Some Caustics are filled with singles, moments of a full body of work that are meant to grab your attention and entice you to listen to more. Singles are always welcomed but there is something special about being able to digest a full album in one sitting. Thankfully, this week’s Caustic is lined with a buffet of freshly released full-lengths that range from soulful country to electro-hip-hop. The diversity of releases this week is astounding and we here at Glide welcome every last one of them. Go outside of your norm and sit back with a release you would usually skip over, allow a brand new LP from a new face soundtrack your weekend.
Check out Glide’s picks for this week’s best new music below.
Marcus King – “This Far Gone”
Mood Swings
Only two years removed from his last incredibly impressive outing, the king of soulful country Marcus King returns with another addition to his growing legacy with Mood Swings. The 11-track LP is a minimal outing that allows King’s vocal runs to reach new heights as he delivers some of the most jaw-dropping performances of his career. “This Far Gone” is just a small piece of what this album has to offer, heartfelt lyrics detail a sentimental heartbreak over a canvas of sliding guitar work with unique tones for country-fried balladry.
Vampire Weekend – “Ice Cream Piano”
Only God Was Above Us
The greater the risk the greater the reward rings true for Vampire Weekend as they release their most ambitious album to date. Only God Was Above Us is somewhere between prog-rock sophistication and jazzy experimentation, all being boiled down to tight pop structures. “Ice Cream Piano” kicks off the album in a stunning display of Vampire Weekend’s restless creativity as a stirring ballad explodes into a frantic anthem with soaring strings and dense textures.
Khruangbin – “Three From Two”
A LA SALA
After a few years of collaborative LPs and live albums, Khruangbin went back into the studio in search of some sort of calm. The results are A LA SALA, a meditative LP that has the band wrapping their soulful tendencies around minimal grooves. “Three From Two” is an early highlight hidden in a stellar tracklist, groovy guitar tones accent a subtle drum pattern as they slowly melt together for instrumental bliss.
Old 97’s – “Somebody”
American Primitive
Veteran alt-country mainstays Old 97’s released their first album in four years and it was worth every minute of the wait. American Primitive is a testament to the band’s longevity, their songwriting is as expansive as ever and their musicianship continues to evolve. “Somebody” was the final single from the LP released just days before the full album and it makes sense that the band would want us to hear this one before heading into the rest of the album. Catchy melodies collide with danceable tempos as the band pens a poem on longing and spin the sentiment into a barn-burning highlight from a great album.
RiTchie – “WYTD?!?!”
Triple Digits [112]
A debut solo album is a lot of pressure but in the case of the Injury Reserve and By Storm vocalist RiTchie, that pressure is a non-factor. Triple Digits [112] is a showcase of the artist’s off-kilter vocals delivering moments of vulnerability and otherworldly rhyme schemes over industrial-style arrangements that hit like a perfectly placed blow to the jaw. “WYTD?!?!” is an energetic, punk-tinged highlight with crashing guitars, chugging drums, and an unforgettable hook to tie it all together.
Bob Vylan – “Reign”
Humble As The Sun
The fusion of punk and hip-hop is as prevalent as it has ever been and Bob Vylan is part of leading this charge. Their new album Humble As The Sun is a lively piece of art with electronic tones acting as a backdrop for vibrant songwriting and cartoonishly passionate flows, “Reign” is the kind of song you can replace your morning coffee with, the verses leap up and shake your spirit as neck-breaking drum patterns attempt to keep up with the colorful storytelling.
The Black Keys – “Only Love Matters”
Ohio Players
One of America’s favorite rock bands is back with an unfiltered and confident look at their creativity. Ohio Players is the band as you’ve never heard them before, the highly collaborative effort projects their fearless approach that gave them the longevity they are living now. “Only Love Matters” is a terribly sad love tune set to bouncy tempos to soften the harsh realities of the lyrics. Their classic blues-rock style is on full display but in a whole new light and this one in particular showcases how their sound has evolved in their two-decade career.
Sinkane – “Another Day” (Feat. Stout & Bilal)
We Belong
Get ready for the brightest ray of sun to be released this Friday, Sinkane pieced together an uplifting LP with the colors of the world colliding in soulful funk. We Belong features a rainbow of falsettos that dance with your soul as Sinkane makes positivity a danceable occasion. “Another Day” features the legend Bilal and the future legend Stout crooning with Sinkane over a kaleidoscope-style arrangement that incorporates funk just as much as it uses R&B, influences melting over each other to create an abstract portrait of soulful harmonies.
Vegyn – “Last Night I Dreamt I Was Alone”
The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions
The sound guru and super-producer Vegyn returns with another stellar outing that separates himself from his peers. The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions is a sprawling LP with magnificent moments of instrumental bliss that are cut through with stellar vocals from an array of guest stars. “Last Night I Dreamt I Was Alone” is a hypnotic electro-ambient instrumental that cascades around the listener in a technicolored light show.
Mount Kimbie – “Yukka Tree”
The Sunset Violent
The eclectic electronic duo Mount Kimbie picks up the guitar for a quick yet potent outing with The Sunset Violent. The indie rock-tinged LP features guitar-driven arrangements that are accented by lush synth work and soaring falsettos. “Yukka Tree” is a breezy tune and features an unforgettable vocal performance and dense guitar tones to juxtapose the sunny melodies. Mount Kimbie’s new post-punk-influenced sound is not something you want to miss.
Pernice Brothers – “A Man of Means”
Who Will You Believe
The iconic alt-country mainstays Pernice Brothers are back with a honed LP that bounces from sentimental balladry to dense, twangy nostalgia. Who Will You Believe marks the band’s first LP since 2019 and its sprawling nature makes up for lost time. “A Man of Means” is an early favorite that features crashing drums with spurts of psychedelic rock, all these elements being whittled down to the simplicity of country for a track that is both dense and airy.
Circles Around The Sun & Mikaela Davis – “Moonbow”
After Sunrise
The long-awaited collaborative effort from psychedelic rock group Circles Around The Sun and folk singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mikaela Davis has finally arrived, and it is better than we could’ve expected. After Sunrise combines the bendable grooves of Circles with Davis’ ability to feel right at home in any setting, creating light-hearted psychedelia with stirring melodies and hidden grooves. “Moonbow” encompasses everything that is great about this collaboration, mind-bending melodies circle wonky tones for a jazz-tinged song that would make a stoic man crack a smile.
NxWorries – “86Sentra”
Why Lawd?
One of hip-hop’s most impressive and celebrated duos is back with a long-awaited follow-up to their 2016 classic. Why Lawd is set to be released on June 7 and “86Sentra” is our latest single from the upcoming release. Producer Knxwledge pieces together a minimal, drum-driven instrumental as vocalist/songwriter Anderson .Paak delivers braggadocious rhymes with his signature relaxed cadence. If you are unfamiliar with NxWorries, dive head first into their 2016 LP Yes Lawd to fully prepare yourself for June 7.
Dirty Three – “Love Changes Everything I”
Love Changes Everything
The beloved instrumental mainstays Dirty Three are back and they’re prepping a brand new album. Love Changes Everything is the six-track LP from the trio that is set to be released on June 28 via Drag City and its lead single is the band in full force. “Love Changes Everything I” is an off-kilter, guitar-driven single with dark tones that are delivered with slight syncopation and a whole lot of passion, murky distortion is cut in half when the pounding drums decide to make an appearance.
Iron & Wine – “Anyone’s Game”
Light Verse
For the third single from their highly-anticipated Light Verse LP, Iron & Wine slows things down to emphasize the moving poetry of “Anyone’s Game”. The almost whimsical arrangement is matched with swinging melodies and falsettos that touch the clouds. The single will be featured on Light Verse, set to be released on April 26.
