!
Manchester Orchestra
I always seem to forget that the band Manchester Orchestra exists. But, I love when I’m able to rediscover them every time they post that they have new music coming out. The band is known for their intense but calm-at-times indie music that can fierce and mellow moments. They sort of sound like folk mixed with rock, to describe it simply. They have recently announced their new album though, entitled ‘The Million Masks of God’. The first single just released is a song called ‘Bed Head’. This track does a perfect job encapsulating the band’s signature frantic and edgy style, a sound that is similar to the eye of a storm. One thing that was surprising was the opening to the track which has a much different feel to their older music. This track though honestly is a change for good in my opinion. The song is catchy, and the chorus has amazing vocals that are clear and will stick in your head all day. The intensity shown on this track could make the new album electric if present throughout the rest of the project. I am very excited for this new album, and you should be too! Take a listen to the song and watch the music video for it here.
‘68
The Atlanta based project from Josh Scogin (formerly of The Chariot), ‘68, has been quiet for a while. They’ve had two records released in 2014 and 2017, but haven’t done much since. Now, more than ever, the world is very ready for a comeback from this noise-y garage and punk influenced duo. Two new tracks have been released called ‘Bad Bite’ and ‘The Knife, The Knife, the Knife’. The first track of the two has a very Every Time I Die inspired feel. It’s loud and filled with rocking riffs, but there’s calmer parts with clapping that will draw listeners in and show that the band knows how to do things softly too. The second of the tracks has amazingly heavy guitar/bass riffs with a fairly Cage The Elephant-esque vocal tone. The production on these tracks is also amazing, clean drums and dirty riffs make for a perfect combo. This album is gonna have tons of bangers on it – the full length ‘Give One Take One’ comes out March 26th.
Valley Maker
Now for some calmer tunes, singer-songwriter and PhD student Austin Crane has just released his third full-length record. Crane came onto my radar originally when his second full length ‘Rhododendron’ was released. It was full of beautiful songs with calming instrumentals and a very wandering feel. It almost was like the perfect music to listen to while you’re traveling somewhere new. This new record ‘When The Day Leaves‘ has Crane’s signature folk-sy vocals with noodling acoustic guitars, clear and clean female harmonies, and an expansive instrumental production. The universe created by Valley Maker’s sound is special. The sounds they put on their records feel enormous, it feels like you’re listening to the music in a large room, or in an outdoor venue like Red Rocks. I praise Austin Crane for his creativity and his ability to create calm and beautiful songs in a time when everything is chaotic.
Julien Baker
Julien Baker has been on an upwards trajectory for a long time now. On a similar track to artists like Phoebe Bridgers. Baker creates delicate but brutally honest tracks that has drawn in fans from all different genres. Let me just say, if you ever want a good cry, the new record ‘Little Oblivions’ is probably perfect. With the motto of ‘There’s no glory in love, only the gore of our hearts’, you know that there are going to be some scars that are discussed on this new album. I’ve heard plenty of amazing reviews so far of this album, and while I haven’t taken a full listen yet, I have loved tracks like Heatwave. The guitar production is stellar, and the combination of instruments comes full circle on this album and gives Baker the full-band sound that she lacked in earlier records. Take a listen to this, because this is likely going to be a standout for many in the year of 2021.