The Alternative Album Chart: The best new indie albums this week 
Will 2023 go down as the best year for music ever? Who knows. However, it has undoubtedly been its finest year in a while. Seeing established legends return to form, contemporary heroes assert their dominance and a host of newcomers pique our interest; there’s been a lot going on, and this week, it has shown no sign of slowing down. Furthermore, a classic Steely Dan record has been reissued to sweeten the deal a bit more. Oh, 2023, you are good to us.
Each week, September has provided a menagerie of sonic delights, so it makes sense that for its closing seven days, it makes good on this trend with one last flourish before we head further into the depths of Autumn. A mix of influential groups and new ones pulling up a chair at the table have delivered a wonderous bag that ranges from rock to electro.
Recently, we’ve been treated to stellar new releases from Mitski, Teenage Fanclub, The National and Nation of Language, not to mention the likes of CHAI and The Wytches also setting the imagination alight. This one has been particularly enthralling with Chicago-based indie outfit Slow Pulp arriving with their refined second album, Yard, Animal Collective moving into new areas with Isn’t It Now?, and even Wilco returning with Cousin.
Without further ado, we’ll leave you in the company of the above releases and more for this week’s Alternative Album Chart. There’s something for everyone this week, with the quality high once again.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Yard – Slow Pulp – 4
From the hopeful to the cringe-inducing, many bands have entered and exited the indie-rock scene over the years. Rising from the ashes of The Smiths-inspired rock domain, many of these groups have embarked on the complex journey of weaving together contrasting themes of brightness and obscurity within their meticulously crafted soundscapes. A select few have excelled in this art over time — acts like Wolf Alice, Haim, Warpaint, and now, Slow Pulp.
Within the beautifully crafted walls of their new album, Yard, the Chicago-based quartet gracefully settles into the intricacies of indie music, carefully merging nuanced melodies and evocative lyrics to capture those elusive feelings that are difficult to capture with words. The album exemplifies Slow Pulp’s peak artistry, revealing the meticulous thought and refinement behind every track. It boasts a bolder vocal performance by Emily Massey and more endearingly intricate arrangements, resulting in an overall enjoyable visceral listening experience.
In the current indie scene, there are plenty of talented musicians, but what sets Slow Pulp apart is their profound vulnerability. Massey’s emotive vocals enhance the already stunning lyricism, and the drumming finesse of Teddy Mathews powerfully stands out, knowing precisely when to add delicate touches for maximum impact. The band knows vulnerability inside and out, as evident in their previous release, Moveys, which was mostly created remotely during the peak of lockdown. [Words: Kelly Scanlon]
Isn’t It Now? – Animal Collective – 4
Whimsical and psychedelic as ever, Animal Collective’s latest album, Isn’t It Now?, is their longest record yet. The release marks a lot of virginal moments for the experimental rockers, being the first time in over a decade that two consecutive albums have featured the same lineup, made up of Geologist (Brian Weitz), Avey Tare, (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), and Deakin (Josh Dibb).
It makes for a very intriguing listen because there’s a sense of push-and-pull felt across the album as they try to resist treading old ground with varying degrees of success. On the out is their more recent sojourn into shorter songs, with the likes of ‘We Go Back and ‘Walker’ pushing towards a symphony. A mammoth centrepiece comes in the form of the 21-minute long ‘Defeat’, a vibrational vibe-check halfway through the record that seriously slows down the pace with some lo-fi atmospheric soundscapes.
Bizarrely, when they sound the most commercial, they’re most capable of surprising you. ‘Stride Right’ features an agonised Deakin vocal, set to a contemplative piano with a few flashes of fizzing technicolour. It’s the one I’d have pegged for the album closer, seeming to speak to the death of a dream: what’s left when all you have to clutch onto is nebulous hippie idealism? But again, there doesn’t need to be a closer on this record. It’s a quirky collection Animal Collective have thrown the kitchen sink at, each track residing in it’s own separate sonic world that feels fully formed and unique. [Words: Poppy Burton]
Sit Down For Dinner – Blonde Redhead – 3.5/5
There are few experiences more universal than sitting down for dinner. A reliable place to slump at the end of a rough work day, to celebrate a milestone with a bottle of something special, or to catch up with friends over the clinking of cutlery – the humble kitchen table has seen it all. On their first studio album in eight years, which takes its name from the pastime, Blonde Redhead invoke all the understated warmth and comfort that sitting down for dinner provides, a dependable haven from the adult anxieties they chart.
Sit Down For Dinner is an album that casually flexes the three decades Blonde Redhead have spent together honing their sound, but it also gifts that togetherness to the listener. Their understated, warm soundscapes intentionally provide a backdrop for all the grief and glory that comes with being human, the things people will discuss over dinner forever. It’s an album so cosy that it almost feels like we’re sat at the kitchen table with them. [Words: Elle Palmer]
I Don’t Want You Anymore – Cherry Glazerr – 3
Los Angeles-based noise-pop outfit Cherry Glazerr are back with their fourth album, I Don’t Want You Anymore, a bracingly honest exploration of the full emotional spectrum of love and longing. While the songs move from synth-based indie dance cuts to heavier, grunge-infused moments, lead singer and co-producer Clementine Creevy unites the sonic palette with her powerful and impassioned vocal performances.
I Don’t Want You Anymore sees Cherry Glazerr act on a wide variety of impulses, allowing folk influences to intersect with 1990s shoegaze and modern pop. While many of the tracks master this sense of symbiosis, allowing fans to indulge in a listening experience that feels equally indebted to bands from past decades and the present day, the lyrics hold the record back from becoming truly spectacular.
I Don’t Want You Anymore is an admirably vulnerable exploration of the toxicity of love, yet one that needs to delve a little deeper beneath the surface. The album still has its stellar moments, with Creevy giving some of her best vocal performances to date. [Words: Aimee Ferrier]
Cousin – Wilco – 2.5
At this stage, Wilco doesn’t need to prove their worth to anyone. After earning creative freedom back in the 2000s with the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Jeff Tweedy’s signature style has been defining what alternative country and independent rock has sounded like, with whatever fantastic backing band is working behind him. Although Tweedy could easily retire as one of the most well-respected artists in the indie scene, his latest offerings of work with Wilco on Cousin are always from the heart… for better and for worse.
Even though Wilco may have more than a few middle-of-the-road tracks through Cousin, it’s certainly nothing to complain about. Considering the massive amount of ’90s acts of Wilco’s calibre that have broken up only to reform for a quick paycheck, it’s nice to know that the band are coming together to make music just for the joy of making it, even if things can get a bit monotonous. [Words: Tim Coffman]
Reissue – Steely Dan – Aja – 5
Although they’re a divisive presence on rock music’s 20th-century blueprints, it’s impossible to deny the consummate virtuosity of Steely Dan. The New York band was formed in 1971 by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, two jazz aficionados on a quest to bring their beloved genre to the contemporary swell in rhythm and blues-based rock music. What resulted was a jazz fusion sound incorporating strains of Latin music, blues and rock.
The debut album, 1972’s Can’t Buy a Thrill, introduced the band on a seismic note with the timeless singles ‘Do It Again’, ‘Reelin’ In the Years’ and catchy album tracks like ‘Dirty Work’ and ‘Only a Fool Would Say That’. Steely Dan continued developing their sound through the mid-1970s, striking a zenith creatively and commercially with a distinctly refined product, Aja.
Released in September 1977, Aja was a hard-earned labour of love involving nearly 40 musicians and several months of studio time. Containing just seven tracks over a 40-minute LP, Aja was noted for its more protracted and complex arrangements that benefit from the expert production conducted by Gary Katz.
Aja is one of few albums that can boast such potent and immortal influence yet maintain its fresh and unique sound nearly five decades on. Fagen, surviving his musical partner Becker, who passed away in 2017, knows all too well that those who bought their copies in 1977 will have long since worn theirs out. Therefore, he has announced an Aja reissue to welcome fans of all generations to hear one of the finest jazz fusion works in all its original analogue glory.
The reissue has been remastered from the original analogue master tapes by Bernie Grundman and cut into high-spec 180-gram vinyl, ready for release on Friday, September 29th. The record is available now for preorder.
