When it comes to superstar releases for the summer of 2024, we’re almost done. In fact, industry focus has already turned to setting things up for the fall. Too soon, right? That, however, leaves New Music Friday wide open to other acts. Here’s what I have for you this week.
Singles
1. Arkells, Big Feelings (Universal Music Canada)
Arkells continue with their prodigious output of new material with a new summer single, a track that came together very quickly in the studio. Singer Max Kerman says it was one of those times when the energy was just right, so it was a matter of capturing it as quickly as possible. The song is out just in time for a big Canadian tour, too.
2. AWOLNATION, Panoramic View (Two Twenty-Five/The Orchard)
Bandleader Aaron Bruno wrote this one at the piano at the very start of the pandemic, so he wasn’t exactly feeling optimistic, but he was trying. He used the song to speak to his then-unborn children, telling them to embrace the uncertainty and scariness of life so that inner strength can be summoned. The overall message? Things are going to be all right.
3. Bring Me the Horizon, Top 10 staTues tHat CriED bloOd (RCA)
Okay, that’s a bit of an unwieldy title. And yes, that’s how we’re supposed to spell it (please don’t ask me why). The track is from the new album POST HUMAN: NeX GEn (there we go again), a record that’s finally out after a lot of delays. What does it mean to be human in the current age of technology? Let’s discuss that in song.
4. Jesse Malin, Prisoners of Paradise (feat. Bleachers) (Glassnote)
Malin began in the world of New York hardcore before movie to D Generation, a punk band that was a favourite of Joey Ramone. He began a solo career around the turn of the millennium and has released ten albums and a handful of EPs. His latest is Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin which features this new version of a 2022 song, which is now presented as a down-tempo collaboration with Bleachers, Jack Antonoff’s band.
5. The Offspring, Make It All Right (Concord/Universal)
It’s hard to believe, but the roots of The Offspring now go back 40(!!!) years to the days they traded under the name Manic Subsidal. This week, they announced their eleventh album, Supercharged, which will be released on October 11. (Yes, we’re talking about fall releases already). There’s a new drummer this time around in the form of Brandon Pertzborn, a veteran of Marilyn Manson’s band and also someone who has played with Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, Limp Bizkit, and Corey Taylor. This is the first single.
Albums
1. Aurora, What Happened to the Heart? (Glassnote)
Aurora is Aurora Aksnes, the dreamy Norwegian alt-pop singer with several critically-acclaimed albums to her credit. Her fifth record was inspired by the global warming crisis and focuses on this: “Though its precise function and anatomy were not clearly understood, the heart was believed to be the centre of the soul. Of intuition. Of emotion and intention. Until we decided these were qualifications of the mind. Emotion overpowered by logic. And with the world being so corrupted by money, power and selfishness you cannot help but ask yourself – what happened to the heart?”
2. Bon Jovi, Forever (Island Records/Universal Music Canada)
As Jon Bon Jovi continues to struggle with vocal issues that prevent him from touring, he is able to make studio records. Bon Jovi’s 16th studio album is more of what fans have to come to expect over the years, although they might this one to be a little more reflective. Hey, undergoing vocal cord surgery will do that to you.
3. Eels, EELS TIME! (E Works/Play It Again Sam)
E (otherwise known as Mark Oliver Everett) is now up to 15 Eels albums. And as usual, this one is filled with a ton of interesting and innovative melodies that suck you in. The debut single is a great demonstration of that.
4. Goat Girl, Below the Waste (Rough Trade)
I’ve been harping on Goat Girl to anyone who will listen. The South London band’s third album is probably their best yet, even as they move into slightly more experimental territory. It’s more mature and certainly more ambitious than the previous two records. It’s good. You should listen.
5. LØLØ, Falling for Robots and Wishing I Was One (Hopeless)
LØLØ is Lauren Mandel, a Toronto pop-punk singer, who already had a few successful singles (including a cover of Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark that went viral). She finally has a full debut album. Interesting video for this single, too.
© 2024 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Ad Choices
