In a rather eventful week for mainstream music, Janelle Monae, Florence And The Machine and Snow Patrol all came out with new music this week. Additionally, the likes of Manic Street Preachers and Tinashe released full albums.
Albums:
Manic Street Preachers – Resistance is Futile
Resistance Is Futile is the thirteenth album by the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. This is the follow up to their 2014 album Futurology, which appeared in various year-end best of lists. Their earlier albums, especially Generation Terrorists and The Holy Bible had earned them a loyal following and cult status.
The Damned – Evil Spirits
One of leading bands to spearhead the punk movement in the United Kingdom, along with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, The Damned have released a new album. Evil Spirits. This is the band’s first album since 2008’s So, Who’s Paranoid and is produced by Tony Visconti, best known for his work with David Bowie. The Damned are also well known as one of the first gothic rock bands and a major influence on the goth subculture.
Laura Veirs – The Lookout
American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs has released her tenth studio album, The Lookout. This is the follow up to her 2013 studio album Warp and Weft. The album is produced by frequent producer Tucker Martine and features collaborations from My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James and Sufjan Stevens.
Tinashe – Joyride
American singer-songwriter and actor Tinashe has released her third studio album Joyride. This is her first album since 2016’s digital studio release Nightlife. Originally intended to release in 2015, many songs that were recorded for Joyride were released in Nightlife instead. It features guest appearances from French Montana, Future, Little Dragon, Offset and Ty Dolla $ign.
Songs:
Florence + The Machine – Sky Full of Song
Florence and The Machine are due to release a follow up to the duo’s 2015 album, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. They have released a new song off their album named ‘Sky Full Of Song’. In contrast to the huge, bombastic, sometimes guitar driven songs released in the previous album, this is a more reigned in effort, with harps, violins and piano laying a foundation while her voice carries the song gently.
Janelle Monáe – PYNK (feat Grimes)
Hype for Janelle Monáe’s upcoming album Dirty Computer just keeps on growing. She has released the third single from the album named ‘PYNK’. It features writing credits from the Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and production from previous collaborator Grimes. It is definitely the weakest of the three singles, with stronger statements in her previous two tracks, ‘Make Me Feel’ and ‘Django Jane’. However, it is worth hearing just for the bedroom synth-pop instrumentals alone.
Kamasi Washington – Fists of Fury
Along with the announcement of his new double album Heaven and Earth, American jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington has released two new singles named ‘Fist of Fury’ and ‘The Space Travelers Lullaby’. This will serve up as the follow up to the 2015 triple album, The Epic. ‘Fists of Fury’ sounds like a soundtrack to a futuristic sci-fi film, accentuated by funky percussion, oriental-styled strings and a typically excellent performance from Washington.
Snow Patrol – Life On Earth
English band Snow Patrol have released a new single, ‘Life On Earth’. This is from the upcoming album Wildness, the band’s first in seven years and is the follow up to the 2011 effort Fallen Empires. It is a somber affair, with an acoustic guitar kicking things off with faint strings in the background, before exploding to life in the chorus.
Jenny Hval – Spells
Norwegian singer-songwriter Jenny Hval has released a new single named ‘Spells’. This is the first single off her new EP, The Long Sleep. It follows Feeling, the debut EP from Hval’s Lost Girls project. It is a surprisingly more accessible track from her, with a typical 80’s dance-pop beat, saxophones and horns layering the track along with her voice.
