The sun has been relentless over these past couple of days. The staggering heat that whisps against your face as soon as you poke your head outside still feels inviting; summer is finally here. If the first New Music Friday of the summer is any indication of what will come over the next few months, it will be an exciting season. This week’s Caustic is brimming with stunning new releases that range from soulful singles to experimental hip-hop LPs. Avoid sweating through another t-shirt and spend the weekend discovering the next song to travel through your headphones once the sun takes a break and cooler winds prevail.
Check out Glide’s picks for the week’s best new music below.
Pond – “Boys Don’t Crash”
Stung!
Australia’s burgeoning psychedelic rock scene gets a phenomenally expansive addition to its legacy with Pond’s Stung! The 14-track LP bounces from passionate guitar-driven balladry to somber synth-pop, blending the two worlds via grandiose psychedelia and poetic songwriting. “Boys Don’t Crash” leans toward the rock side of the LP. The frantic guitar work collides with vulnerable songwriting to create a hypnotic and nostalgic outing.
Rich Ruth – “Aspiring to the Sky”
Water Still Flows
Rich Ruth’s wondrous jazz-fusion work is as expansive and mesmerizing as ever on his latest effort, Water Still Flows. These seven songs have Ruth blurring the lines between spiritual jazz, stoner rock, and experimental ambiance as these arrangements unfurl in a glorious avant-garde manner. “Aspiring to the Sky” only scratches the surface of the complex yet inviting instrumentals on Water Still Flows. Crashing drums drive the song’s chaotic flute work, creating a complicated composition that still finds time to radiate warmth.
Michael Christmas – “Jugglin’” (Feat. Domo Genesis & WARA)
Unsexy
Don’t let this release go under your radar. Michael Christmas’s first album in four years is one of the year’s most daring yet rewarding hip-hop releases. The experimental 9-track album has the artist exploring refreshing deliveries and unique cadences over a plethora of subtly jazz-leaning instrumentals. “Jugglin’” feels like a victory lap for Christmas and his collaborators. The dream-like vocal sample sends head-spinning vibrations through the speakers as Christmas, Domo Genesis, and WARA trade venomous verses.
King Krule – “Time For Slurp”
Shhhhhhh! – EP
After keeping these four songs exclusively on a 7’ flexi-disc he sold on his tour last year, King Krule lets some much-talked-about fan favorites loose on his Shhhhhhh! EP. Clocking in at just over 10 minutes, the EP has Krule bouncing between industrial guitar work and lo-fi soft rock. “Time For Slurp” is the guitar-driven stand-out accompanied by a Krule-directed music video. The artist’s signature warping vocals bleed into surf-rock-inspired guitar work for a distorted rock-fusion track.
Your Old Droog – “What Else?”
Movie
On his most ambitious and expansive album in years, Your Old Droog transitions between vivid storytelling tracks and braggadocious rhyme schemes. Movie feels like exactly that: a cinematic LP that showcases Droog’s diversity while staying honed and purposeful. “What Else” is an early highlight from the 18-track album. Droog effortlessly dissects the modern hip-hop scene over a dusty drum loop while delivering an unforgettable hook and menacing rhyme schemes.
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore – “Blind Owl” (Feat. The Guilty Ones)
TexiCali
The day has finally arrived for Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s collaborative follow-up to their 2018 LP. TexiCali is a sprawling effort that embraces folksy storytelling just as much as it utilizes psychedelic rock influences, creating just under an hour of classic Americana. “Blind Owl” is the dusty storytelling track that transports you to the lonely world of a traveling folk artist who finds solace in the nature around themselves. The vivid imagery is cut with moments of stunning harmonica work and searing guitar solos.
Cody Dickinson – “Blackout Curtains”
Homemade
Cody Dickinson continues to build an impressive solo catalog with his colorful new LP Homemade. The 10-song album has Dickinson morphing his ambitions into tight pop structures for a whimsical outing with juxtaposing dark songwriting. “Blackout Curtains” is a soulful highlight featuring blaring horns that accent the swaying vocals and larger-than-life drum patterns.
Leslie Mendelson – “Keep A Little Light On”
After the Party
Leslie Mendelson finds new ways to package her pop prowess on After the Party. The new album employs jazzy arrangements just as much as folksy tropes, making her fourth album a testament to her poetic songwriting and artistic diversity. “Keep A Little Light On” is a confessional tune with Mendelson crooning over a minimal arrangement for a jazz-pop ballad that touches the soul.
Thee Sacred Souls – “Lucid Girl”
Got a Story to Tell
After setting the world of soul ablaze with their self-titled debut, Thee Sacred Souls are finally ready for their sophomore effort. Got a Story to Tell is set to be released on October 4, and the lush “Lucid Girl” acts as our lead single. The new track features the palpable harmonies that made everyone fall in love with Thee Sacred Souls in the first place as they nimbly navigate the simplistic yet potent arrangement.
Bootsy Collins – “Album of the Year #1 Funkateer” (Feat. Bootdullivan & Myra Washington)
Album of the Year #1 Funkateer
Funk legend Bootsy Collins has announced his 23rd studio album and the groovy lead single features Collins doing what he does best. Album of The Year #1 Funkateer is set to be released on October 25, and the title track welcomes us to the album’s rollout. The single features Collins conducting a funky anthem with uplifting vocal performances and an arrangement that continually evolves via danceable grooves.
Hiatus Kaiyote – “Cinnamon Temple”
Love Heart Cheat Code
We are only one week from the new Hiatus Kaiyote album, and the anticipation is reaching a fever pitch. Love Heart Cheat Code will be released on June 28, and the experimental new single is throwing everyone for a loop. “Cinnamon Temple” features blinking electronics that crash with scorching guitar work as the unpredictable vocals bend and twist for a risky single that pays off with flying colors.
MAVI – “Drunk Prayer”
Single
After only providing features since his 2022 LP, MAVI has gracefully returned. “Drunk Prayer” is a calming yet dark outing that employs complex harmonies as the artist croons his sorrows over a trance-inducing instrumental. Along with the single, MAVI is hitting the road this fall, but there is no word of a new album just yet.
The Garden – “Filthy Rabbit Hole”
Single
California’s punk golden child, The Garden, returns with the fearless experimentation of “Filthy Rabbit Hole.” The band’s new single has neck-breaking drums and throat-scratching vocals, the perfect recipe for pure punk bliss.
Fontaines D.C. – “Favourite”
Romance
Fontaines D.C. refuses to repeat themselves, and it seems like Romance will be the most inclusive repackaging of their sound yet. Romance is set to be released on August 23, and the pop-leaning acoustics of “Favourite” quickly erase any expectations we set for the release. The new single is a moving love song with bright guitar works that create a canvas for the flurry of vocal melodies.
JPEGMAFIA – “don’t rely on other men”
Single
JPEGMAFIA has been teasing a new solo album for a few months now, and it seems like we are inching closer to the release of his latest single. “don’t rely on other men” is driven by the artist’s signature industrial rawness as his booming vocals navigate thudding drums and dense textures. “Rest of the album soon” is how JPEG capped off the social media post announcing “Don’t rely on other men,” and the excitement has “soon” feeling like a lifetime.
