With the ever-present threat of severe weather looming over a large portion of the U.S., a shred of sunlight is much needed. While the cloud coverage is blocking natural rays, this week’s new music Friday provides plenty of bright moments. As we all attempt to stay ahead of the rolling thunder, refreshing albums ranging from explosive garage rock and soulful hip-hop hit streaming services overnight. After the busy Friday we had last week, this week’s Caustic is equally exciting and expansive. On Fridays like these, locked inside from Mother Nature with nothing but time and albums, knowing where to start is the hardest part. Allow Glide to do the heavy lifting as we’ve assembled select cuts from this week’s new releases.
Check out Glide’s picks for the week’s best new music below.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Antarctica”
Flight b741
The prolific and ever-evolving King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard return with an expansive Americana sound on Flight b741. The band’s 26th studio outing has the band creating twangy post-punk with sprawling arrangements juxtaposed by intimate songwriting. “Antarctica” is an early stand-out, with King Gizzard longing to escape the heat while delivering head-spinning melodies and searing guitars.
MAVI – “latch”
Shadowbox
MAVI has always been a vulnerable songwriter who used his albums to get complex feelings off his chest, and the artist’s third album is no different. Shadowbox is the artist’s jazziest album, as the modern-day poet intertwines his confessional lyrics with melodic flows. “Latch” sees MAVI expanding his repertoire of vocal tricks over a soulful instrumental. The intimacy of the arrangement elevates MAVI’s quaint songwriting in a way that reframes the artist’s already refreshing perspective.
LA LOM – “Ghosts of Gardena”
The Los Angeles League Of Musicians
The much-anticipated debut album from the instrumental fusion LA LOM has finally arrived, and it is brimming with groovy nods to their roots. The Los Angeles League of Musicians has the band creating lush, otherworldly arrangements that dramatically shift from eerie tones to twangy, cinematic slices of guitar-driven bliss. “Ghosts of Gardena” is a hauntingly stunning outing with LA LOM blending desperado-style tones with cascading guitars and nimble drum patterns.
Peter Cat Recording Co. – “I Deny Me”
Beta
The long-awaited follow-up to Peter Cat Recording Co.’s critically acclaimed 2019 LP has arrived in all its pop-leaning, acoustic soul glory. Beta has the band toying with convention as they craft heartfelt ballads that range from thudding punk-tinged tunes to heaven-sent love songs delivered on clouds of acoustic strumming. “I Deny Me” is the latter. The swaying arrangement that continually builds on itself is greeted by glistening harmonies and moving songwriting as Peter Cat Recording Co. balances its lofty visions by expressing earthly emotions.
The Oh Sees – “Blimp”
SORCS 80
The Oh Sees have built a decades-spanning discography by stretching the limits of psychedelic rock to their breaking point, and SORCS 80 has the band diving head-first into their roots. The hypnotic yet aggressive 13-track outing has the band dipping their sound into a bath of warping distortion as they blend furious melodies with face-melting garage rock psychedelia. “Blimp” is the punk-drenched favorite, with space-aged synth work and staggering vocals that seamlessly blend the band’s ambitions with crunchy textures.
Skylar Gudasz – “Outlaw”
Country
Singer/songwriter Skylar Gudasz finds the middle ground between her pop tendencies and ambient ambitions on her 9-track LP, Country. The quick yet honed outing features Gudasz’s intoxicatingly soulful vocals, delivering cloud-like melodies over plush beds of spacious guitars. “Outlaw” highlights Gudasz’s storytelling abilities as she paints vivid imagery over string-driven sonic landscapes of infectious ambiance.
Amos Lee – “Lucky Ones”
Transmissions
Philadelphia’s Amos Lee pens an honest LP driven by the warmth of his voice and the truth in his words. Transmissions is a confessional, 12-track outing that brings you into Lee’s world via sparse yet palpable arrangements and pop-tinted melodies. “Lucky Ones” has Lee holding the small moments close to his heart over angelic acoustics for a ballad that could break down the most stoic listener.
Futurebirds – “Easy Company” (Feat. Waxahatchee)
Easy Company
Futurebirds dust off folksy tropes and blend them with indie rock moments on Easy Company. The band’s latest album features 12 twangy folk rock tracks that bounce from energetic anthems to moments of personal balladry. The Waxahatchee-assisted title track paints a portrait of longing for something more while the arrangement slides in sleek solos to create an inviting atmosphere.
The Bug Club – “A Bit Like James Bond”
On The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
In an explosion of jovial melodies and distorted guitar tones, The Bug Club introduces the latest single from their anticipated new album. “A Bit Like James Band” has the band employing robotic melodies that sit atop scorching guitars and quick drum patterns. The new single is our latest look at The Bug Club’s On The Intricate Inner Workings of the System, which is set to be released on August 30.
Leon Bridges – “Peaceful Place”
Leon
Ever since Texas native Leon Bridges crash-landed on the soul scene with his 2015 debut, his majestic croons have been inescapable. After collaborative projects with Khruangbin and a 2021 solo effort, Bridges has announced Leon, his first solo album in three years. The album is due October 4, and “Peaceful Place” is our lead single. The meditative single has Bridges delivering manifestations over a groovy arrangement with danceable drums.
Ty Segall – “Honeymoon (Edit)”
Love Rudiments
The psychedelic rocker Ty Segall is prepping his ambitious percussion instrumental album, and our latest single is a funk-lined anthem with hollow tones and space-aged rhythms. “Honeymoon” follows the lead single, “The Dance,” in a colorful display of unpredictable percussion work while preparing fans for the experimental sound of Love Rudiments, due on August 30.
The Deslondes – “Lies I’ve Told”
Roll It Out
The twangy blues and southern soul of The Deslondes are back in a big way as the band releases the latest single from their freshly announced LP. Roll It Out is set to be released on September 6, with the recently released “Lies I’ve Told” acting as our latest preview of the project. The bluesy ballad has The Deslondes returning to their roots in a light flurry of wistful vocals and harmonica-driven instrumentation.
Toro Y Moi & Benjamin Gibbard – “Hollywood”
Hole Erth
The sonic persona of Toro Y Moi never ceases to evolve, and their upcoming LP is shaping up to be their most encompassing work to date. Hole Erth will be released on September 6, and this week, Toro Y Moi gave us two new singles from the album, “CD-R” and the Benjamin Gibbard-assisted “Hollywood.” The latter has Toro Y Moi grappling with the veil between reality and fantasy over a sparse, electro-pop instrumental.
The Heavy Heavy – “Feel”
One of a Kind
Of the three singles we’ve received from The Heavy Heavy’s highly anticipated debut album, this latest one sounds like the one that will have people running to hear more. “Feel” is a radio-friendly rock ballad that still caters to heady music fans via wonky guitar work and crashing drum patterns. The Heavy Heavy is set to release One of a Kind on September 6.
Adrianne Lenker – “Once a Bunch”
Single
After releasing some of her most ambitious music to date on Bright Future, and just before the Fall leg of her tour kicks off, Adrianne Lenker releases “Once A Bunch.” The new loose single has Lenker dancing with spacious guitars and harmonizing with a deep baritone for a folksy single with palpable whimsy and charm. Lenker’s Fall tour kicks off on November 11 in Massachusetts.
