Alternative Album Chart: the best new indie and alternative albums this week
As one of the most prolific acts currently active, the brothers D’Addario – better known as The Lemon Twigs – arrive with A Dream Is All We Know this week. A near-flawless follow-up to last year’s Everything Harmony, it sees the Hicksville duo show their modern Beach Boys chops with an exquisite blend of Baroque pop songs, art rock and Jonathan Richman-like lyrics.
Another glorious chapter in their celebrated oeuvre, there should be no doubt by this point that the pair of shaggy-haired siblings are two of the finest songwriters the contemporary era has produced. A perfect release for the shifting of the seasons, it has us hotly anticipating the moment the sun finally cuts through the clouds and prevails for a few months. Something of a paradox of a record in that it is modern but undeniably classic-sounding; it should provide enough motivation for new listeners to dive into their past work and go and watch them on tour when they head out on the road later this year.
Elsewhere, after half a decade away, Jessica Pratt returns with Here in the Pitch, a release that makes good on the sultry dream of 2019’s lauded Quiet Signs. It’s a swooning record that’s perfect for slow dances with lovers, drunken, deep ruminations on the universe with friends, or, indeed, a quiet solo cry. It is wonderful to have the San Franciscan back. Pratt continues to make good on refreshing her city’s definitive sound for our times.
Following on, Ibibio Sound Machine, Mdou Moctar and the long-awaited re-emergence of Glasgow favourites Camera Obscura have provided more than enough compelling entertainment from across the spectrum of music and sentiments.
Find this week’s Alternative Album Chart below.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
A Dream Is All We Know – The Lemon Twigs – 4.5
If you look at things philosophically, then The Lemon Twigs present a peculiar problem with their new album, A Dream Is All We Know. Is it retrogressive and unoriginal to cook up a rotation of Baroque pop songs that you could seamlessly slip into a shuffled playlist of The Beach Boys and The Move and only audiophiles would notice? Or is it paradoxically forward-thinking to fixate on golden years while the rest of the alternative scene is scrapping for something new, sometimes to the detriment of their sound?
A Dream Is All We Know lulls you with a doo-wop dreaminess, embalms you with a richly textured Barqoue soundscape, and stirs your imagination with an array of compositional quirks. Funky jazz chords are thrown in to subvert the familiar throughout, and there’s a collision of poetry, humorous irony, and simple joy in the distinctively Jonathan Richman-like lyrics. Perhaps the pinnacle, however, lies in the vocal harmonies that the D’Addario brothers chirp out alongside their now consistent rhythm section of Danny Ayala and Reza Matin.
It is a firm and fully realised album executed with certainty. It might not be absolutely perfect, but overall, the stunning performances eclipse any blemishes. Alas, ironically, The Lemon Twigs’ greatest triumph this time out is that they’ve created an album that there is really nothing like. It might sound like The Beach Boys, but it’s The Beach Boys revisited over half a century after the event by two maestros with plenty of their own tricks and influences to brandish as embellishments. The result is something that will occupy its own space in your record collection, one that will be continually unsheathed when you’re in the mood for the summery sanguinity that the album offers. [Words: Tom Taylor]
Here in the Pitch – Jessica Pratt – 4.5
Five years without a new Jessica Pratt album is far too long. For half a decade, we’ve been left longing for another dose of her lush instrumentation and lo-fi production, her soft strums and strange vocalisations, for more music made for red wine drinking and red room dancing. Fortunately, Here In The Pitch is well worth the wait, and well worthy of your finest bottle of Malbec.
As always, Pratt’s vocals cut through it all. They’re more reminiscent of 1960s California than ever before, sitting somewhere between hypnotic and haunting. The content of her words has weight, tackling ambition and enemies, as well as dread and desolation, but it’s almost hidden under the guise of her peculiarly potent voice. Even when the instrumentation is barely there, she ensures that her performance takes up all available space.
Every element and every song on Here In The Pitch is gorgeously constructed, but it’s an album that should be enjoyed as such. One that should be purchased on wax, afforded the attention of a precise needle drop and a hushed conversation with a friend over a bottle of something as rich as her sound. [Words: Elle Palmer]
Funeral for Justice – Mdou Moctar – 4
When people make an album, they do so with a feeling in mind. They are making one with a central theme: joy, sadness, despair, tranquillity, love, loss… something. The point is that the thing that separates an album from a greatest hits record is a common thread that binds the songs together. Mdou Moctar, on their new album Funeral for Justice, also manage to achieve this sensation; however, in doing so, they touch upon near-enough every emotion under the sun.
The album has rebellion and political unrest at its heart as the songs revolve around the mistreatment of Niger and the constant plight of the Tuareg people. Due to a language barrier, it is hard to connect with the lyrics in this record properly, but the pain, anger, community, and sorrow conveyed within them is unmistakable. As hard rock, classic rock, rhythmic chanting, the blues and ballads come together to create something that feels like it’s been born from the fires of passion. This album is unrelenting from the start, a true triumph, and something hard to turn off once it’s gotten started. [Words: Dale Maplethorpe]
Look to the East, Look to the West – Camera Obscura – 4
Camera Obscura might have formed in 1996, almost 30 years ago, but their sound feels as fresh as ever. Their sixth album, Look to the East, Look to the West, is a triumphant return to form following a decade of absence due to the sad death of keyboardist Carey Lander.
These ten years have afforded the band the chance to reflect on the complexity of life in all of its ups and downs, with equal doses of hopefulness and melancholy informing the record. It’s melodic and dreamy, with twangs of country-esque guitars, gentle synths and potent lyrical endeavours into grief, lost love, feminism and desire.
Since their inception, the band have experimented with an indie pop sound, and while their new music isn’t a wild diversion from their past work, it feels slightly modernised and more refined, yet still timeless. There are some really gorgeous tracks here which feel incredibly special, possessing a sense of intimacy that makes you feel like the only listener in the world. ‘Only a Dream’, for example, is a beautiful piano-led piece that floats with slight melancholy, standing out as an album highlight.
Camera Obscura are set to enjoy a comeback with Look to the East, Look to the West, which will certainly welcome legions of new fans while pleasing longtime listeners. [Words: Aimee Ferrier]
Pull the Rope – Ibibio Sound Machine – 4
There comes a point in the year during which album releases shift in tone somewhat. Whereas start-of-the-year releases are usually imbued with the kind of cold misery we have come to associate with the winter months, as springtime rolls around, there are some hints of happier days ahead. Few bands are as well-equipped to bring in that sunshine as the masters of funky Afrobeat electronica, Ibibio Sound Machine.
A decade on from their self-titled debut album, the London-based group show very few signs of fatigue, releasing their latest effort, Pull the Rope. There is often a danger, especially in dance-oriented music, that artists quickly start to repeat themselves. However, in the case of Ibibio Sound Machine, the band have always found new and interesting ways to reinvent themselves and breathe new life into their distinctive sound. On Pull the Rope, for instance, the group have taken their usual euphoric funk into a dark, industrial underground. While there is still plenty of colour and vibrancy, this new album also has a certain darkness to it – more like dancing in a sweaty club than outdoors at a summer festival.
It is difficult to pick out a definitive highlight of the album, as there is so much happening all at once. PK Ambrose’s bass lines certainly stand out, particularly on tracks like ‘Far Away’, but ultimately, it is the vocal performances of Eno Williams that make the record so undeniable. Her voice feels particularly impactful on this album, perfectly adapting to the differing moods of each and every piece. It is almost as though Williams is a guiding voice in the darkness, offering a beacon of hope and joy in an increasingly hostile environment. At ten tracks, my only complaint is that the record doesn’t last longer. [Words: Ben Forrest]
Romanticism – Hana Vu – 4
Growing up is a strange experience. For those in the thick of it, it seems endless, and for those who have overcome the perils of youth, the memory of it is just as hazy and confusing as it felt at the time. Hana Vu has been creating music since she was in high school, gathering years of experience to create an album that delves into the deepest, darkest corners of adolescence.
In your early 20s, everything can seem overwhelming as you grapple with self-identification and the opinions of the whole world. Faced with endless social media doom scrolling, our lives can pale in comparison to others, leaving us feeling in a constant state of fight or flight. Instead of running from it all, Romanticism puts it under the microscope, probing and interrogating until it reveals its long-hidden truths.
Musically, this is an album that isn’t afraid of its own flaws. Romanticism may coast the line between pure indie rock and endearing ‘sad girl’ aesthetics, but its dressing doesn’t matter as much when its confidence comes to the fore, reminding you of the power of honesty in the face of adversity. Romanticism may seem like the preceding album to a magnum opus, but its brilliance is the perfect glimpse into the promising future of a young innovator. [Words: Kelly Scanlon]
What A Devastating Turn of Events – Rachel Chinouriri – 3.5
Rachel Chinouriri isn’t a new artist by any means. The indie pop musician has been about releasing music since 2018. But after TikTok found her tracks ‘My Darling’ and ‘All I Ever Asked’, she was suddenly boomed to new ‘one-to-watch’ status. Immediately then, having to face up to the pressure, she was determined to take her time. More than two years on from that viral moment, she presents her long-awaited debut, What A Devastating Turn of Events.
However, there’s a hefty proportion of the record that’s stuck in the past. There are old cuts here that have even appeared on previous EPs. They still sound great, still clearly showing Chinouriri’s potential, but amidst the new material that shows a clear progression and development, the decision to have them on the tracklist feels like resting on laurels rather than clearing the way and stepping bravely, boldly and fully into the new era. All in all, six out of 14 songs have already been heard before release day, begging the question of whether a debut should be a gathering of what’s come before or a statement of what’s to come next.
She’s at her best when she keeps the alt in her alt-pop. Of course, catchiness is key, but when Chinouriri finds her motivation is writing relatable upbeat, hooking ‘hits’, the loss of nuance on tracks like ‘It Is What It Is’ and ‘Dumb Bitch Juice’ becomes evident. Something in those songs feels a bit too trendy or of the moment, unlike the timelessness that will always be there in her best storytelling.
Overwhelmingly, the album feels like an artist ready to fly but still needing to believe she has wings. Or, maybe more accurately, considering all we know about the industry, she needs everyone to trust she has wings. She doesn’t need to rely on her older self or attempt to replicate the catchy success she randomly found because the voice she has now seems far more interesting. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Undefeated – Frank Turner – 3
On his tenth solo album, Undefeated, it makes sense that Frank Turner is as unapologetic as ever. The record’s title aptly conveys the general essence of the body of work, as the songwriter accepts being in his forties and that his road-worn efforts aren’t for everyone. He knows his place in the world. It’s always been about his music and the punk spirit, so earthly matters such as appealing to everyone do not come into the picture. Naturally, though, this outlook comes with its negatives and positives.
As the album is so extensive, Turner enthusiastically crosses many different sonic realms, delving back into his long history to bring a work to life that ranks among his most affecting at points, filled with as much candour as his wry humour. While his fans will receive it and the broader sentiment well, criticisms can still be directed at it, especially when critiquing it from outside the musician’s evident context.
All in all, Frank Turner continues pushing on. Undefeated might be a mixed bag, with the highlights exemplary and the pitfalls forgettable, but the songwriter remains firmly on his path.
Find Your Flame – Nubiyan Twist – 2.5
As we rattle through spring, the blossom falls, and the leaves bud, bringing optimism and brightness to the vitamin D-deficient souls of the northern hemisphere. As much as some of us may enjoy the mid-winter desolation of post-punk, there is a time and place for the vibrant rhythms of jazz-fusion bands like Nubiyan Twist.
This nine-piece, led by guitarist and producer Tom Excell, has no shortage of musical talent. Having first formed in 2011 at Leeds College of Music, the collective made a significant impact with the 2015 eponymous debut album, from which they continued to prosper through performances at Glastonbury and most major jazz festivals around the world.
This intense jazz fusion experiment can, at times, feel like a soup with too many ingredients, paradoxically becoming bland. Find Your Flame is bright and danceable at nearly every turn, and I would no doubt enjoy such rhythms at a Barbadian beach party, but there’s a great deal of music that wouldn’t be enjoyable in such a setting. In its finest moments, the album brings intriguing vocals from Nigeria and Mali and hears the mighty Nile Rodgers on the six-string. [Words: Jordan Potter]
Reissue – The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come for Free – 4
Apologies if this makes you feel old: This month, A Grand Don’t Come for Free, the seminal second album released by The Streets, turns 20 years old. Following the unprecedented success of the 2002 debut, Original Pirate Material, project leader Mike Skinner sought new sonic territory and thematic refinement in a follow-up and left fans dazzled once again.
If Original Pirate Material laid the groundwork for a post-Britpop era embrace of hip-hop, garage and grime in the UK, A Grand Don’t Come for Free heard Skinner master the art of storytelling. The compelling concept album chronicles the trials and tribulations of your average bloke navigating the figurative potholes in the streets of south London. From the highs of romance to the crushing lows of losing a thousand quid, Skinner’s lyrical prowess and distinctive delivery paint a vivid picture of urban life.
20 years on, this remarkable study of the modern metropolis remains an immovable presence in the music of the artists it inspires. The groundbreaking fusion of genres paved the way for a new wave of British musicians and producers, inviting them to challenge artistic conventions. Skinner’s most immediate footprint can be found in the UK garage and grime scenes, but his influence spans the globe and defies cliques.
On May 3rd, Skinner celebrates the 20th anniversary of A Grand Don’t Come for Freewith a limited edition reissue. This unique collector’s item comes pressed on dark red vinyl in a two-LP set with a gatefold jacket emblazoned with the original artwork created by photographer Ewen Spencer. You can pre-order/purchase your copy here for £29.99. [Words: Jordan Potter]
