Best New Releases, April 19: Big|Brave, Cloud Nothings, and more
Another week of new music is upon us, and it just so happens to coincide with Record Store Day. While our new music friday roundup doesn’t include any of the exclusive pressings for RSD, we would like to suggest maybe taking a look at our recent recommendations for vinyl accessories to enhance your listening? And for that matter, all the great new albums out today, from indie rockers, rappers, metal bands, and artists that are much, much harder to define. Check out our picks for this week’s best new releases.
Blurbs written by Jeff Terich (JT) and Mia Euceda (ME)
Note: When you buy something through our affiliate links, Treble receives a commission. All albums we cover are chosen by our editors and contributors.
Big|Brave – A Chaos of Flowers
Only a year after the release of the incredible nature morte, Montreal trio Big|Brave return with another stunning set of post-metal and noise rock, A Chaos of Flowers, which balances their minimalist heaviness with moments of gentle ambience and even some Emily Dickinson-inspired lyrics. It’s currently our Album of the Week, and in our review, we said, “While A Chaos of Flowers isn’t uniformly more hushed or gentle than its predecessor, Big|Brave seem even more comfortable leading with grace.” – JT
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Cloud Nothings – Final Summer
Three years after The Shadow I Remember, Cloud Nothings are back with their eighth album, a soaring, hook-laden set of indie rock that dials in on their sense of melody while still rocking as hard as they ever have. We recently interviewed Dylan Baldi of Cloud Nothings, who said of the new album, “In terms of production, I just wanted there to be lots of guitars (laughs). I wanted everything to sound huge.” We’ll have more on this one soon. – JT
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Bbymutha – sleep paralysis
The Chattanooga empress of headstrong hedonism pushes herself forward on this refreshing release. After venturing into London dancefloors during her last tour, the rapper felt inspired to incorporate these sounds with her straightforward and unrestrained flow. On sleep paralysis, bbymutha marries drum & bass, post-punk and southern hip-hop for a fun fusion fruitful in playfulness and rowdiness. From the sticky rock club anthem “lines” to the Three 6 Mafia-esque horrorcore of “ghostface,” her versatility and ear for unique beats shine through. This electrifying mix of sounds with the rapper’s take-no-shit bars make for an engaging listen. – ME
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Couch Slut – You Could Do It Tonight
Couch Slut introduced their latest album You Could Do It Tonight with “Ode to Jimbo,” the first-ever Couch Slut love song—which in this case is a paean to a neighborhood bar. That’s about as tender as the sludgy New York noise rock group get, and throughout You Could Do It Tonight, the abrasion and brutality are cranked up from the opening squeal of “Couch Slut Lewis.” Yet the group engage in some more melodic riffing on “Wilkinson’s Sword,” seasick slide work on “The Donkey” and a raucous gallop on “Energy Crystals for Healing.” Relentless, chaotic and awesome—we’ll have more on this soon. – JT
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp
Lord Spikeheart – The Adept
Lord Spikeheart, member of the noisy and intense Ugandan electro-industrial group Duma, makes his solo debut with The Adept, and early single “Tyvm” offered listeners an explosive preview of what they’re in for. This is highly incendiary music, coated in thick layers of distortion and driven by beats that could crack concrete. Only a few moments of genuine space can be found in between the relentless assault of sound, but who needs a moment to catch their breath anyway? One of the most intense, exciting things you’ll hear this week, possibly all year. More on this one soon.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Ekko Astral – pink balloons
Washington, D.C. group Ekko Astral make their Topshelf Records debut this week with pink balloons, an energetic and agitated set of garage punk and post-hardcore that balances noisy, abrasive guitar textures with shout-along choruses. It’s at times intense and frequently dissonant, but there’s a sense of playful mischief that runs through the album that makes it a hell of a lot of fun to listen to even at its most piercing and jagged. – JT
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Infinite River – Tabula Rasa
Infinite River is a collaboration between Warren Defever of His Name Is Alive, Joey Mazzola of The Detroit Cobras, and Gretchen Gonzales of Universal Indians, and their third record Tabula Rasa is a wild, hypnotic set of psychedelic Americana that’s big on electrifying guitar work and heady grooves. The album winds through moments of melancholy romantic noir, abstract prog jams and fiery instrumental rock, and it’s consistently thrilling to follow these unpredictable threads wherever they lead, which in one case is a swirling psych-pop cover of “My Favorite Things.” Eclectic, electric and lushly arranged throughout, Tabula Rasa is an endlessly engaging psych-rock experience. – JT
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp
Cavalier – Different Type Time
New York-born, New Orleans-based emcee Cavalier offers his first record through the venerable Backwoodz label, Different Type Time, his fourth overall. It features production from the likes of Messiah Muzik, Ohbliv, Quelle Chris and more, and the album has a hazy, soulful summertime vibe throughout. Different Type Time is laid back and lush, as mesmerizing for its gorgeous production as it is for Cav’s vivid and breathless lyricism, rife with fine details and grounding in true-to-life observations.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp
High on Fire – Cometh the Storm
It’s hard to believe that six full years have passed since the last High on Fire album, 2018’s Electric Messiah. As one of the most consistent, and consistently ripping, bands in metal, the Oakland trio have delivered a constant barrage of riffs over the past two decades, and their return shows that they haven’t let off the throttle in the slightest. It sounds pretty much exactly how you remember High on Fire sounding, and it’s a wonderful thing to hear. Cometh the Storm is another furious and hard-driving set of sludge metal that rocks like hell and serves as a reminder of just how exciting metal can be, even when it’s exactly what you want it to be.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
