New Music Recommendations

by Philip Moss and Joseph Purcell

Moby – This Wild Darkness

Almost 20 years have passed since Moby released his career defining album, Play. On the back of last year’s release with his band, The Void Pacific Choir, the New York electronic veteran returns with This Wild Darkness, from the forthcoming, politically charged album, Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt.

Discussing the track on his website, Moby stated, ‘This Wild Darkness is essentially an existential dialog between me and the gospel choir – me talking about my confusion, the choir answering with longing and hope’. This Wild Darkness is a hauntingly affected musical creation and one that has already got us over at Secret Meeting eagerly anticipating more.

Everything Was Beautiful, And Nothing Hurt is out today through Little Idiot/Mute.

Dinosaur Jr – Hold Unknown

Rock reformations normally end in an all too predictable unedified manner, squabbles, rehab and lawsuits. Very few bands reform and find the creative spark or desire to rival previous works and, if they do, it is generally over a short period with maximum profit in mind. That, however, has not been the case for Dinosaur Jr who have steadily released a stream of quietly excellent albums, as well as numerous solo projects since their mid noughties reformation.

Along with continuing to be a live powerhouse, J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph return with new single, Hold Unknown, taken from Adult Swim’s single series and is the first new material from the band in two years.

Chvrches ft. Matt Berninger- My Enemy

Scottish synth pop trio, Chvrches release their second track, My Enemy from forthcoming album, Love is Dead. My Enemy features guest vocals from The National frontman Matt Berninger, who duets to great effect with Lauren Mayberry. The unlikely duet came via many shared festival slots and Chvrches involvement in Berninger’s fundraising campaign, 7-Inches For Planned Parenthood.

The album, Love is Dead, sees Chvrches step out and work with outside producers for the first time- predominantly Greg Kurstin (Adele, Liam Gallagher, Beck), and we wait to see how that impacts on Chvrches’ signature poptastic sound.

Laura Veirs ft. Sufjan Stevens – Watch Fire

After providing vocals on Sufjan Stevens 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell, Stevens returns the favour on Watch Fire from Laura Veirs forthcoming album, The Lookout. Fresh of his Oscar nomination, Stevens adds his incredible array of musical talents to Veirs highly anticipated upcoming release. Speaking in a statement, Veirs couldn’t hold back her admiration for Stevens and how she envisioned him when writing the song, “I heard his voice on this song when I wrote it. We’ve been friends for a long time and he’s given me quite a few artistic pep talks over the years”.

The Lookout (due out on 13th April through Bella Union) will be Veirs first release since her collaboration with Neko Case and KD Lang back in 2016 and her first solo output since 2013’s Warp and Weft.

Powerbleeder – Donny Wants You Dead

Powerbleeder are a four piece from Seattle, Washington who’ve just released their latest single, Donny Wants You Dead, from their most recent EP, G u s h.

Singer/songwriter, David Plell, has an acute ear for sunshine evoking melodies, which makes Donnie a wonderful slice of politically charged, ironic, bubblegum pop.

Both the single and EP are available through the band’s Bandcamp page now.

Ryley Walker – Telluride Speed

“I didn’t want to be jammy acoustic guy anymore”, Ryley Walker states in the press release for his new record Deafman Glance. And Telluride Speed – the first taster from the said album – certainly feels a more restrained and concise piece of work than the vast majority of the work on his last LP, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung, while .

Of course, the usual Nick Drake influence is as clear as day, but there’s also more than a flash of Steely Dan and the Mission Impossible soundtrack.

Deafman Glance is out on 18th May through Dead Oceans, plus he will perform a headline show at The Scala in London on 27th November. At present, there are no other UK dates.