Alternative Album Chart: the best new indie and alternative albums this week
Not many outfits manage to bring immense energy and passion while also covering essential topics with aplomb. Well, on their latest album, Cartoon Darkness, Melbourne pub rock heroes, Amyl and the Sniffers, have shown that they are not just a one-trick pony, and have leaned even heavier into the socially conscious side of life they did on 2021’s Comfort to Me.
Across the new record, each of the quartet are on heat, as they expand their musical scope further, and continue to stretch the limits of their brand of punk. Frontwoman Amyl is particularly iridescent across it, with her tangible force as a vocalist and lyricist the perfect accompaniment for the other members experimenting with fresh sonic aspects. All in all, they’re refined their work greatly, and haven’t lost any of their original spark in doing so; they’ve just sharpened their edge, as they explore the climate crisis, war, politics and AI in a way that boosts an already substantial sonic foundation.
Just as Amyl and the Sniffers aren’t messing around on their latest effort, neither is Dublin’s Meryl Streek. Although he’s been around for a couple of years and has been making waves in underground circles, the time is now for him to come to much greater prominence. His second album, Songs for the Deceased, is as profound as anything you’ll likely hear. Using the prism of death to vocalise Ireland’s various ills, the messaging, delivery, and sentiment are exceptional. From the punk and industrial flecks to the heady electronic textures and atmosphere, it’s absolutely unique and utterly essential – somehow, Streek manages to appeal to people from outside of Ireland’s borders, as his themes are universal to the present.
Aside from these two essential artists swiftly doing away with the BS often seen in music, there’s a lot of other good stuff in store on this week’s Alternative Album Chart. New ones from Pixies and Laura Marling are a couple of highlights, with Iceage frontman Elias Rønnenfelt releasing his cinematic solo debut, Heavy Glory. Enjoy.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Amyl and the Sniffers – Cartoon Darkness – [4.5]
“Maybe a misconception about heavier genres is that there’s a lot of negativity,” Amyl and Sniffers’ guitarist Declan Martens told Far Out, “But Amy [Taylor] has such a healthy relationship with anger where it’s therapeutic, and it means she has so much space for joy at the same time.” That sums up Cartoon Darkness; a record where rage co-exists with joy, punk next to empowerment, silliness lives with sincerity and evolution is managed within the band’s recognisable and infectious energy.
Amyl and the Sniffers have long been one of the best bands around. In the worlds of rock and punk, the Aussie pub rockers step onto the genre’s stage with exactly the kind of thrilling energy it’s built on and vitally needs. Their shows are the kind of shows that could reignite even the most apathetic music fan’s love for live music, their songs electrifying enough to zap away even the most intricate of cobwebs as they pick you up and swoop you away with their power.
That’s captured on the record as tracks like ‘Jerkin’’, ‘Tiny Bikini’ and ‘Doing In Me Head’ are designed to get blood pumping and crowds moving. But there was never a doubt that the group could deliver that, with their previous albums more than evidencing it. What makes Cartoon Darkness something really special is the directions they expand in beyond that, beyond just being a great band with great energy.
Songs for the Deceased – Meryl Streek – [4.5]
A new crop of musicians are slowly coming to the fore. Sick to death of industry pandering and driven by a desire to create art for themselves and the greater good, this emergent set of creative heroes are playing by their own rules, tapping into the punk ethos but something altogether more universal. One of the most important of these is Meryl Streek, and he’s shown that on his second album, Songs for the Deceased.
The album is tremendously multifaceted. Not only is the music a mix of driving hardcore punk, reverb-coated post-punk, and industrial dissonance in its heavier aspects and glitchy, heady, and transcendental in its lighter ones, but the way the Irish musician dances between these two shades and successfully creates a unique and potent sound is worthy of praise alone.
Then, adding his furious delivery – which is about as biting as anything outside of the fixed metal and hardcore worlds – and most importantly of all, his words frankly facing Ireland’s socio-economic, political and spiritual problems head-on, makes for a consequential listening experience like no other. Although the title, Songs for the Deceased, is straight to the point in that Streek discusses the deaths of his late Uncle Paddy and examines the mysterious deaths of Terence Wheelock and those at The Stardust nightclub – as well as others around him – he ingeniously uses the prism of death to analyse contemporary Ireland and life as a whole, with the country’s flaws clear.
Patterns in Repeat – Laura Marling – [4]
Your parents are your parents, and that’s that. When you’re a child, you don’t think of them growing or maturing along with you—in fairness, that would be terrifying, you need the comforting illusion of some stable ‘adult’ in charge. When you’re an adolescent, you might see them more as ‘people’ rather than just ‘parents’, but you still don’t really reconcile their past lives before you. Once again, in fairness, they’ve changed immeasurably from what went before. Now, in motherhood herself, Laura Marling is stopping to ponder the whys and wherefores of these familial constitutions.
On her eighth album, Patterns in Repeat, Marling is both worlds apart yet more closely linked than ever to the 18-year-old she was when she first burst onto the crowded indie scene in 2008 with her debut record, Alas, I Cannot Swim. There might be more of a refined hush to the tracks, which were all largely recorded at home while her infant crawled around at her feet, capturing the homespun beauty of Syblle Baier, but there’s a recognition of the longing that drove that debut and a whiff of its folk-pop hooks, too.
With sensational, sparsely plucked guitar playing and the breeze of sweeping strings, this record, devoid of all percussion, is akin to leafing through an old photo album in a particularly thoughtful mood. Barring the odd little ambient interlude, it sports its influences unabashedly, using luscious 1969 folk tones to delve deeper into the philosophical reflection that keeps you riveted. With Marling’s natural purring voice – now beyond the point of performance, purely operating on sincerity and story – as your guide, she scales the branches of family trees and observes the weathers of loss, longing and change from a cradled canopy.
The Night the Zombies Came – Pixies – [4]
The Pixies‘ tenth album brings a blend of significant and subtle changes, especially with the addition of former Skill of Bones’ Emma Richardson following Paz Lenchantin’s departure earlier this year. However, with the band recently declaring their mission to avoid sounding like a Pixies cover band, this record also marks a key moment where the new lineup has produced as much material as the original, making their mix of past, present, and future influences feel especially endearing.
The Pixies have always had a knack for knowing when to turn up the intensity and when to dial it back, with punk tracks that are just as enticing as they are energetic. Their dreamlike and contemplative songs contrast these by often offering just enough without revealing too much. On Zombies, the most notable contrast is how Richardson’s contributions beautifully complement Black Francis’s lead vocals, elevating any pre-existing emotional intensity to new heights.
Holistically, the record also benefits from Tom Dalgety’s penchant for producing music that emits a traditional, well-rounded rock sound, even when the more punkish sensibilities come to the fore. This means that, in keeping with their mantra of sounding authentically Pixies without overly trying to recreate the past, Zombies whips up a heady dose of everything fans might have come to expect without sounding too stagnant or stale.
Evergreen – Soccer Mommy – [3.5]
Songs are discovered, not written. Sophia Regina Allison’s, aka Soccer Mommy’s, songs on her new album, Evergreen, play in a way that comes across so naturally, sounding like such an effortless extension of herself, that it’s hard to believe they were ever actually written and aren’t just a part of her which has always existed.
The album has a consistent tone throughout, and it champions serenity and peacefulness. Even the songs that are a bit more upbeat and encourage movement carry with them a sense of tranquillity that is hard to escape. The clean chord progressions paired with strings and enchanting rhythm are undeniable in the pleasant feelings they evoke.
That consistent feel is both a help and a hindrance to the album. On the one hand, this is clearly one body of work, and it plays as an album you can enjoy fairly easily from start to finish. Equally, some songs become indistinguishable from others. Habits are formed on this album that aren’t easily broken, and it means that even when songs start out as individualistic, they fall into that same style and pattern present throughout the LP.
Heavy Glory – Elias Rønnenfelt – [3.5]
After releasing five albums as the lead singer of Iceage, Denmark’s finest punk band, Elias Rønnenfelt has made his first solo record, Heavy Glory. Dialling down the freneticism that defines much of Iceage’s output, Rønnenfelt instead focuses most of his attention – and ours – on his lyrical content, predominantly using stripped-back instrumentation.
Swapping out intense riffs for more artful violins and mellowed guitars, Rønnenfelt’s vocals are at the heart of the record – that signature voice of his that often sounds a little unstable. This serves his work, of course. Every song has an added layer of emotional intensity as a result of his voice, which often features a passionate or pained quality – sometimes both at once.
It wouldn’t be unfair to say, however, that Rønnenfelt’s lyrics are the strongest elements of the record. While there are many beautiful moments filled with pianos, strings, and accompanying female backing vocals, there are certain tracks thatjust don’t have the most memorable instrumentals, with Rønnenfelt dragging his voice along over forgettable guitars.
Still, Heavy Glory has a lot to love. The album revels in equal parts pain and beauty, often using visceral and animalistic imagery that feels refined and poetic. Rønnenfelt demonstrates the breadth of his talent here and will surely attract the attention of folk fans with this one.
Mirror Starts Moving Without Me – Pom Pom Squad – [3.5]
Contrary to their name, Pom Pom Squad don’t make cheery music. Frontwoman Mia Berrin may occasionally sport a matching set and a pair of crimson pom poms, but her sonic leanings are much more akin to teenage angst than football field celebrations. Her words are often violently vulnerable, while her soundscapes match their intensity with grunge influences and unrelenting guitars.
Her latest release with Pom Pom Squad, Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, serves as yet another example of this, battling with growing pains through bruised language and blistering alt-rock instrumentation. Berrin’s lyrics often start out hurting herself and others as she ruminates on old memories or watches as the lives of those around her pass her by. “You got a bone to pick?” she asks on ‘Street Fighter’, “Come join the waitlist.”
At times, it can seem like the whole world is against Pom Pom Squad’s lead singer and lyricist, making the album ripe pickings for future coming-of-age music supervisors. But Berrin does allow for moments of relief, acceptance and growth on Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, too. She stands tall against toxic relationships, reclaiming control even if it incites loneliness, and contends with the cards life deals her in the best way she can.
