The Alternative Album Chart: The best new indie albums this week
2023 has been a compelling period for music. Offering up the freshest sounds and those of artists jumping headfirst into the past for inspiration, while the year is still not done, it has resoundingly shown that music is not dead, despite what the nihilists among us might claim. Furthermore, electronic heroes New Order have surprised fans with a reissue this week, easing the bitter snap of the November cold.
Admittedly, this week is a little thinner on the ground than previously bountiful seven-day cycles. Despite the flow of new albums slowing down as we move into the depths of November, that’s not to say that quality has been forsaken, as this past week has seen a small number of thoroughly refined records arrive in stores. From debut efforts to artists affirming their boundary-pushing styles, there is still enough variety on offer for listeners to sink their teeth into.
The past couple of weeks have welcomed stellar new albums from shoegaze legends Drop Nineteens and Black Pumas, while other artists such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have kept the party raging. This week, we’ve been treated to the impressive debut from Birmingham’s Chartreuse, a like-for-like reworking of an iconic Bob Dylan moment by pop culture mainstay Cat Power and a fascinating blend of history and modernity by John Francis Flynn.
So, without further ado, find the brilliant releases on this week’s Alternative Album Chart below.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Morning Ritual – Chartreuse – 4
A debut album is a tricky thing. As an artist’s first chance to launch themselves into the world, even if their prior singles or EPs have been a success, nothing makes an opening statement like that first album. It’s a hurdle too many promising new acts stumble at, either rushing into it too soon or trying to go too experimental in a bid to stand out as originals. But in the case of Chartreuse, they’ve landed right in the golden middle ground of a debut that’s at once both bold and accessible on Morning Ritual.
From start to finish, Morning Ritual is a polished album that makes a powerful opening remark for the band. Benefitted by being created solely within their own microcosm, allowing the band alone to make sense of how their varied influences and ideas mix together; it has come out like a shiny, perfect, whole thing. A true statement of intention – Chartreuse are ones to watch. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert – Cat Power – 3.5
How does an artist pay tribute to one of the biggest stars in the world? Even though it’s easy to write songs informed by one’s idols, it’s an entirely different matter to take those tracks that inspired you as a kid and turn them into something new for another generation. Although Bob Dylan may have some of the most revered songs in history under his belt, Cat Power found a way to re-interpret his material for their latest live album.
Done in the same style as Dylan in his prime, Cat Power’s latest offering is practically a note-for-note recreation of what Mr Zimmerman played at the Royal Albert Hall in 1966. Although the idea of putting a spin on Dylan’s classics has worked well for countless artists through the years, how does Cat Power’s signature sound measure up?
From front to back, this recreation is coming from the perspective of people who strongly revere Dylan’s words and want to celebrate what he gave to the world. Compared to covers albums where artists use their idols as a musical mask over their own faces, Cat Power documents what it must have been like in those hallowed halls in 1966 when Dylan played there for the first time. Even though Cat Power might bypass the idea of a concert recreation, this is the ideal way an artist can pay tribute to one of their musical heroes. [Words: Tim Coffman]
Hadsel – Beirut – 3.5
“During my time in Hadsel, I worked hard on the music, lost in a trance and stumbling blindly through my own mental collapse that I had been pushing aside since I was a teenager,” explained indie-folk singer-songwriter Zach Condon, best known by his moniker Beirut. Intertwining the idyllic atmospheres of Norway with musical artistry is probably something that most would never think to do, and yet, Hadsel is the perfect summary of such a marriage.
There’s a beauty to Hadsel, so much so that the weaker tracks fall victim to the high standards Condon establishes. After ‘So Many Plans’, there are some songs that risk falling behind, being forgotten, and being carried away by the gentle winds to linger in the creator’s own haze. However, even the parts that fall flat are forgiven by Condon’s instinctual creativity — by the time ‘Regulatory’ arrives, we’ve learnt a thing or two about what truly matters: striking the right balance between feelings of acceptance and hope.
Look Over The Wall, See The Sky – John Francis Flynn – 3.5
There’s a proud tradition of bastardising Irish music. From the punk rock leanings of The Pogues to the mainstreaming melodies of Sinéad O’Connor, the most interesting acts are usually the ones who aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of what’s acceptable. And now, there’s a new name putting a new twist on one of the most traditional musical forms in the world. Somewhere at the seemingly impossible nexus of traditional Irish folk music, indie rock, Indian drone, post-punk, ambient, and shoegaze sits John Francis Flynn.
All of the music on Look Over The Wall, See The Sky comes from the canon of old-school Irish folk songs. Flynn has done nothing to the words, or even most of the melodies, to update them or change them in any way. But instead of Bodhráns and tin whistles, Flynn has sustained violins creaking with distortion, melancholy drone guitars, and drum kits. The magic is in the seamlessness of the synthesis: even the oldest material feels refreshingly contemporary.
By obliterating the wall between the stories of the past and the expanse of the modern day, Flynn has managed to create something truly all his own. He’s perfectly capable of channelling that same sound and energy in his own writing, but to be able to use the words of his heroes, Flynn has added a new chapter to their own fascinating tales. It’s not all selfless work either: Flynn comes off looking, sounding, and feeling like a true visionary as one of the only people who can wrap his arms around 100 years of music. [Words: Tyler Golsen]
Reissue – New Order – Substance 1987 – 4.5
Although budding vinyl fanatics like to collect studio albums to create a neat shelf of 12″ products in the form initially intended by the artist, we can certainly make some exceptions. One exception I implore readers to consider is Substance 1987, the blockbusting singles compilation album released by New Order in the titular year.
As the most consummate and representative release of New Order’s wildly varied oeuvre, Substance 1987 brandishes hit singles in chronological order across four sides. Picking up where Joy Division left off, the album begins with ‘Ceremony’, one of Ian Curtis’ final songwriting credits. A rough recording of the song had been made with Curtis before his death with ‘In a Lonely Place’ as its B-side, but New Order revised both for their debut single in 1981.
On Friday, November 10th, New Order will reissue Substance 1987 in CD, cassette, and vinyl editions. Some format options include B-sides, rarities, remixes and an unreleased live album recorded at Irvine Meadows, California, in 1987, where New Order played the whole album front to back. See the full tracklist below.
The remastered vinyl reissue is currently available to pre-order for £44.99. Browse the various purchase options here. [Words: Jordan Potter]
