Happy Barbenheimer Weekend! While you’re deciding what to see and in what order (Barbie then Oppenheimer is how I’m doing it), there are loads of good albums out this week. Blur are back with their first album in eight years, plus the latest from Cut Worms, the ever-prolific Guided by Voices, the new and improved Strange Ranger, and Miss Tiny (aka Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey and Warmduscher’s Benjamin Romans-Hopcraft).
But wait there’s more. Over in Notable Releases, Andrew reviews Allegra Krieger, Outer Heaven, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, and more.
Speaking of Blur, I ranked all nine of Blur’s studio albums from “bollocks” to “brill.” Need more Basement-y content? Sorted: Lush’s Emma Anderson announced her solo debut; The Chemical Brothers will release their 10th album in September; Bas Jan, the London group that includes JARV IS members Serafina Steer and Emma Smith, just announced their second album; and Jenny Hval’s Lost Girls are back.
And yes, you’re right. BrookynVegan did get a bit of a makeover this week. What do you think?
Head below for this week’s reviews.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK #1: Blur – The Ballad of Darren (Parlophone)
They have mellowed but they’re still undeniably Blur; the onetime Britpop stars have made their best album since the ’90s
Blur are back with what Damon Albarn calls the band’s “first legit album” since 13 and while i’m not sure about that, The Ballad of Darren is definitely their best album since 13 (that’s 24 years if you’re counting). I reviewed the album here and here’s an excerpt:
Albarn has resided on Melancholy Hill for a long time now, and more than anything, The Ballad of Darren has has a warm, wistful feel, with more swaying autumnal ballads than upbeat rockers. Opener “The Ballad” initially sounds like it could’ve been on an Albarn solo album (with a nod right at the start to The Specials’ “Ghost Town”) but Coxon, James and Rowntree all bring their distinctive qualities to it, adding up to that unmistakable, if mellowed, Blur sound. With lines that are clearly about the band (“We travelled around the world together”), it sets a reflective tone somewhere between nostalgia and regret that carries through the rest of the album.
You can also read my ranking of all nine of Blur’s albums.
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ALBUM OF THE WEEK #2: Cut Worms – Cut Worms (Jagjaguwar)
Max Clarke crafts another fantastic album of lost-in-time pop inspired by the Beach Boys and Everly Brothers
Max Clarke’s last Cut Worms album, Nobody Lives Here Anymore, was an examination of the failure of the ’50s American Dream, as told by a musician who has always felt unmoored from time. For its follow-up, Clarke aimed to pare his songs down to only what he thought was essential, asking “How much can I say and give in a limited amount of time?” That means no heady themes, just wonderful pop songs influenced by Beach Boys and The Everly Brothers. Working with Brian & Michael DʼAddorio of The Lemon Twigs and Rick Spataro of Florist, alongside longtime bandmates John Andrews (keyboards), Keven Louis Lareau (bass), and Noah Bond (drums), Max has crafted a record that sounds like it could’ve existed in 1962, with songs about falling in love, breaking up, longing, perfect nights, and other evergreen pop subjects. Max, who looks like he’s straight out of a ’50s movie too, is an expert melodicist, echoing his heroes and striking a familiar chord while never falling into pastiche or imitation, but nailing the sonics and vibe, from the twangy guitars and harmonies to the sleigh bells, strings and Phil Spector-y bass harmonica. “Too Bad,” “Let’s Go Out On The Town,” “Living Inside,” and the album’s other six songs sound like lost classics. A wonderful album.
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Guided by Voices – Welshpool Frillies (GBV Inc)
Robert Pollard and crew get down and dirty for their 38th earworm-packed album
Is there an artist who stayed more productive during these last three pandemic years than Robert Pollard and Guided by Voices? Maybe King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, but they are 30 years Pollard’s junior, and I would argue that GBV have a higher hit rate. In fact, the current lineup of the band rivals any of the “classic” lineups of decades past (though they share some members like Doug Gillard) and have been on a nine-album (at least) hot streak that includes this their 38th album (!). After Tremblers by Goggles and Rank and La La Land, which both sounded like Pollard’s teenage arena rock dreams fulfilled, he’s returned to a looser, leaner, more wirey approach on Welshpool Frillies that was inspired by his putting together ’90s GBV odds-n-sods comp Scalping the Guru last year. This one is down and dirty, recorded primarily live-to-tape in producer Travis Harrison’s Brooklyn basement. While it’s a little scuzzier, Pollard is still an earworm factory: see “Why Won’t You Kiss Me,” “Cruisers’ Cross,” “Don’t Blow Your Dream Job,” and sure to be chart smash “Radioactive Pigeons.” 2023 also marks GBV’s 40th anniversary and the year’s only half over — what do they still have in store for us?
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Strange Ranger – Pure Music (Fire Talk)
This indie guitar band get a radical electronic makeover — for the better — on their fourth album
A lot is different in the world of Strange Ranger since their last album, 2019’s Remembering the Rockets. Moving to NYC/Philly from Portland, they left their old sound (jangly indie) behind and picked up a lot of synthesizers along the way. Recorded in a cabin in upstate New York, Pure Music sounds like an entirely different and much more interesting band, one that embraces very modern recording techniques while mining the past. We’re talking a record where M83 and My Bloody Valentine meet The Dream Academy and Steely Dan, filtered through current Top 40. It’s a unique combo that gives you songs like “Blush,” that smashes together the smoothest of sax with crashing, crushing guitarwork. Strange, for sure, but compelling.
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Miss Tiny – DEN7 EP (Speedy Wunderground)
Speedy Wunderground head and in-demand indie producer Dan Carey teams with Warmduscher’s Benjamin Romans-Hopcraft to release their duo’s appealing debut EP
Dan Carey is a very busy man. When not running cool UK indie label Speedy Wunderground, he’s producing records for the likes of Wet Leg, Hot Chip, Fontaines DC and Kae Tempest. He also makes his own music, having a long-running duo project with Benjamin Romans-Hopcraft (Warmduscher, Childhood) that have been in no hurry to share music with the public. Dan plays guitar and produces, while Benjamin sings and plays drums. “We called it anti-recording,” says Carey. “Only doing it for the pleasure of doing it.” Originally called What It’s Like To Be A Bat, they changed their name to Miss Tiny, a term of endearment for Ben’s late grandmother. After nearly a decade, Miss Tiny finally released a record. The five songs on DEN7 are on the dark side of indie rock, owing a lot to the ’90s (Pavement, PJ Harvey, Modest Mouse) but with a dexterity you would never call “slack.” It should be no surprise, given their collective CV, that this is impressive stuff, from playful and nervous songs like “The Beggar” to woozier numbers like “Grit” and “Sailing.” Fans of bar italia, Sorry and King Hannah should hit play immediately.
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