First Listen: New Releases for 11 and 18 July 2025
Album: Bright Nights
Quick Thoughts: We're big fans of Allo Darlin' here, and the sort of delicate, twee-adjacent sensibility takes flight here in what might be their best album yet. "My Love Will Bring You Home" is perfect, "Northern Waters" a gorgeous listen as well, and the whole thing feels like a nice blanket on a chilly summer night. Gorgeous record, make time for it.
Songs of Note: "Tricky Questions," "My Love Will Bring You Home," "Northern Waters," "Bright Nights"
Album: The Midnight Papers
Quick Thoughts: The Midnight Papers absolutely slot themselves in the garage / grunge tradition, with crunchy guitars and a punk rock attitude that's infused throughout the record. The record also closes with a version of "I Wanna Be Your Dog," and covering The Stooges is such a perfect endcap to this album that I really fell for this band. Looking forward to getting back to this one.
Songs of Note: "Missed Symbolism," "Quelque Chose," "An Accessorized Man," "I Wanna Be Your Dog"
Album: Glass House Mountain
Quick Thoughts: This one came out of nowhere for me, but I fell in love pretty fast. Reminiscent of Japanese Breakfast crossed with Hatchie, it's got a dreamy and ethereal feel to it while throwing more than its share of musical curveballs. I'm particularly obsessed with the bass line in "The Chills" (and I'd argue the bass is the unsung hero of this band as a whole), but the whole listen is a great record that deserves a slot in your rotation.
Songs of Note: "claws & scales," "saturdays," "call me up sunshine," "The Chills," "be still," "the prophecy"
Album: The Cost of Living
Quick Thoughts: Things I didn't need: another local folk rock obsession. What I got: Constellation Myths, who blew my mind with this sophomore effort that feels like progressive roots music through a modern, sometimes experimental lens. Reminiscent of BIG|BRAVE's effort in a lot of ways, songs like "A Consolation" just got themselves trapped in my head and won't let go. Plus, a song title with a nod toward R.E.M. is always going to be a winner in my books. This quickly became a favorite not of the week or the summer, but of the year, and I can't recommend this highly enough.
Songs of Note: "Spare Room," "A Consolation," "Coyotes, Lower," "Good Life," "The Decisive Moment," "Shadows on the Wall," "Vermont"
Album: The Yips
Quick Thoughts: Petey USA has an emo-esque take on the singer-songwriter thing on first listen. I randomly tripped up on "The Yips" last week and couldn't get it out of my head, and the rest of the album often meets those heights. I liked a lot of this, especially as someone who doesn't always vibe with this particular style. Worth a listen.
Songs of Note: "Model Train Town," "Ask Someone Else," "The Yips," "Spirit Animal," "The Milkman"
Album: Beside Myself
Quick Thoughts: This was a nice surprise. DJ Haram is a New York-based musician that more than puts their perspective out in the open. Beside Myself, her proper debut, has a point of view and pushes boundaries of what we can really expect from dance music. It works better in some places than others, but when this is on it is on. Honestly, this feels like an essential voice with some truly essential moments, so make some time.
Songs of Note: "Voyeur," "Fishnets," "Do u Love me," "IDGAF," "Loneliness Epidemic"
Album: Air Between Us
Quick Thoughts: Didn't want to lose track of this one. Coral Grief (great band name) does the sort of dreamy, fuzzy shoegaze-pop that's seen such a great resurgence, and there's a ton to love here across the board. Absolutely worth a listen.
Songs of Note: "Starboard," "Air Between Us," "Paint by Number," "Mutual Wish"
Album: Panic Shack
Quick Thoughts: I feel like there should be a "bright, biting commentary" genre for bands like Panic Shack. "Gok Wan" hit my radar a while back as an anthem on body acceptance, but what I found truly enjoyable about this record is that it's very aware: "Girl Band Starter Pack" is hilariously sad, "We Need to Talk About Dennis" catchy as anything else out there. I feel like this should be Wet Leg through an Amyl and The Sniffers filter? I don't know, but it's great!
Songs of Note: "Girl Band Starter Pack," "Gok Wan," "We Need to Talk About Dennis," "Pockets," "Unhinged," "Thelma & Louise"
Of note:
* Carrie Rodriguez - Postcards From the Border (Great songs from a stage production.)
* Open Mike Eagle - Neighborhood Gods Unlimited (Really buzzy effort from the rapper.)
* Wet Leg - moisturizer (Many great moments.)
* Lord Huron - The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 (Gorgeous folk rock record.)
* Rip Van Winkle - Blasphemy
* The Far Out - Greetings from The Far Out
* Glacier - More Distant/More Violent
* Public Enemy - Black Sky Over the Projects
* Sally Dige - Holding the Sun
* Mal Blum - The Villian
* Clear Path Ensemble - Black Sand
* Bettysoo - If You Never Go Away
* Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra - Yikes Almighty
* The Wind-Ups - Confection
* Sunking - I Don't Like My Telephone
* Forth Wanderers - The Longer This Goes On
* Hannah Holland - Last Exit on Bethnal
* Tyler, The Creator - Don't Tap the Glass
* Billie Marten - Dog Eared
* Pygmy Lush - Totem
* Ryann - Victoria
* Just Kids - Saccharine
* MF Tomlinson - Die to Wake Up From a Dream
* Exum - In Russia. A is a 9
* Amy MacDonald - Is This What You've Been Waiting For?
* Aunt Katrina - This Heat is Slowly Killing Me
* Fex - Skyscraper
* Lavender Decline - two
* The World's Afterparty - Not Dead Yet
* Olafur Arnalds and Talos - A Dawning
* Pomplamoose - Photogenique
* The Slackers - Dub Classics
* Gina Birch - Trouble
* Cleo Reed - Cuntry
* Sister. - Two Birds
* Madeline Kenney - Kiss From the Balcony
* Jade Bird - Who Wants to Talk About Love?
* Jessica Winter - My First Album
* Calva Louise - Edge of the Abyss
* Gwenno - Utopia
* Fur Trader - The Tender Life
* Raekwan - The Emperor's New Clothes
* Joe Alterman - Electric Cornbread
* Merpire - MILK POOL
* Benny the Butcher - Summertime Butch 2
* The Swell Sweason - Forward
* Masta Killa - Balance
* Hammock - Nevertheless
* yeemz - Blame the Gods
* The Dogmatics - Nowheresville
* Mike Kota - Through Fire
* Ultramarine - Routine
* Happy Little Clouds - Embers
* Kiln - Lemon Borealis
* Jonathan Something - One More Lonesome Cowboy
* Silkback - Attrition
* Poor Creature - All Smiles Tonight
* Natalie Bergman - My Home is Not In This World
* Murry Hammond - Trail Songs of the Deep
* Goon - Dream 3
EPs:
* The Brothers Comatose - 25 Miles
* Gracey - Ladybug
* Justin Martin - Troves Vol. 2
* Infected Mushroom - Mushrooms in Orbit
* Natalie Bergman - Lonely Road
* Bleach Lab - Close to the Flame
* Spaceface - Everything is Money
* Haress - Skylarks
* Miss Madeline and Chase Icon - Strawberry Lemonade
* Hanu Namuri - iconoclasm
* Jess Ribero - Mixtape
* Platonic Sex - Face to the Flywire
* Las Calakas - Sangre Ariza
* Soar - Boys in Town
* Vicky Vicious and the Stains - CODE RED
* Annabel Jones - Forgiveness
* Min Taka - I think we should just move in together
* Text Chunk - Bang Perc Trak
Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:
* Martha - Standing Where It All Began
* Leyla McCalla - Live at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
* Speedgasm VA (V.1)
* Giorgio Moroder - Instrumental Remixes Vol. 3
* The Album Leaf - Lines in a Leaf
* The innocence Mission - The Raindrop Cars
Also out:
* Laura Jane Grace - Adventure Club
* Mark Stewart - The Fateful Symmetry
* Bush - I Beat Loneliness
