10 New Albums to Stream Today
Photos by Dan Kendall, Joe Agius, David James Swanson Music Lists New Albums
This Friday’s releases include some of the best guitar records of the year so far. To name a few: The Raconteurs are back with their first album in over a decade, British experimental newbies black midi released their indefinable debut album Schlagenheim and Australian singer/songwriter Hatchie wrapped us in a warm pop blanket with her first album Keepsake. Scroll down to hear 10 essential new albums released today (June 21).
1. Hot Chip, A Bath Full of Ecstasy
Hot Chip’s new album, A Bath Full of Ecstasy, isn’t so much a huge departure from their synth-pop strengths as it is a sharpening of the knives they already possess. The aforementioned “ecstasy” that inhabits this LP is marked by polychromatic melodies, squiggly sonics, pulsing rhythms and Alex Taylor’s tuneful, often morphing pop vocals. —Lizzie Manno
2. The Raconteurs, Help Us Stranger
It’s been over a decade since Grammy-winning rockers The Raconteurs released a new album. While Jack White likened the new LP’s sound to “a World War,” a press release promises that it blends together “prodigious riffs, blues power, sinewy psychedelia, Detroit funk, and Nashville soul via Benson and White’s uncompromising songcraft and the band’s steadfast musical muscle.” —Scott Russell
3. Hatchie, Keepsake
Ever since we first heard the lush Cranberries-esque guitar strums that opened last year’s Sugar and Spice, Hatchie’s debut EP, we’ve been desperately waiting for a full album from the Australian dream pop artist. One of our best new artists of 2018 delivers her debut, Keepsake, one that’s more polished and Sky Ferreira-esque than last year’s EP, fully capitalizing on the promise of that first handful of songs. —Steven Edelstone
4. Bedouine, Bird Songs of a Killjoy
Bedouine first alerted curious ears with her swooning self-titled debut back in 2017, solidifying herself as a notable contender of the folk genre. Bird Songs of a Killjoy continues the Aleppo-born, Saudi Arabia- and America-raised musician’s collaborative partnership with Gus Seyffert (Beck, Norah Jones, Michael Kiwanuka). —Scott Russell
5. black midi, Schlagenheim
Following a much-hyped run at this year’s South By Southwest, young English rockers black midi have unleashed their debut album, Schlagenheim. It’s misshapen, unpredictable, and at times murky, other times freakishly precise. It’s an experimental rock carousel with both a charming craftiness and menacing grandiosity. —Lizzie Manno
6. Mannequin Pussy, Patience
Mannequin Pussy’s first two albums—2014’s GP and 2016’s Romantic—are both under 20 minutes and feature speedy jolts of punk along with the occasional glimmer of dulcet-toned pop. But the Philadelphia punk outfit’s new LP is crisper, poppier, longer and more fully realized than anything they’ve released before. —Lizzie Manno
7. Buddy & Julie Miller, Breakdown on 20th Ave. South
Husband and wife Americana duo Buddy & Julie Miller released their forthcoming reconciliation album Breakdown on 20th Ave. South, their first since 2009’s Written in Chalk. Out of the roughly 60 songs Julie wrote during the new album sessions, the duo selected 12 for its final tracklist. —Montana Martin
8. The Ocean Blue, Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves
Hershey, Pa., outfit The Ocean Blue emerged at the tail end of the ’80s with much-loved dream pop gems like “Between Something and Nothing” and “Ballerina Out of Control.” Though their musical output has dwindled as of late, they’ve still maintained a cult following. Fans will be happy to learn about their new album, Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves, their first LP since 2013’s Ultramarine. —Lizzie Manno
9. Fruit Bats, Gold Past Life
The new record from Fruit Bats, aka Eric D. Johnson’s alt-folk band and songwriting project, marks Johnson’s seventh studio effort under the Fruit Bats name and his third in an “unintentional thematic trilogy” of albums beginning with 2014’s EDJ, which he released under his own initials. Following five years of political and personal chaos, Gold Past Life promises a shimmery new beginning. —Ellen Johnson
10. Titus Andronicus, An Obelisk
An Obelisk, the sixth album from Titus Andronicus, will feature production by punk legend and recent tour-mate Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü, Sugar) and promises a fiery contrast to the milder trappings of their 2018 album, A Productive Cough. More upbeat, rock-heavy cadences lend the album a brisk 38-minute runtime—the shortest of the band’s discography. —Lindsay Thomaston