The Alternative Album Chart: The best new indie albums this week
In a surreal week that seems to have seen confirmation that Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk will enter a cage and fight – later blighting the history books as a mark of our berserk modern existence – it seems fitting that The Hives and John Lydon are returning with new music. Two of the most bombastic talents in rock ‘n’ roll have timed their returns to perfection.
Last week was sparse, this week has seen proceedings ramp up once more as the many late August festivals loom. As our previous run-down of the best records of the year so far proved, 2023 has had some epic efforts; after the last seven days, there will be more joining that lucrative selection come the end of the year.
Over recent weeks, we’ve had crackers from the likes of The Clientele, Moon Panda, Grian Chatten and Treboy & Arc. Maybe next week, we’ll have Hozier, Osees and Dizzy joining that well-starred assortment. Later in the month, we’ve got Buck Meek, a return from Be Your Own Pet and even Alice Cooper cropping back up.
For now though, from a stunning debut by Laura Groves to The Hives celebrating the immaturity of rock and Bonnie Prince Billy being his typical folky self, the array on offer this week typifies our scene-less zeitgeist. Without a dominant trend, music is an interesting smorgasbord right now, and these records prove it.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons – The Hives – 4.5/5
It begins with a hum that threatens to fry the amp. It’s the sort of hum you don’t hear too much these days. It roars like the primordial purr of some cat from the afterlife—the ghost of rock empresario Randy Fitzsimmons oozing out of the speaker perhaps? What follows is The Hives acting out what one might imagine was the mystic figure’s last will and testament: a frenzy of rock ‘n’ roll so adrenalised and unhinged that the very essence of ‘giving a damn’ is obliterated and the doctrine-less religion of rock reigns supreme.
The band might now be 30 years into their career, but they are just as potent as ever, if not at their potency peak. Rather than undergoing a refinement or exploration, unlike many bands, they have simply dug deeper into the core ethos that has always sustained them from the get-go: to rock out. Thus, there are no surprises on The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, no skeletons of ‘what if’ rising from the casket, just a further assuredness that fucking about like lunatics is, indeed, worthwhile. Vitally, they do this once more with humour, imagination, and truly stellar musicianship. As John Cooper Clarke said of the Ramones: “They understood that it was better to have clever lyrics about moronic subjects than the other way round.” That same self-aware joy is on display here.
Volcano – Jungle – 4/5
Over the last decade, British duo Jungle have redefined what it means to be an electronic band. With a distinct style that pairs dancefloor-ready rhythms, high-pitched hook vocals, classic R&B grooves, and a dash of slick coolness, childhood friends Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland have released three albums of pure jams. Now, we’re getting a fourth with the duo’s newest LP, Volcano.
The record is a volley with hidden depth. The more you pay attention to it, the more interesting elements and instruments get revealed to you. But if all you want to do is get out of your own head and have an amazingly fun time, then Volcano just might be your favourite album of this year. It’s a record that proves that Jungle are in their sweet spot, working at the absolute top of their game. If Jungle released an album like Volcano every year until the end of time, I wouldn’t have a single complaint. [Words: Tyler Golsen]
Radio Red – Laura Groves – 4/5
Laura Groves has so far operated in fits and starts under her own name, but now she has arrived with her full-length debut, Radio Red. The album was inspired by the Idle Hill masts that towered over Groves’ in her studio, as she explained regarding the leering presence of the radio transmitting towers: “I became very drawn to them and they became like symbols to me; they were always awake, sending their messages, the red lights always came on at night and watched over whatever was going on in my life.”
These themes of communication are wrapped around a sound that takes the melodic ways of folk and walks them into swanky cocktail joint. Electronic elements whisk the pop song songwriting towards an ethereal height. This creates a world that is not quite one thing nor the other, and that creates a fresh serenity, like risking a new holiday destination and absolutely loving it.
Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You – Bonnie Prince Billy – 3.5/5
“I want to make music all the time,” Bonnie Prince Billy sings on his latest record Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You. In truth, he captures that aura perfectly and the high and lows of it throughout the album. There is a gorgeous seamlessness to the music, not a note is stray or a sinew strained, but also there isn’t much pause to proceedings to ponder anything a touch more interesting than simple sweetness.
However, that is not to disparage the record, there will always be a place for it. With luscious vulnerability, it presents itself like a private domain, some park only you know about perhaps. There are also flourishes of foreign touches that waft into this space like Japanese acid folk. This makes for a homely, comforting album, with Bonnie Prince Billy once again announcing himself as a friend you should keep close.
End of World – Public Image Ltd. – 3/5
In our recent interview with John Lydon, he explained that End of World contains some of the best music he’s ever been part of, and, indeed, he does remain as relevant as ever on the record. It is a wall of different energies colliding to create a singular sound. This can, on occasion, prove overwhelming, but it is also the essence that makes PiL still so unique.
With the profundity of his late wife’s passing adding great depth to his usual punky spirit, this is Lydon as we may not have seen him before. Alas, the band still operate entirely as a four-piece so the sounds and themes waver as freely as a chat in the pub. Lydon admits that this might not be an album for everybody, but the inherent interest of tracks like ‘Car Chase’ about an institutionalised fellow’s nightly escapes, and the touching ‘Hawaii’ mean it will connect with many.
The Good Life – My Ugly Clementine – 2/5
Vienna-based indie trio My Ugly Clementine, the brainchild of Sophie Lindinger, Mira Lu Kovacs, and Nastasja Ronck, are back with their sophomore album, The Good Life. Unfortunately, the record lacks the punch it intends to pack, instead relying on age-old melodies and predictable song structures.
Overall, My Ugly Clementine’s second album fails under the weight of safety – there’s a lack of boldness present, as though the band are scared to truly push themselves out of their comfort zones. While there are songs which hint at their ability to be more experimental musicians and beautiful vocal harmonies to be discovered, particularly on the closer, ‘How Would I Know What I Know’, The Good Life becomes nothing more than a predictably palatable set of songs. [Words: Aimee Ferrier]
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