Alternative Album Chart: the best new indie and alternative albums this week
In an era where music is celebrated as being truly fresh only if it’s an eclectic electronic mesh of beats, samples and typically ironic lyricism, we often forget that while on our breakneck rush into the orgiastic future of culture, some of the genres the past produced are still pertinent. One of these is psychedelic rock, and although it has been around since the late 1960s, Sweden’s Goat have proven once more on their new self-titled effort that it isn’t going anywhere, and it shouldn’t either.
Since releasing their debut World Music in 2012, the enigmatic Gothenburg outfit have continued to extend the range of their craft and have established a cultish following in doing so, with them the commanding masked leaders, delivering narcotic aural sermons that pull from everywhere from hard rock to jazz. On their latest album, Goat, they continue to experiment with a collection of biting riffs and harmonious, more classical textures pulled from across music’s history, creating a compelling dance around the campfire, with the gamut of emotions prompted akin to that of a psychedelic experience deep inside the forest.
Another band that has been around for a long time is Sunderland’s Field Music. They might have formed in 2004, a time increasingly far removed from our own, but the brothers Brewis have not lost any of their original spark. Instead of glumly accepting the passing of time and falling on their swords, they have matured gracefully, showing there’s much left in the tank and that quality will always withstand the perennially ticking clock. Although it’s been four years since their last album, the new one, Limits of Language, is undoubtedly one of their finest. It’s incredibly accomplished, with enough hooks to satisfy for a long time.
Elsewhere this week, The Linda Lindas proved they are here to stay with their second album, No Obligation, wherein the four Californians explore both sides of their craft more extensively without losing sight of their original spirit. The album that contains the most infectious hooks on this list; I guarantee that if you’re not a fan reading this, after the first listen, you will be. There is nothing not to love about the quartet, and dodging the notorious second album curse while so young only points to the fact that they will keep improving. Who knows where they’ll be in a decade? Hopefully, they’ll be filling stadiums.
Find this week’s Alternative Album Chart below.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Goat – Goat – [4.5]
Goat are one of these elusive groups that are steeped in total mystery. Acting as a collective, they’re always seen in elaborate costumes and masks, working in complete anonymity, with only one member, Christian Johansson, revealing his name. The group was supposedly born from a Swedish commune, with various members coming and going over the years.
Goat don’t hesitate to experiment, and on their latest self-titled album, the group draws from a wide array of genres to create a mind-blowing and addictive collection of tracks that you’ll certainly want to play on repeat. At their core, Goat are a psychedelic band, working with hallucinatory riffs that are instantly captivating; but equally, they take influence from hard rock, as well as traditional and experimental sounds.
On Goat, psychedelic stoner rock-infused riffs sit alongside funky jazz-inspired rhythms, with tightly executed melodies contrasting freeform experimentation and instrumental journeys through loud and quiet. There are songs here that will whisk you away to another realm, where flutes lull you into a sense of calmness only to drop you into a hot mass of fire and energy.
Each song is complexly composed, featuring many layers and unconventional structural choices that will keep listeners on their toes. Whether it is calling you to party and celebrate the ever-changing experience of life or tapping into sleazier territory, Goat always remains cohesive. Each idea is bridged seamlessly together, and every member’s sheer musicianship bleeds through the tracks.
Limits of Language – Field Music – [4]
How do we make futuristic music without knowing what the future will look like? Field Music flourish fiddling around with this foggy notion, and produce a record in Limits of Language that sounds like a digital leap haunted by the analogue past. 20 years on from their formation, the Brewis brothers from the North East have hit upon a defiantly fresh sound and one of their finest records.
The record follows a rare four year gap for the prolific band. During that time it is evident that they have lost none of their verve. In fact, one of the great strengths of Limits of Language is that it is brimming with a sense of adventurous enthusiasm. From the bracing boing of the prominent bass to the mad smattering of clipped instruments, the album has an almost teenage quality to it, like punk at its best.
At times, it is manic, perhaps abrasively so, but straining through the melee as a captivating guide for the listener is the definitive presence of simple pop hooks. It’s in these moments that you imagine the Brewis brothers in the 1980s refining their sound and happily topping the charts. Alas, we’re not in the 1980s. And they’re not XTC meets Tears for Fears, we’re way further down the digital line, and Field Music’s blurring bombardment of pop and berserk jazz feels apt and energised by that very relevance.
Stiletto – Gut Health – [4]
Chances are, if you are suitably clued up on grassroots and independent music, you have already heard the name Gut Health. From their early beginnings back in 2022, the Naarm/Melbourne band have found a name for themselves, purporting a unique brand of dance-punk, blending infectiously fun punk influences with the darker, more experimental sounds of no-wave. Being one of the most talked about up-and-coming bands on the circuit, there has been a lot of anticipation surrounding their debut album, Stiletto. Thankfully, though, the Australian group have certainly managed to live up to the hype.
Melbourne has fostered a particularly vibrant DIY music scene in recent years, culminating in a variety of incredible groups completely reinventing perceptions of punk and post-punk. Within that scene, there is no doubting the idea that Gut Health are among the most polished and skilful groups. This fact becomes abundantly clear within the very early stages of Stiletto, where the band demonstrate its wide range of influences, from the old-school post-punk and no-wave movement to more modern, energetic sounds.
One of the various things that this album does very well is capture the energy and spontaneity of Gut Health’s live performances. Throughout the record, you get the sense of the band bouncing off of each other in the studio, crafting an album that is as collaborative as it is fun. ‘Fun’ might sound like a bit of a cop-out when describing an album, but it must be said that Gut Health’s dance-punk leanings are, indeed, fun. Of course, there are many levels to the band’s sound and songwriting, many of which are explored across Stiletto‘s tracklist. At its heart, though, the album is endlessly energetic, danceable, and, well, fun.
East My Love – Current Joys – [3.5]
The folk genre will exist in music for as long as people use sound to seek truth. Self-expression can come in a ray of different forms, but there doesn’t seem to be any quite as honest and authentic as folk. Current Joys, also known as Nick Rattigan, is the perfect personification of this on his new album, East My Love.
The record shows Rattigan exploring the complicated nature of relationships, making his way through both the happy, sad, complex, and hopeless sides of forming connections. The tone of the album shifts depending on the theme of a song, but all tracks firmly plant themselves within the troubled, wayward stranger branch of folk. The narrative is kept at the heart of the tracks, and there is a consistent tone throughout the album.
A common criticism of folk-inspired music is that it leaves little room for manoeuvre as far as an artist is concerned. Honesty and authenticity are the most important pillars of this record, and yet Rattigan is able to explore different branches of the genre throughout the album which is exciting to listen to.
No Obligation – The Linda Lindas – [3.5]
Often, when a band is championed at a such a young age, they often quickly fade into yet another disappointing example of what could have been, and a reflection of the need to nurture young talent patiently. One group who eschews this common trend and have continued to develop quickly and refine their sound is The Linda Lindas. Their second album, No Obligation, shows that their debut and the early signs were not a flash in the pan.
The new album is a collection of 12 accomplished tracks that not only clearly demonstrate the band’s artistic scope and the breadth of their collective imagination but also that there is much still to come from an outfit that might have been around for what feels like a while now, but are still so young. With the eldest member, Bela Salazar, being only 20, and the youngest, drummer Mila de la Garza, just 14 – eye-wateringly young to be making music so full-bodied – what the band have crafted in No Obligation points to a verdant future.
Party Album – Famous – [3.5]
If you’re familiar with the South London music scene that introduced the likes of Black Midi and Black Country, New Road to the world, you might have heard of Famous. The eclectic scene, much of which emerged from The Windmill in Brixton, has seen bands come and go doing everything from experimental electronica to post-punk and jazz-soaked noise rock.
While Famous has performed alongside some of the biggest names from the scene, they decided not to rush their debut album, instead taking their time to hone a small but dedicated following and a unique sound that is instantly recognisable.They’ve avoided the common issue of rising too fast and then subsequently burning out, and with Party Album, the band have proved that their debut album was worth the several years of waiting.
It is hard to sum up Famous’ sound in a few words. While the band has post-punk foundations, you probably haven’t heard a voice like Merrett’s in the genre before. He sometimes sounds like he has just woken up, snarling and laughing through menacing line deliveries; elsewhere, it is as though he is in despair, singing with a strangely charming allowance of intimacy. Merrett often stretches his voice as far as it will go, shouting and straining in a way that could be viewed as unlistenable to some or impressively raw and visceral to others.
The Lucky One – Caroline Says – [3.5]
The follow-up to 50 Million Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong and No Fool Like An Old Fool was always going to be a tricky one. Caroline Says, otherwise known as Caroline Sallee, has been a torchbearer of heartwrenching, self-reflective, and intricate compositions since she emerged on the scene, covering the relatable complexities of love and loss and the ambiguous nature of a healing heart.
The Lucky One, however, lives up to all expectations, adorned with Sallee’s signature vulnerability but with the bonus of clarity. Throughout this album, she sings with purpose, chronicling her journeys of the heart through various memories of hitting the road, hitting up late-night bars, and finding yourself in the heat of losing the one you love.
One stark theme overriding the entire album is something so few of us recognise in life—how memories can be written by the heart, causing us to reckon with a misconstrued reality that serves only to harm or stagnate healing. It’s the ultimate clash, one we often view dramatically or overwhelmingly sweet, but which, more often than not, has its roots in fabrications of the mind as it tortures us to remember everything we supposedly lost.
Life of the Party – Dilettante – [2.5]
Pop too often gets a bad rap. Especially in the music sphere, people can get snooty about the genre. It’s created this unique phenomenon of the idea of the anti-pop pop star, or the outsider pop star, that comes along with an artsy enough edge that the ‘6Music dads’ and ‘cool’ music people can put their weapons down and admit to enjoying it. The new album from Dilettante is a perfect example of it, as it sits firmly in the lineage and draws reference to a whole host of other acts on the pop fringes.
There are clear colours of St Vincent in the album’s theatrical guitar flares. There are Fiona Apple-toned piano ballads that give the simplest tracks an edge, too. Vocally, there are elements of Anna Calvi’s growl or even some Kate Bush acrobatics. All of that means that there is a lot going on. All of those references are incredibly maximalist and powerful. They lead to big, bold sounds that are impressive, but after 12 songs, it begins to feel exhausting.
Life Of The Party is undoubtedly a well-made album. Paul Hamlyn and Francesca Pidgeon at the helm of the project are clearly incredibly talented musicians, there’s no debate there. But what the record lacks is space to breathe. Listening from start to finish, it begins to feel like an onslaught where even the softer songs can’t resist a crescendo. It feels like someone needed, even just once, to slap the musicians’ hands away and remove their foot from the accelerator. In an attempt to keep the record on this cool, artsy side of pop; it’s forgotten the necessary knowledge that shade is just as essential as light and quiet is just as important as volume. In short, it feels like too much packed in, to the point where even details that should be impressive get lost in the noise.
