Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
A truly major work by a modern great, saxophonist Washington has taken jazz from the dusty corners of specialist clubs into the consciousness of the wider music world. He's done this without compromise. His last album, The Epic, was three hours long, and this is two-and-a-half hours. He made guest appearances on Kendrick Lamar’s epochal To Pimp a Butterfly, and this album, with tracks such as Street Fighter Mas, and Song for the Fallen, captures the angry spirit of the age, echoing the fury and invention of past greats from Parker to Mingus. The tone is set with his opener using the tune from 1972's kung fu movie Fists of Fury, which includes additional lyrics: “Our time as victims is over / We will no longer ask for justice.” Out on Young Turks.
Kamasi Washington – Street Fighter Mas
Gorillaz – The Now Now
A relatively fast follow-up to 2017's Humanz, this time Damon Albarn has not filled his album with endless guests, but just a couple of big names - George Benson riffing rather nicely on the opener Humility, and Snoop Dogg doing his thang on Hollywood. It's less immediately engaging, but ultimately more rewarding stuff, with Albarn doing most of the singing, and pleasingly low-key melancholy mixes with clean beats on tracks such as Magic City and Souk Eye. Out on Warner Bros.
Gorillaz – Humility
Florence + the Machine – High As Hope
Florence Welch's act is huge behemoth of success, with three previous platinum albums, and a sound that turns the dial well beyond 11 in terms of production and delivery. This time it is turned down a notch, still destined to sell massively, land on many coffee tables fill big arenas, but it is better when the mouth is open less wide, there is space for sensitivity, on on this album, looking back at hedonistic youth and insecurity and trying to come out of it, as on the lead single, Hunger. Out on Virgin EMI / Republic.
Florence + the Machine – Hunger
Nine Inch Nails – Bad Witch
There's never been a better time for righteous political anger, and LA's The Nails are the ones to supply it. A short but snappy release is full of fast tracks that mix dance, gothic rock and industrial with a hint of Bowie. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are bang on form. Out on The Null Corporation.
Nine Inch Nails – Shit Mirror (and other tracks)
Gwenifer Raymond – You Never Were Much of a Dancer
Wonderful debut by a tremendously talented guitarist with a penchant for fingerpicking and a love for traditional blues players and John Fahey. Out on Tompkins Square.
Gwenifer Raymond – Sometimes There's Blood
The Wave Pictures – Brushes with Happiness
One of two albums coming out this year by the trio, this is billed as the downbeat, melancholy one, and with the more upbeat to arrive in the autumn, showing off two different writing methods. This came out of singer and guitarist David Tattersall's lyrics, and was improvised in more or less one take in the studio. It's slow and melancholic, but as with all their fine work, gently humorous (see title), here like a minimal sketch, and their love of Jonathan Richman shines through. .Out on Moshi Moshi.
The Wave Pictures – Brushes with Happiness
Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears
Second album from Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth after their well-received debut, I, Gemini. This is clever teenage-attitude pop, infectious, spritely, engaging, sometimes grandiose, and likely to do well. Out on Transgressive.
Let's Eat Grandma - It's Not Just Me
Thee Dagger Debs – Thee Dagger Debs
Ever feel like you just want some straight-up, unpretentious garage punk, 70s pub rock reminiscent of Dr Feelgood? Then this female trio do it wonderfully in this debut packed with plenty of self-deprecating humour and engaging tunes that make you want to climb into the van and go on tour with them. Out on Damaged Goods.
Thee Dagger Debs – Thee Dagger Debs
This week's selection is by The Landlord.
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