Another week in the history books and another Friday of brand-new songs has arrived to cap it all off. On the surface, it seemed like a slow start to October with the release calendar seeming barren compared to the rest of the year. But as the old saying goes, less is more. This week’s Caustic is full of fantastic new releases from across genres with singles entering your headphones with neck-breaking speed and LPs brimming with fantastic new songs. There is something here for everybody and New Music Fridays are the perfect excuse for over-consuming media.
Check out Glide’s picks for the best new music of the week below.
Butcher Brown – “No Way Around It”
Solar Music
Finally, the visionary jazz band Butcher Brown has released their anticipated new LP. Solar Music is here in its full glory and it has already skyrocketed past our extremely high expectations with lively and boundary-pushing jazz driving the album. “No Way Around It” is pure Butcher Brown, an infectious arrangement that sets the perfect tone for the fiery vocals, a true party starter with heart.
Sufjan Stevens – “Goodbye Evergreen”
Javelin
Sufjan Stevens’ latest release is nothing short of a masterpiece. The legendary singer/songwriter returns to his roots on Javelin, a dense, psychedelic journey through Steven’s creativity lined with grandiose arrangements and sentimental lyrics. “Goodbye Evergreen” welcomes you to the LP, a tender ballad that allows the artist to pour his heart out while a stadium-sized outro is filled with heaven-sent harmonies.
Dogstar – “Lily”
Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees
After making a triumphant return to live performances, Dogstar released their first album in over two decades. Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees is a pure rock & roll outing that is driven by heavy guitar riffs and expert song structure. “Lily” is a light-hearted example of the album’s sound, high-flying vocals are matched with a chugging arrangement for pure rock bliss.
Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist – “Heat Check”
VOIR DIRE
You may remember when the duo of emcee Earl Sweatshirt and super-producer The Alchemist first released this LP exclusively through an NFT-based streaming service. Today, the pair released VOIR DIRE to the streaming loyalist, and the world is thankful. “Heat Check” displays their chemistry perfectly, Earl’s baritone vocals are contradicted by a criminally smooth Alchemist instrumental for one of the purest examples of Hip-hop to be released in 2023.
Slauson Malone 1 – “Half-Life”
EXCELSIOR
The mysterious, ever-evolving artist known as Slauson Malone 1 is here with their Warp Records debut and it is an infinitely enjoyable listen. EXCELSIOR has the artist toying with ambiance to create beautifully stirring ballads with “Half-Life” sticking out as an early favorite. The song uses sparse acoustics to sharpen the edges of the spacious arrangement with the artist’s vocals delivering gravelly melodies to give the song an otherworldly texture.
Mndsgn – “Playinthesegames” (Feat. Liv.e)
Snaxxx
For the third installment of his Snax series, the multi-faceted artist Mndsgn created gorgeous instrumentals along with tapping some extremely talented artists for beautiful vocals. Snaxxx is out today on Stones Throw Records and it is the most mature and potent album in this series. “Playinthesegames” features the always-impressive vocals of Liv.e over a jazzy Hip-hop instrumental for some top-tier music for the soul.
Mac Demarco & Ryan Paris – “Simply Paradise”
Single
Mac Demarco has spoken openly about Ryan Paris’ influence on him and his music. In interviews, Demarco would say he would listen to Paris when recording for a spark of inspiration, and on “Simply Paradise”, the inspiration combines with the aspiration. “Simply Paradise ” is an unforgettably smooth display of the duo’s instant chemistry with twinkling guitars and minimal drums guiding the two vocalists through a flurry of falsettos.
Parcels – “Thefear – From Le Palace, Paris”
Live Vol. 2
Parcels are gearing up to release their new live album, Live Vol. 2, on October 20 and its latest single continues to build anticipation. “Thefear” is the latest offering from the LP and is bursting with technicolored drums and lush textures. The live element adds a new context to the track with vocals feeling more airy and the tempos hitting even harder.
SLIFT – “ilion”
ILION
The legendary Sub Pop records have signed the psychedelic-metal trio SLIFT and announced the band’s new album. ILION won’t be here until January 19 2024 but the album’s lead single is more than enough to keep the anticipation at a fever pitch for the next few months. The title track from their Sub Pop debut is out today and it is a dense welcome to anyone unfamiliar with SLIFT, hectic textures and contradicting melodies give the song a free-for-all feeling while still coming off as honed for an 11-minute escapade into the chaotic world of SLIFT.
Kevin Abstract – “Blanket”
Single
You may recognize Kevin Abstract as the frontman of the Brockhampton crew who seemingly took over the last years of the 2010s. With Brockhampton calling it quits after a dominating run of albums, Abstract is free to explore new territories and his latest single is a glimpse into the visionary’s next steps. “Blanket” is a hectic track to pull from punk more than anything Abstract allowing the blistering tempos to do most of the work as he adds just enough vocals to bring the track to life.
Aesop Rock – “By the River”
Integrated Tech Solutions
When Aesop Rock announces a new album, the world of Hip-hop reaches a new level of excitement. Integrated Tech Solutions is set to be released on November 10 and its second single is exactly why the world stops and listens when Aesop Rock takes a breath. “By the River” features a horn-driven arrangement with Aesop displaying his undeniable rhyme schemes delivered via relaxed flows.
