by Philip Moss and Joseph Purcell
Father John Misty – Just Dumb Enough to Try and Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All
The uniquely endearing Josh Tillman this week releases two new tracks- Just Dumb Enough to Try & Disappointing Diamonds Are The Rarest.
The second and third tracks respectively from the forthcoming self-produced album, God’s Favourite Customer, ooze the standard witty lyrics and soaring vocal of Tillman’s previous works under the Father John Misty pseudonym.
Fresh off the back of last year’s incredible Pure Comedy, the new tracks whet the appetite for the re-introduction to one of contemporary, music’s most fascinating and important voices- a vital antidote in the world of mainstream beigeness. Welcome back Father John Misty.
God’s Favourite Customer is out June 1st via Sub Pop/Bella Union.
Lykke Li – Hard Rain and Deep End
Swedish songstress Lykke Li returns with two tracks, Hard Rain and Deep End, from her forthcoming album so sad, so sexy.
This is the first new material from one of music’s most hauntingly beautiful voices, since the outstanding, I Never Learn back in 2014.
Lykke Li has enlisted the help of notable producers for both of the new tracks. Her partner and Kanye West collaborator extraordinaire, Jeff Bhasker (808 & Heartbreaks, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Watch The Throne) co-produced Deep End, whilst the vastly talented Rostam (formerly of Vampire Weekend fame) lent his production techniques to Hard Rain.
So Sad So Sexy is out on June 9th through RCA.
Courtney Barnett – City Looks Pretty
Fresh from her collaboration with Kurt Vile on 2017’s Lotta Sea Lice, Courtney Barnett is back with the follow up to the excellent debut album, Sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit.
Having already shared the tracks Nameless, Faceless and Need a Little Time, this week Barnett releases the third track – City Looks Pretty – from new album, Tell Me How You Really Feel.
The track sees Barnett offering up her standard fare of quirky lyrics driven by her cutting guitars and carried by her effortless delivery, as Barnett spews, ‘the city takes petty on your injured soul’.
LUMP – Cause of the Contemporary
After last years critically acclaimed album, Semper Femina, one of Secret Meeting’s favourites, Laura Marling, returns in collaboration with founding member of Tunng and Throws, Mike Lindsay.
Coming together under the moniker of LUMP, the pair plan to release their self-titled debut album on June 1st through Dead Oceans.
The collaboration finds Marling on lyric and vocal duties, whilst Lindsay handled the music. The lead single Curse of the Contemporary features a slightly less folky, but no less mesmeric vocal from Marling as she continues to stand prominently as one of the UK’s leading musical voices, great stuff.
Mazzy Star – Quiet, The Winter Harbour
David Roback and Hope Sandoval – better known as Mazzy Star – return with the first track, Quiet, The Winter Harbour, from new EP, Still.
In 2013, they released their first new material in 17 years, and now the Californians return, with one live appearance already confirmed. Like us, many will wait in anticipation for more from the incredibly talented collective that brought some of the most haunting moments of the past few decades.
Florence & The Machine – Sky Full of Song
Florence Welsh and her Machine this week release, Sky Full of Song- rumoured to be the first song taken from an album of new material expected in time for huge festival dates this summer.
After the howling vocal crescendos of How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, this return sees Florence in considerably more understated mood. The huge sounds of previous releases appear to have been stripped back as the melody saunters throughout, intertwining with Florence’s voice which still explodes with power when needed. But whether this is a glimpse into the content of the new album, we can only wait and see.
Jim James – Just A Fool
Just A Fool is the first single to be taken from the upcoming solo album from My Morning Jacket’s Kentucky based front man, Jim James.
In his own words, James stated- ‘The name of my new record is “UNIFORM DISTORTION” because I feel like there is this blanket distortion on society/media and the way we gather our “news” and important information…and more and more of us are feeling lost and looking for new ways out of this distortion and back to the truth…and finding hope in places like the desert where i write this email to you now…finding hope in the land and in the water and in old books offering new ideas and most importantly in each other and love.’
Uniform Distortion, Jim James’ third solo album is out on the 29th June on ATO Records.
Damien Jurado – Allocate
Seattle native, Damien Jurado, is back with Allocate- the second track from his upcoming album, The Horizon Just Laughed. Following on from the earlier release of Over Rainbows and Rainier, Jurado again displays his superbly understated ability to create music that calms the soul.
The album finds Jurado stepping away from long-time producer/collaborator and multi-instrumentalist, Richard Swift, and will be his first self-produced album of his twenty plus year career.
After his last critically acclaimed offering, 2016’s excellent Visions of Us On The Land, The Horizon Just Laughed promises to be a highlight of the upcoming months.
The Horizon Just Laughed is out on May 4th through Secretly Canadian.
