The birds seem to sing sweeter tunes on mornings like this. The crisp cold of winter is still standing stoically against the impending Spring blossom; you look out of the window, then look down at your phone or computer to see a maze of new music to navigate. This New Music Friday is one for the ages, with enticing new releases that could change your perception of the genres you hold close to your heart. Spiritual jazz gets an awe-inspiring facelift, rock becomes even more expansive, and rare Hip-hop finally makes its way to you digitally. It is a wonderful morning to be a music fan, so take a breath and enjoy.
Check out Glide picks for the week’s best new music below, and follow our new Caustic Spotify playlist to keep updated on the latest releases.
The Tubs – “Fair Enough”
Cotton Crown
The long-awaited sophomore release from The Tubs has finally arrived, and to say it exceeded expectations is doing an incredible injustice to what the band achieved on Cotton Crown. The nine-song LP introduces the band as fearless, forward-thinking members of the modern rock pantheon who fearlessly touch on every corner of the genre while keeping their individuality intact. “Fair Enough” is a gothic ballad with chugging guitars and passionate vocals that blend for heartfelt fury.
SASAMI – “Lose It All”
Blood On the Silver Screen
The singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist SASAMI has returned with her first new LP since 2022’s Squeeze. Blood On The Silver Screen is a daring, ambitious effort with infectious harmonies bellowing from the artist’s refreshing and colorful approach to modern pop. “Lose It All” is an early favorite from the sprawling effort, a bright anthem with demanding pianos about how sometimes, love just isn’t enough.
Mike Farris – “Before There Was You & I”
The Sound of Muscle Shoals
Welcome to the wonderfully soulful world of Mike Farris’s latest LP, The Sound of Muscle Shoals. The 11-song album has the artist combing through his southern influences, boiling them down to their purest essence, and throwing in a dash of songwriting that only Farris could conjure up. “Before There Was You & I” is a soaring ballad with a dynamically awe-inspiring arrangement that paints a passionate portrait, only for Farris to add his own world of colors with a head-spinning vocal performance.
Hamilton Leithauser – “Ocean Roar”
This Side of the Island
It is not every day that the Walkmen vocalist Hamilton Leithauser steps into the solo spotlight, making this week’s release all the more special. This Side of the Island marks the artist’s first proper solo effort since 2020, excluding his 2022 collaborative album with Paul Maroon, and his fifth project as a lone venture. The ambitious and jangly effort is lined with Leithauser’s signature vivid imagery circling the kaleidoscope of subtle jazz influences. “Ocean Roar” captures the simplicity of life and turns it into a mind-melting, almost psychedelic tune with warping horns that accent Leithauser’s acrobatic vocals in a circus-like fashion.
Jason Isbell – “Crimson and Clay”
Foxes in the Snow
Jason Isbell returns to the solo world with a stunning acoustic effort brimming with heartbreak, passion, and pure poetry. Foxes in the Snow marks Isbell’s first solo album since 2015’s Something More Than Free and is as gentle and rootsy as the title suggests. The longing in Isbell’s voice slowly dances with the twinkling acoustic melodies as the artist combines real-life heartbreak with an inner turmoil that seems universal. “Crimson and Clay” takes you on a fascinating journey of a man running from himself as Isbell’s raspy vocals capture the moment our hero’s world begins to fall on him.
Moreish Idols – “Sundog”
All In The Game
The day has finally arrived for the promising Moreish Idols to live up to the hype with the release of their debut album, All In The Game. They lived up to the hype they did and then some. The psychedelic outing positions the band as fearless song-crafters who reach for lofty visions and not only realize them but also melt and mold them along the way. “Sundog” only begins to touch on the prowess displayed throughout these eleven songs. The plush ballad juxtaposes its acoustic elements with searing nods to jazz for a kaleidoscopic look into the band’s sprawling sonic palette.
De La Soul – “Sh.Fe.MC’s” (Feat. A Tribe Called Quest)
Clear Lake Audiotorium
Initially released in 1994 and exclusively given out to A-list DJs, this long-lost De La Soul project is finally ours to cherish. Clear Lake Audiotorium features four songs from the group’s Buhloone Mindstate and two previously unreleased records, including a collaboration with fellow Hip-hop icons A Tribe Called Quest. “Sh.Fe.MC’s” is as classic as New York City rap could sound as this posse cut features the six emcees spitting venomous verses over hypnotic drum patterns.
Alabaster DePlume – “Form a V”
A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole
Alabaster DePlume returns with his ambitiously moody and subtly atmospheric new album, a dense forest of spiritual jazz. A Blade Because a Blade Is Whole is the type of album to ingest in its entirety the first time you hear it as the tracks build off each other to build a universe and string sections, frantic horn melodies, and eerie vocal performances. The album is out today on Bandcamp, with the full album hitting streaming services on March 25. The hauntingly beautiful “Form a V” is the latest single to appear on streaming services, and it is a whirlwind of layered strings interacting with baritone vocals and intricate horn melodies.
Tunde Adebimpe – “God Knows”
Thee Black Blotz
The days seem to be inching as the music world awaits Tunde Adebimpe’s anticipated solo album, but singles like this sure help the time pass. “God Knows” is a stirring ballad with a pulsating drum pattern that anchors the artist’s soaring vocals to earth, giving the song a space-aged feel despite the harsh realities the lyrics explore. The Black Boltz is set to be released on April 18.
Black Country, New Road – “Happy Birthday”
Forever Howling
The consistently face-melting Black Country, New Road is getting ready to release its third studio album. It’ll be worth every second of eager anticipation if it is anything like its latest single. “Happy Birthday” is an off-kilter rock ballad that pulls you in with a nimble vocal performance only for a dense wall of distortion to detonate and bring us back to reality. The band’s new album, Forever Howling, will be released on April 4.
Tune-Yards – “Limelight”
Better Dreaming
Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner’s ambitious pop project is returning with a new set of songs. Better Dreaming will be released on May 16 via 4AD and will mark the duo’s sixth studio album. Our lead single, “Limelight,” is a quaint yet danceable, groove-filled tune with deep grooves that seem to come naturally to the alt-pop veterans.
Destroyer – “Cataract Time”
Dan’s Boogie
Destroyer is gearing up to release Dan’s Boogie on March 28 but took some time this week to announce a new tour and deliver a new single. With his tour set to take off this September, the artist releases the smoothly scary “Cataract Time.” Something is haunting about Dan Bejar’s vocals on the latest single. Their casualness is offset by the imagery they produce as the vocals grapple with jingling melodies and nuanced ambiance.
Car Seat Headrest – “Gethsemane”
The Scholars
Car Seat Headrest has gloriously returned, but this is not the same group of modern indie rock icons that left. For their first album in five years, The Scholars, the band promises a rock opera that will be a rebirth of the band we once knew. While we wait until the May 2 release of The Scholars, the band has released its lead single, “Gethsemane.” The nearly 11-minute odyssey takes you on a mystical journey through thudding drums that dip in and out to make room for the distorted guitars and throat-scratching vocals.
Lucius – “Impressions” (Feat. Madison Cunningham)
Lucius
Lucius is heading into their highly anticipated self-titled effort with a full head of steam, confidently standing up to the pressures of the eponymous album. With the release date set for May 2, the duo releases a folksy duet with Madison Cunningham on “Impressions.” Our latest single from the album is a heart-on-your-sleeve anthem about love being lost in translation, all of these palpable emotions being delivered by Cunningham and Lucius’s natural chemistry.
Ghost – “Satanized”
Skeletá
Heavy metal mainstays Ghost are back with a high-flying new single and news of a new LP. The band will release Skeletá on April 25 via Loma Vista, and with the exciting news comes the lead single, “Satanized.” The almost pop-leaning ballad is just as heavy as the band’s previous records, as chugging and dense guitar melodies only emphasize the infectious and subtly sweet vocal performance.
3 Responses
I especially enjoyed the discussion on De La Soul and Hamilton Leithauser—both legends in their own right. The balance between newer and more established acts makes for a compelling read.
Great news.
good