FEATURE:
One for the Record Collection!
IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish/PHOTO CREDIT: Kelia Anne MacCluskey
Essential July Releases
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I say with all these features…
IN THIS PHOTO: LUMP/PHOTO CREDIT: Steph Wilson
but, as I am writing this ahead of the start of the next month, things could change in regards albums being pushed back. Let’s hope that most of these July-due albums are on schedule. There are some great releases next month that you’ll want to check out and pre-order. Starting with 2nd July, there are a couple of albums that I am excited about. Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth’s Utopian Ashes is out. Go and pre-order the album from two extraordinary artists. It can be a risk when two big artist join forces. Beth and Gillespie are very natural and connected. Their first album together is one that is shaping up to be really interesting:
“Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, alongside solo artist and Savages vocalist Jehnny Beth, presents this stunning debut solo project collection - exploring loss, miscommunication and emotional inarticulacy that a married couple experience as they realise that their relationship is breaking down. ‘Utopian Ashes’ draws on the tradition of country soul classics, such as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris’s ‘Grievous Angel’ and George Jones and Tammy Wynette’s ‘We Go Together’, to deal with the heavy realities of love turning sour.
It’s an album for people who have dealt with the inevitable sadness that comes with age and acknowledged the realities of life. There is no sweetening of the pill, but it does achieve what should be the goal of all good art: to make us feel less alone. And while it’s not autobiographical, it channels heartfelt truth from the songwriters’ own experiences. In addition to Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth, the album features Johnny Hostile (bass) alongside Primal Scream trio Andrew Innes (guitar), Martin Duffy (piano) and Darrin Mooney (drums)”.
The third album from Laura Mvula, Pink Noise, is also out on 2nd July. She is one of the most talented artists around. You will definitely want to go and pre-order a copy of Pink Noise. From what we have heard from it so far, it is looking like it’ll be among the best albums of this year so far. If you need some more details about Pink Noise then Rough Trade have provided some guidance:
“Pink Noise explores a side of Laura previously uncharted. As triumphant as ever, the album is a battle cry and stark reminder of the sheer talent of the critically acclaimed artist. This is Laura in a new found light - still reflecting her distinctive signature sound but showing the progression of an artist who has come into her own. Contrasting confessional lyricism with compelling and infectious synth pop, Pink Noise feels completely and uniquely Laura. Her artistic prowess knows no limits - take the neo-soul meets art pop of ‘Remedy’ for example, or the darker, pulsating ‘Conditional’ that injects bombastic funk into indietronica. She feels rejuvenated too, especially on electro pop stunners ‘Magical’ and ‘Before The Dawn’. This is Laura Mvula at her most ambitious to date, leaving no stone left unturned in this cosmic new realm”.
The next release date I want to focus on is 16th July. Here, there are a couple of albums that I would recommend people check out. Barenaked Ladies’ Detour de Force is an album that you need to get. Arriving twenty-nine years from their debut album, Gordon, the Canadian band are offering a treat with Detour de Force. Go and pre-order it. We learn more about the album from this article:
“Multi-platinum band Barenaked Ladies have announced their 16th studio album Detour de Force will be released on CD and LP on July 16th. Produced by JUNO and Grammy award winner Eric Ratz and Mark Howard, the eagerly awaited album features 14 newly minted tracks including “Flip,” the buoyant and sonically adventurous debut single and BNL’s first new music in four years. A limited edition blue double vinyl featuring a bonus track will also be offered. Along with the announcement, the band has released a driving, and topical pop-rock gem titled “New Disaster.” The official music video for will be released on June 11th. “‘New Disaster’ is about the distraction of modern politics coupled with the pressures of the 24-hour news cycle,” Ed Robertson shares. “It seemed like the Nostradamus predictions of new disasters were getting worse and worse, even after we recorded the song.” Detour de Force is BNL at its most ambitious, accomplished, intricate, intentional — and, in some ways, circumstantial. Its gestation was long and exacerbated (as so many things have been) by the global pandemic. The good news is that it’s BNL’s most broad-reaching and diverse work to date — fusing the distinct writing voices of Robertson, Hearn and Creeggan into a cohesive work from the stand-out tracks “Flip,” “New Disaster,” and “Good Life,” to the uptempo fun of “Flat Earth,” the playful and country-flavored “Roll Out” to the gentle melodics of “Live Well,” “The National Park,” “God Forbid” and “Man Made Lake” to the sonic roller coaster of the album-closing “Internal Dynamo.” The depth goes beyond sonics throughout the album. Though there’s certainly the verbal playfulness and whimsy that’s part of BNL’s stock in trade, many of the songs have a reflective and philosophical, sometimes topical, underpinning that’s also long been part of the BNL makeup. “We’ve always liked that our band is very diverse in what we do,” says Robertson, “and on this record I really enjoyed the exploration. This record is a journey. Taking off one song would tip it in a way we didn’t feel was representative of the record we made. We wanted everything that’s here to be part of the record.” “This is some of our strongest material in 30 years, easily. I think it stands up there with our best albums. It hangs with ‘Gordon,’ or it hangs with ‘Maroon,'” Tyler Stewart offers”.
One album due on 16th July that I am especially looking forward to is Clairo’s second album, Sling. If you do not know much about her, then this segment from AllMusic should help out:
“Associated with soft, intimate vocals, daydreamy atmosphere, and rumination, Clairo is singer/songwriter Claire Cottrill. Alternating keyboards and guitar as accompaniment, and often coloring her recordings with samples and sound effects, the Boston native began sharing dozens of her stylized but low-key, melody-driven tunes to music-sharing sites as a young teen in 2013. She eventually had a minor viral hit with 2017's "Pretty Girl," and a bigger one with "Flaming Hot Cheetos," whose video garnered millions of views in 2018. Retaining intimacy while adopting a sleeker pop sound, Clairo co-produced her first album, 2019's Immunity, with Rostam, bringing in guests including drummer Danielle Haim and a children's chorus. An arena tour in support of Khalid accompanied the release and was followed by a headlining tour. "Blouse," the first single from Clairo's impending follow-up album, Sling, was released in June 2021.”.
Sling looks like it is a fantastic album that could exceed her exceptional debut. It is one that people should pre-order, as she is a sensational talent and singular songwriter:
“Second album from Clairo. Written and recorded in upstate New York at Allaire Studios, Sling was co-produced by Clairo and Golden Globe/Grammy Award-winning producer Jack Antonoff. Clairo has been praised for her diary-worthy stories earmarked by her devilishly sharp commentary and angelically intimate vocals. The singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer has quietly threaded these stories into the fabric of popular culture since she first surfaced as a phenomenon out of her dorm bedroom”.
Another album that you need to pre-order is John Mayer’s Sob Rock. This is an album that I am keen to hear in full. Go and pre-order your copy. Earlier this month, NME wrote the following:
“Mayer has been anything but quiet since his last LP, however. The musician released his platinum-certified standalone single ‘New Light’ in 2018, followed by ‘I Guess I Just Feel Like’ and ‘Carry Me Away’ in 2019.
Mayer had teased that his new album was incoming last month. “I assure you it’ll all fire up very soon,” he said on his Instagram stories.
“I’ll put it like this: every day you have to go without my new music is another day I can work harder to make sure it gets heard by as many people as [sic] might enjoy it.
“I hope you’ll think it’s worth the wait.”
Back in March, Mayer confirmed that work on his next solo album had been completed, with a single being prepared for release. “My album is recorded, mixed and mastered,” he declared in a TikTok video. “I’ve just been chilling and sharing it with friends for the past couple of months”.
I have been a fan of John Mayer’s work for a long time. Again, judging by what we have heard of Sob Rock, it is going to be a strong album from him. Just over twenty years from his debut, Room for Squares, he remains hugely consistent. I would advise people to check out his upcoming eighth studio album.
Going ahead to albums due on 23rd July. Because there are a few big albums from 30th that I want to focus on, there is only the one from 23rd that I will highlight. Leon Bridges’ Gold-Diggers Sound is an album that everyone needs to pre-order:
“Gold-Diggers Sound is the new album from Leon Bridges. This R&B collection is birthed from extended late nights at the Los Angeles, California studio of the same name. The album celebrates Leon’s immersive experience of creating music in the same East Hollywood room where he lived, worked, and drank over the course of two years. The soulful collaboration between Leon as an artist and the space itself was so encompassing that he chose to name the album after the soon-to-be legendary complex”.
I am a big fan of Bridges. I think that he is one of these artists who will be an idol of the future. His voice is incredible - and he always delivers such compelling music. Gold-Diggers Sound is going to be another arresting and stunning album! Make sure you reserve some pennies and add this record to your collection. His previous album, Good Thing, was released in 2018. I reckon we will get an album as strong as that one with Gold-Diggers Sound.
I am featuring Joel Culpepper in a Spotlight feature very soon. His debut album, Sgt Culpepper, is out on 23rd July. Go and pre-order the album from the wonder from South East London:
“Hailing from south-east London, Joel Culpepper is an artist who’s been on Mr Bongo's radar for some time now. With a unique soulful voice and explosive showmanship, Joel’s star is rising. His sonic palette blends an array of genres and influences, that looks back to the greats whilst simultaneously absorbing London’s contemporary musical landscape.
Joel's debut album, Sgt Culpepper, is an incredible modern soul album and the product of a two-year undertaking which saw him attract an array of respected producers and musicians from the UK and beyond, a testament to the reputation he had already built as a dynamic songwriter and performer among his contemporaries. With executive production from Swindle (Ezra Collective, Mahalia), mastering from Joker (Stormzy, Kojey Radical) and with co-productions that include the likes of legendary pop producer Guy Chambers, Raf Rundell (The 2 Bears), Shawn Lee (Saint Etienne, Kelis), and Tom Misch, Sgt Culpepper is a demonstration of the power of community, mingling self-reflection with wider social commentary. The record is split into four chapters: The Battle, which includes previous singles ‘W.A.R’ and ‘Return’, The Surrender, embodied by recent single ‘Poetic Justice’; The Love and The Lesson.
Joel’s desire to forge a sense of collectivism was the lifeblood for Sgt Culpepper, resulting in the diverse roster of talent attached to the project. As well as the aforementioned names, the record includes production from the likes of British multi-instrumentalist Redinho, South London rapper and Roc Nation signee Kay Young, Linden Jay (Poppy Ajudha, Rejjie Snow), and Grammy-award winning songwriter Jimmy Hogarth. "I've been inspired by how the UK jazz and Grime scene supports each other, it’s similar to what happens in the states. Collectives like Odd Future, Aftermath and the earliest being Motown. It’s soul’s turn to band together here, likeminded independent musicians working to support the scene and each other as a whole.”
Through charismatic storytelling, personal epiphanies, and the formation of a new creative collective that underpins his craft, Sgt Culpepper ushers in a new era for Joel as an artist”.
There are few more anticipated albums this year than Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever. You definitely should pre-order this! The follow-up from the remarkable 2019 debut, WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, Happier Than Ever is going to be another incredible album from the nineteen-year-old modern-day idol:
“Billie Eilish has fast become one of the biggest stars to emerge since the release of her debut single Ocean Eyes, and continues to shatter the ceiling of music with her genre-defying sound. Fast forward from her humble breakout in 2015, Billie’s album When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries around the world upon release, and was the most streamed album of 2019. When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go? was written, produced and recorded entirely by Billie Eilish and brother Finneas in their childhood home of Los Angeles. Billie Eilish went on to make history as the youngest artist to receive nominations and win in all the major categories, at the 62nd Grammy Awards, receiving an award for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album. BillieEilish is also the youngest artist to write and record an official James Bond theme song, No Time To Die Most recently, Billie Eilish was nominated for four additional awards at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021, and took home both Record of the Year for Everything I wanted, and Best Song Written For Visual Media for No Time To Die”.
Another second album that I am excited about comes from LUMP. A stunning duo who make such wonderful music, I can highlight recommend Animal. Go and pre-order your copy. This is what we can expect from LUMP:
“Lump is the product of Brit Award-winning Laura Marling and Mercury Prize-winning Mike Lindsay. Lump's stunning and essential second album Animal is released on Chrysalis Records and Partisan Records and is a vivid and psychedelic masterpiece.
Animal was a word Laura Marling threw into a lyric simply to meet a rhythm. But it seemed to capture the mood of the new record, and of Lump as a whole. “There’s a little bit of a theme of hedonism on the album, of desires running wild,” she says. “And also it fed into the idea we had from the start of thinking of Lump as a kind of representation of instincts, and the world turned upside down.” It is something childlike and grotesque and filled with possibility, they say. “We created Lump as a sort of persona and an idea and a creature,” says Mike Lindsay. “Through Lump we find our inner animal, and through that animal we travel into a parallel universe”.
Marling and Lindsay work so well together. I think that we will see several more albums from the mighty LUMP. From the description and details above, Animal is an album that you will not want to miss out on! Laura Marling especially is such a consistent and staggering talent.
Another huge album out on 30th July is Prince’s Welcome 2 America. Even though the legend has been gone for five years, he has this jam-packed vault of unreleased music that his estate can offer the world. We are all very lucky in that sense. Here are some details about his upcoming album:
“Recorded in the spring of 2010 and then mysteriously abandoned by Prince before its release, the statement album Welcome 2 America documents Prince’s concerns, hopes, and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation, and a renewed fight for racial justice. The album features some of Prince’s only studio collaborations with the bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, drummer Chris Coleman, and engineer Jason Agel, with additional contributions from New Power Generation singers Shelby J, Liv Warfield, and Elisa Fiorillo and keyboardist Morris Hayes, who Prince also recruited to co-produce the album.
LP++ - The Deluxe Edition of Welcome 2 America combines the 2LP and CD versions of the album with a never before released Blu-Ray of Prince’s full April 28, 2011 performance at the Forum, part of the Welcome 2 America Tour’s historic 21 Nite Stand in Los Angeles. The show is presented in stereo, 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos, and includes 24 tracks from across Prince’s career, from his biggest hits to fan favorites to ten rare covers. In addition, the deluxe edition features a 32 page 12x12 book, exclusive poster and an embossed vellum envelope of limited edition memorabilia all housed in a luxe, gold embossed package. Experienced as a complete package, the Deluxe Edition provides an immersive view of Prince’s creative genius during his spontaneous, energetic, and thought-provoking Welcome 2 America era”.
There are two further 30th July-due albums that I want to point your way. Torres’ Thirstier is shaping up to a typically remarkable album. Arriving only a year after Silver Tongue, her latest album is one that you should definitely check out and pre-order:
“Torres’ fifth album Thirstier pumps the miraculous into the mundane. It is in open revolt against the gray drag of time, a searing and life-affirming eruption of an album that wonders what could happen if we found a way to make our fantasies inexhaustible. What if we got whatever we wanted and still wanted it, endlessly, with no threat of boredom and no danger of depletion? What could we become if we let ourselves grow incandescent with eternally renewing desire?
Recorded in the fall of 2020 at Middle Farm Studios in Devon, UK, Thirstier marks a turn towards a bigger, more bombastic sound for Torres. The anxious hush that fell over much of Scott’s previous music gets turned inside-out in songs tailored for post-plague celebration. Scott co-produced the album with Rob Ellis and Peter Miles, drawing on her experience self-producing the acclaimed 2020 LP Silver Tongue to push her music onto an even broader scale. Guitar-driven walls of sound, reminiscent of producer Butch Vig’s work with Garbage and Nirvana, surge and dissipate like surf in high winds, carrying Scott’s commanding voice to the fore.
From the sparkling country romp of “Don’t Go Puttin Wishes in My Head” to the sour grunge bite of “Keep the Devil Out” and the unabashed, overflowing devotion of the album’s title track, Thirstier clasps together love songs from all angles. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love, self-love, and freeing spiritual love all commingle, all feeding one another and vaulting toward the horizon”.
I am going to finish by recommending the new album from Yola. Stand for Myself is a treat you need to pre-order. Such a strong and immense talent, prepare to blown away by an artist who will be around for years and will inspire so many others:
“Stand for Myself is the anthemic new album from Yola. Produced by Dan Auerbach, the record is a timeless masterpiece marking an idiosyncratic sonic shift, which will defy all expectation. A sophisticated and diverse sonic mix of symphonic soul and classic pop, tracing an expansive musical thread to Yola’s most eclectic musical inspirations. Yola’s inimitable vocals share nuanced stories of allyship, black feminine strength through vulnerability, collective awakening and loving connection from the sexual to the social. Yola declares that it is only when we stand for ourselves, and acknowledge our complexity, that we can be truly alive. For Yola, living is more than merely surviving”.
Those are the album out next month that people should get involved with. There are others that might interest you; I was listing the ones of particular note. It is definitely a month that offers up treats and big-hitters. There might be other albums announced for July in the meantime (I know that Lana Del Rey’s Blue Bannisters is due soon, though I cannot find details of where one can order it), so do keep your eyes peeled. I shall leave it there. If you are saving up and planning on doing some album shopping next month then I think the albums above…
ARE a good place to start.