One month down and we hope your 2024 is off to a fantastic start. Finding your footing in the new year is always a challenge. Resolutions you made for yourself stir up anxiety, and societal pressures to kick things off right, a lot is riding on these first 31 days. Even if your dry January was soaked or your gym membership went unused, Caustic is here to soundtrack an even better second month of the year. February is starting hot with anticipated releases living up to their hype and refreshing faces entering a new era. There is a new addition to your daily soundtrack somewhere on this week’s Caustic.
Check out Glide’s picks for the best new releases of the week below:
The Last Dinner Party – “Burn Alive”
Prelude to Ecstasy
In a jaw-dropping display of range and songwriting prowess, The Last Dinner Party shatters expectations with a stellar debut. Prelude to Ecstasy is a whirlwind of gothic ethos clashing with pop tendencies for a powerful tracklist brimming with poetic lyrics. “Burn Alive” is only a hint of the expertise deployed on this album, soaring vocals cut through a busy arrangement to create otherworldly textures. If you listen to one album this week, make it Prelude to Ecstasy.
J Mascis – “It’s True”
What Do We Do Now
The Dinosaur Jr. frontman returns with another stunning addition to his solo catalog. What Do We Do Now is a potent outing with J Mascis stretching his vocals to new heights over guitar-driven, slow-burning arrangements. “It’s True” is a grunge-influenced ballad that has Mascis reaching new heights with his crooning while the instrumental bursts into different shapes and colors.
The Thing – “In A Garden”
The Thing Is
The mysterious yet always entertaining The Thing is back with an interesting new LP. The Thing Is brings us 11 new Thing tracks that are wonderfully distorted, miraculously melodic, and fantastically fuzzy. “In a Garden” encompasses all of those things and more, larger-than-life guitar chords crash around infectious melodies as it is all tied together with just enough edge to make it all feel alive.
BADBADNOTGOOD & Reggie – “Take What’s Given”
Single
The incomparable jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD team up with rising vocalist Reggie for a soulful outing that harkens back to Reggie’s hometown of Huston. The twangy jazz of “Take What’s Given” is a pop-leaning ballad with enough gospel and soul inspiration to uplift the dusty tones. Reggie sounds refreshing over the live instrumentation as BADBADNOTGOOD crafts an infectious arrangement.
Painted Shield – “Transector”
Painted Shield 3
The Seattle supergroup Painted Shield is gearing up for its third self-titled LP. Due on July 26, Painted Shield 3 is the next chapter in the alt-rock band’s already enticing novel. “Transector” is our first look at the upcoming LP, the song takes on many forms in its runtime with the song being anchored by the band’s lush vocals. Via many tempos and tones, Painted Shield delivers a tornado of a single that showcases their diversity while still sounding honed and purposeful.
Camera Obscura – “Big Love”
Look to the East, Look to the West
Marking their first album in over a decade, Camera Obscura announces Look to the East, Look to the West. The new album is set to be released on May 3 and will feature the fantastic new single “Big Love”. The album’s lead single is a twangy ballad with raw vocals and an infectious hook to bring it all home. “Big Love” is here introduces us to a new era of Camera Obscura, a welcomed return from an underappreciated band.
Lil Yachty – “A Cold Sunday”
Single
Coming off of the boldest and most rewarding creative risk of his career with the release of his psychedelic rock album in 2023, Lil Yachty is not letting that momentum slow down. For his next trick, Yachty selects a criminally smooth loop to get some stuff off of his chest. “A Cold Sunday” features a soulful guitar sample as Yachty digs deep to pen some braggadocious yet vulnerable lyrics and delivers them with a passionate vocal performance.
South Hill Experiment – “Little Monk” (Feat. Karriem Riggins)
South Hill & Friends
The duo of Baird and Goldwash crashed onto the scene last year with two stellar LPs. Now, the duo is returning and bringing along some talented friends with the announcement of their collaborative EP South Hill & Friends. The EP will have the pair collaborating with artists from across genres and the lead single has them diving into their jazz influences with Karriem Riggins. The legendary hip-hop producer/drummer provides a syncopated and infectious drum pattern for “Little Monk” as gentle keys and nimble vocals navigate the jazzy soul of the single.
Dehd – “Mood Ring”
Poetry
Indie rock trio Dehd has returned with a burst of color and lush melodies, their new single is pure bliss. “Mood Ring” is a pop-leaning exploration into tone and mood as light-hearted melodies soar past your head only for crashing drums and energizing guitar tones to rush by next. The single comes from the band’s freshly announced Poetry LP set to be released on May 10 via Fat Possum Records.
SNACKTIME – “Together”
Single
Philadelphia’s latest sensation is providing us with deep grooves and funky brass sections. The septet SNACKTIME combines wonky bass lines with expert horn sections for the type of soulful, jazzy funk we all need more of. “Together” is an anthem just waiting to accompany you into the weekend with soaring vocals clashing with powerful songwriting that adds to the silky, horn-driven arrangement. For a debut single, SNACKTIME created a statement piece to make their presence felt.
Hit-Boy & The Alchemist – “Don’t Be Gone”
THEODORE & ANDRE – EP
Two of the most sought-after and talented producers in modern hip-hop showcase their vocal talents on their new collaborative EP. Hit-Boy and The Alchemist craft soulful instrumentals as they trade verses for three vicious songs that show us something that we already knew; Alc and Hit are also insanely talented rappers. “Don’t Be Gone” has the two trading bars over a smooth horn sample, just a taste of the chemistry the two showcase in every one of their collaborations.
