The kids are back in school, pumpkin spice latte is being dispensed everywhere, and Christmas displays are up at Canadian Tire. All this means that we’re into the home stretch for 2023. New Music Friday is going to be a busy thing from now until American Thanksgiving. Watch this space.
Singles
1. The Rolling Stones, Angry (Universal)
There’s just three of them: Mick, Keef, and Ronnie and their average age is 78. But on Wednesday (September 8), they officially announced the release of Hackey Diamonds, their first album of new material in 18 years. It sounds interesting, too, with guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and Lady Gaga. But after spending decades earning billions of dollars on the road playing the old hits over and over again, will anyone care when the full record arrives on October 20? We’ll see. The first single (starring Syndey Sweeney of White Lotus fame) is promising.
2. Vince Clarke, Limitations of Jeremiah (Mute)
A million years ago–okay, 1980–Vince Clarke was the main songwriter of Depeche Mode. He left after one album and joined up with Andy Bell for a long run with Erasure. This week, he released his first-ever solo single which will appear on Songs of Silence on November 17. During the pandemic, he started fiddling with a new modular synthesizer called a Eurorack and was inspired enough to turn some lockdown noodlings into a full album.
3. Terra Lightfoot, Someone Else’s Feelings (Sonic Unyon Records)
Hamilton’s Terra Lightfoot is one of the hardest-working singer-songwriters out there, having played gigs on four continents over the last few years. This song from an upcoming album entitled Healing Power (due October 13) was written while she at Americanafest UK. A big North American tour starts in Calgary on September 26.
4. Måneskin, Honey (Are U Coming?) (Epic)
Italy’s Måneskin is still the biggest thing to come out of the Eurovision Song Contest in decades. With their first-ever headlining tour of North America about to start at Madison Square Garden on September 21st, they wanted to have some fresh material for the set list. Canadia dates are set for Toronto (September 26) and Vancouver (October 15)
Albums
1. Royal Blood, Back to the Water Below (Warner Music Canada)
Royal Blood’s fourth album features some sonic detours that while still including some heavy crunchy stuff also contains material that is more light and melodic. Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher elected to produce this record themselves and based on the number of four-star reviews I’ve seen so far, everyone seems to agree that they managed to nail it. Canadian tour dates are coming up in Toronto (September 25), Montreal (September 26), and Vancouver (November 14).
2. Coach Party, KILLJOY (Chess Club Records)
The Isle of Wight is best known for its annual music festival, but it’s also the home to a couple of interesting bands: the very buzzy Wet Leg and Coach party. The latter is a four-piece who grew up studying the work of Sonic Youth, Nirvana, The Breeders, and The Strokes. After some singles and an EP, their self-produced debut album is out now. Guitar rock dead? Not if these people have anything to say about it.
3. Courtney Barnett, End of the Day (Milk! Records)
Courtney is one of the most interesting lyricists I’ve encountered over the past decade so it’s fascinating that her new album would be entirely instrumental. Hit “play” and you’ll get 17 non-vocal tracks, all based on improvisations created for a documentary called Anonymous Club. Rather than using words to convey emotion, Courtney wants to try using tone, atmosphere, mood, and texture to get her points across. I’ve tried having this album on whilst working and it seems to be great for focus. Try it.
4. The Chemical Brothers, For That Beautiful Feeling (Republic)
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons continue with their experimental electronic ways with a tenth album that features an number of guest vocalist, including Beck. As they’ve done throughout so much of their catalogue, The Chemical Brothers show their knack of being album to make techno, psych house, and EDM feel like pop songs. An admirable feat, that.
5. The Coral, Sea of Mirrors (Run OnRecords/Modern Sky)
Fans of British indie will be pleased that The Coral (est. 1996 near Liverpool) continue to churn out albums. This one, their eleventh, may be their hardest when it comes to pinning down a specific sound and approach. Maybe it’s because the album’s sonics were designed as a soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist. If that wasn’t enough of a challenge, there’s a second record, a separate companion album entitled Holy Joe’s Coral Island Medicine Show, when taken together, forms a double concept album. Digesting all this could take some time.
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