Young Widows "Decayed: Ten Years of Cities, Wounds, Lightness, and Pain (Temporary Residence)"
Wondering how long the band Young Widows has been around? Well, they’ve made researching that fact easy with the name of their new odds and sods collection on Temporary Residence. Decayed: Ten Years of Cities, Wounds, Lightness, and Pain. But unlike a lot of b-sides and one-off collections, not only does Decayed coalesce like a natural album, but it somehow excels as a collection. For a band that has a sound that’s hard to nail down, they’ve done a great job of gathering a grouping of their noisy, heavy, psych-heavy post-punk together. Brutal and beautiful at the same time, these songs are all stand-outs. Half the time it’s like The Jesus Lizard is covering Bonnie “Prince” Billy songs. At other times they are the obvious peers of other modern metal masters like MY DISCO and Coliseum. Check out “Checked In/Out” and marvel how one band’s ephemera could be another band’s stand out tracks.
High Disciple "High Disciple (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)"
Not every band is difficult to describe. For every one that defies genre placement, there is a band as blissfully specific as High Disciple. They are a dub band. A space-y, surf-y reggae-y dub band. Comprised of Chris Daly from Jets To Brazil, Larry DiGiovanni from Dub For Light (I told you! DUB BAND!) and guitarist Scott Saing Hilaire, their self-titled debut on Ernest Jenning Record Co. is some sweet, jammed up dub music. You will slowly nod your head, you will marvel at the ease at which they grab a hold over you, and you will likely just start the record over once it’s done. Check out the laid-back funk of “Tranquility.”
Maps & Atlases "Lightlessness Is Nothing New (Barsuk)"
Lightlessness Is Nothing New (Barsuk), the new LP from Maps & Atlases, is something of a reboot from the band. Gone are the math rock leanings found on their earlier albums, and in its place is a bright, joyful synth pop. This change came about as frontman Dave Davison tried to assuage his grief over the recent loss of his father. But rather than wallowing, Dave is instead reminding himself (and thus the world) of al the great things left here. And if ever there was a time that people needed reminding that there is joy left, it’s now. Like a bouncy, lighter version of Erasure mixed with ‘80s Bowie, Lightlessness… has something for everyone, as is evidenced by the hummable hooks of “Fall Apart.”
Tancred "Nightstand (Polyvinyl)"
We sure loved the last album from Tancred Out Of The Garden, so we were over the moon when we got our grubby mitts (sorry, we were cleaning!) on Nightstand (Polyvinyl). Everything we loved about the last one, the candy coated melodies, the hooks, the emotional lyrics, are back, but better than ever. A beguiling mix of ‘80s power pop, ‘90s alt rock, ‘00s west coast rock, and ‘10s rock balladry has left the whole thing feeling timeless. It’s like Veruca Salt covering Hole covering Weezer. Does that make sense? You should decide for yourself and check out the jangly anthem rock of “Hot Star” or the infectious “Queen of New York.”