Alternative Album Chart: the best new indie and alternative albums this week
Kicking things off this week, Florida’s Gouge Away return after an extensive time away with their long-awaited third album, Deep Sage. Their best record yet sees them refine their formula, making it more expansive than ever, with multiple emotions explored. Of course, the inherent punk fury remains, but many other sonics are on offer that make for a captivating listen from start to finish. Following the quintet adding another welcome chapter to their story, the likes of Cousin Kula and Dan Boeckner have released masterful efforts.
Although we are on the tail end of winter, we are still very much in it. The sun might have started to pop out at points of the day, but it is still generally grey and wet. Giving us a taste of the good times on the horizon, Bristol’s Cousin Kula have released their second album, the aptly named Vitamin D, a palliative blend of psychedelic textures that’s enough to prompt a smile and pick the head up after the long dark months. It might feel a touch cruel to release such a heady album at this point in the year, but there can be no doubt that it will be the soundtrack to heady times drinking cans in the park and kicking it on the beach.
Elsewhere, Dan Boeckner, who made his name as one of the frontmen and the guitarist of Montreal indie heroes Wolf Parade, has released his debut solo album, Boeckner, via Sub Pop. It’s an intriguing way to delve head-first into his solo career, formed on space-age synths and alternative rock; it’s a distinctive-sounding record with real depth that can only be fully explored with numerous listens.
The above are only three highlights that have graced our ears this week. Find the Alternative Album Chart below.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Deep Sage – Gouge Away – 4
An extended time away can often lead to the world moving on from a band, but every so often, the ticking of the clock and the swapping of calendars can alter the landscape so it is just suitable for their return, with all the right pieces in place for them to take things up a gear. This is certainly true for Fort Lauderdale’s Gouge Away, who return with their third album, Deep Sage, a long six years after their second effort, 2018’s Burnt Sugar. Simply put, it is their best offering yet, with their punk formula refined and expanded.
Authentic but crisp sounding and not forgoing any of the raw power that made the group so compelling in the first place, the new body of work is utterly captivating. It sees them move forward stylistically with a host of new elements bolstering their sound. Every member shines across Deep Sage, from the riffs to the dirty bass tone and thud of the drums, and it is also vital to note that vocalist Christina Michelle has really found herself. Her delivery and range is unique but accomplished, and it makes for one hell of a sonic treat.
Vitamin D – Cousin Kula – 4
A lot of the time, when we listen to music, we pick out individual elements that appeal to us. For instance, we might like the sound of a drum fill, a vocal performance or a guitar solo. Then, there is some music where it’s less about individual elements and more about a sound’s overall cohesion. Cousin Kula and their new album Vitamin D falls into the latter category. Not that the individual parts aren’t good, but what makes the album stand out is their ability to merge together. The band managed to create a sound so cohesive and beautiful that it’s hard to imagine it could exist as anything other than the form in which we hear it.
The only criticism about Vitamin D is that it’s been released at the wrong time of year. To have music available, which is so summery in its execution and feels good throughout every second of it, almost seems cruel when the skies are still grey and there is still drizzle in the air. The only thing missing from this album is the right environment to listen to it in, and once that’s here, there is no escaping the fact this record will dominate heat-filled airwaves.
Cousin Kula has made an album that is inescapably happy. As soon as the first few seconds of ‘Clothes Off’ play, it’s impossible not to go any further without a smile on your face and a spring in your step. That theme carries on throughout the whole album; however, even though it doesn’t divert from the same vibe, that isn’t to say it gets boring or repetitive. The band have enough talent on display and versatility in solid structure to keep things fresh and exciting. [Words: Dale Maplethorpe]
Boeckner! – Dan Boeckner – 3.5
Exploring the vast expanse of music preferences oftentimes lacks lustre when it becomes less innovative and more try-hard. Dan Boeckner’s mind is a library where new tapestries emerge from every corner, ready to unveil mass truths and revel in its ability to delight, entertain, and even enlighten.
Boeckner may have contributed to some of the most genre-defining sounds, but this new album proves his ability to truly deliver when given all liberties for freedom of expression. As a result, Boeckner! navigates the nuances of personal taste with ease, sounding as magical and resonant to the synth-pop lover as it would to the appreciator of rock ‘n’ roll.
Boeckner! crafts a world where space-age synths and alternative formulas converge, generating excitement akin to discovering dark wave for the first time after an endless search for music that doesn’t feel eclipsed by pretence. “Now I’m a walking phantom,” Boeckner sings, delivering a somewhat macabre brand of hope that may seem perplexing but is guaranteed to sit with you for a long while. [Words: Kelly Scanlon]
Rockmaker – The Dandy Warhols – 2.5
Having mastered the art of pop-rock at the turn of the century, Courtney Taylor-Taylor has led the band through several chapters of evolution. Most recently, The Dandy Warhols leant heavily on their synthesisers in the colourful, if interminable three-and-a-half-hour mosaic that was 2020’s Tafelmuzik Means More When You’re Alone. This week, the group returns with a much snappier follow-up but falls victim to mundane repetition.
If otherwise stagnant, Rockmaker is an unremittingly energetic album bound tightly by fuzzy, effects-ridden guitars. “It has a very specific sound,” Taylor-Taylor says in press materials, revealing consciousness of the album’s monolithic nature. Of course, the band would argue that the album sports enough twists and turns to keep the listener engaged, but my experience was one of endurance.
As a middle-of-the-road release, Rockmaker isn’t void of redeeming features. It benefits significantly from isolated collaborations, especially those with Black Francis and Debbie Harry, and uses several unconventional vocal and synthesised effects. Alas, I must add that the vocal effects did very little for me personally.
Although the record lacks variety, throwing up just a couple of tracks I’d return to, one must respect the band’s vision for the album. In an age strangled by contemporary RnB bilge, the Warhols seek to bring guitar-based rock ‘n’ roll back into the equation. [Words: Jordan Potter]
