The Alternative Album Chart: The best new indie albums this week
As August turns to September, 2023 continues to be a year of wonderful music. Following the trend of previous weeks, the past seven days have been brimming with stellar releases. There’s been a particular concentration on guitars this period, with the long-awaited return of shoegaze legends Slowdive really catching the attention, who sound a new beginning on their latest studio length. In addition to such magic, there’s also a surprise reissue from Neil Young, with the Canadian making proceedings that little bit better.
While August was a brilliant month for new albums, September is to carry the torch more than adequately. Some big names are scheduled to release records later this month. Fittingly, this week, a menagerie of favourites have produced works that confirm 2023 is still refusing to let us down on the album front.
We’ve been blessed with new records from Blur, The Hives, Willie J Healey and Be Your Own Pet in recent weeks. This one has seen another exciting collection arrive, courtesy of Slowdive’s new album, a gloriously electronic-leaning effort, the dynamic punk of Jeff Rosenstock, and American indie stalwarts Speedy Ortiz, whose return has been five years in the making.
So, for this week’s Alternative Album Chart, we’ll leave you in the company of the above releases and more. This pack provides ample content to keep listeners captivated until the new batch arrives next week. Enjoy.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Everything Is Alive – Slowdive – 4.5
Everyone loves a good comeback story. In an age where everything from Riotfest to TikTok can resurrect the popularity of long-gone music acts, the market for reunions and revivals is more potent than ever. For most, it’s a quick cash grab disguised as a warm wave of nostalgia. Go out, sing the classic songs, take the money and run. There’s nothing wrong with that – everyone’s got to make a living, after all. But of all the classic bands that have recently given it another go, the one who seems most intent on moving forward is British shoegaze gods Slowdive.
In a wonderfully refreshing twist, Slowdive appears much more interested in electronic textures, post-punk ambience, and gothic sensibilities than they did during their initial run back in the 1990s. It’s a new band with the same people and the same personnel as before, ready to embark on a new journey toward the unknown. As a celebration of that, Slowdive have now released their latest push forward, Everything Is Alive.
Not at all content with looking in the rearview, Slowdive pull off a major win on Everything Is Alive: a fresh start from a band that is staring down their 35th anniversary. Without fully alienating the fans who got them back together in the first place, Slowdive decided that they wanted something better for those loyal followers and for themselves. Everything Is Alive is as celebratory as its title suggests, even if the darkness that surrounds the band’s music is more potent than ever before. All in all, it puts Slowdive in a completely new light, which is nothing less than a substantial achievement. [Words: Tyler Golsen]
Hellmode – Jeff Rosenstock – 4
Long Island punk Jeff Rosenstock has arrived with his fifth solo album, Hellmode. A collection of 11 tracks, his new work is a stellar fusion of punk, alternative rock, emo, ska and power pop, merging blistering dynamics with infectious melodies that instantly drive themselves into your brain.
Anarchic and unrelenting at points, the more visceral moments are counterbalanced by Rosenstock’s remarkable grasp of harmony, with his vocal performances and guitar work undeniably engaging. Whilst the record draws from some evident places, there’s also a clear strand of the songwriter’s characteristic sincerity running through. This makes for a compelling experience that only gets better with each listen.
Rabbit Rabbit – Speedy Ortiz – 3.5
For over a decade now, singer-songwriter Sadie Dupuis has released home-recorded music under the name Speedy Ortiz. Alongside solo studio work, Dupuis has been collecting band members to flesh out her live show, and together, they’ve taken to stages alongside the likes of Foo Fighters and Liz Phair. Now, Speedy Ortiz finally lends its name to the full band on record as Dupuis welcomes her touring bandmates into the studio for her fourth album, Rabbit Rabbit.
Rabbit Rabbit is an ode to the alternative scenes of the past, particularly those Dupuis grew up around. It combines bright and clean production, spirited vocals, and guitar-driven soundscapes with Dupuis’ contemplative words to form a 2000s movie soundtrack for a contemporary audience. [Words: Elle Palmer]
Back to the Water Below – Royal Blood – 3
Royal Blood understand rock music, and not just in the sense that they know “only nine people” enjoy it. Following their cringe-inducting outburst at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, in which comments such as “we’re having to clap ourselves because that was so pathetic” were uttered to the crowd, Back To The Water Below shows that outside the rockstar theatrics, Royal Blood understands the mechanics of making an excellent rock record.
The duo have put together a mixed bag of rock songs but showed a necessary restraint and poured just as much energy into their slower, more subdued numbers. They skirted dangerously close to being pigeon-holed before the release of Typhoons, but this album quite clearly highlights that they are not intent on being a band wheeled out to do the crowd-pleasers on the festival circuit. [Words: Poppy Burton]
Reissue: Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Odeon Budokan – 4
Some artists sound so pin-point live that there’s almost no point in opening your purse for their live LPs. On the other hand, we have artists so inaccurate and incompetent that we needn’t relive the live experience. Neil Young is a party to neither of these camps, and distinctly so. His lengthy career has enjoyed the spice of variety, and at every turn, a live compilation has thankfully taken stock of the remarkable journey.
Most famously, Young has attained the handle, ‘The Godfather of Grunge’, thanks to his innovative 1979 album, Rust Never Sleeps. The release is widely regarded as one of his finest, holding both studio and live recordings in a testament to the Canadian artist’s eclectic yet masterful approach. Today, we draw your attention to Odeon Budokan, another on-stage sensation captured during Young’s tour with his band Crazy Horse in March 1976.
Odeon Budokan is undoubtedly one of Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s most enjoyable and all-encompassing live releases. The eclectic spread of piano and acoustic guitar-based balladry and roaring rock-outs leaves all bases covered. With crystal clarity of tone, they bring a satisfying nuance to some of Young’s greatest compositions without becoming tangential or misrepresentative.
On Friday, September 1st, Neil Young and Crazy Horse will issue the Odeon Budokan collection on vinyl for the first time. Before, the compilation was only available on CD as part of Young’s Archives Volume II box set. You can pre-order the live album here for $27.15. [Words: Jordan Potter]
