The Alternative Album Chart: The best new indie albums this week
Although autumn is now firmly here, and we get reacquainted with the cold days, 2023 continues to provide stellar music to sate the season’s changing. From veterans to contemporary heroes, this week of new albums has been one of the best we’ve seen in a short while, with the range on offer astounding. Furthermore, Nirvana are reissuing their third and final album, In Utero, for its 30th anniversary, which makes proceedings that little bit better.
Continuing the trend of previous seven-day cycles this month, the final week of October has finished how it started: with a bang. Not only is it one of the most fruitful weeks regarding the volume of releases, but this also applies to quality. As well as offering such an array of music that it’s enough to keep listeners entertained moving into November, the high grade of the sonics, even from the newcomers, should prompt a smile. Modern music has never been as healthy.
In recent weeks, we’ve had stellar releases from Mitski, Sufjan Stevens and even a return to form from rock ‘n’ roll icons, The Rolling Stones. This week, there have been new albums from Black Pumas and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and even the debut album from British weird-pop collective FIZZ.
So, without further ado, please feast your eyes and ears upon this week’s Alternative Album Chart.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Chronicles of a Diamond – Black Pumas – 4.5
Building on the strength of their powerful debut, Black Pumas confronted a seemingly impossible endeavour as they set out to create their sophomore album, Chronicles of a Diamond. Firstly, they outlined specific objectives for the album, aiming to release a record that solidified their rightful place in the music scene. Secondly, the whole thing felt more like a metamorphosis, particularly for frontman Eric Burton, who reached every corner of his artistic capabilities to deliver something truly magic.
In the most refreshing way, Burton, along with guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada, elegantly sidestepped the pressures and prioritised their creative vision over duplicating their debut, leading to a release brimming with vibrant experimentation and exceptional musicianship. Chronicles of a Diamond exhibits a newfound diversity not present in the duo’s previous work, proving that every risk taken has paid off immensely.
Black Pumas’ power lies in their explosive nature. You can discern the profound narratives woven within the duo’s artistry and musical excellence in tracks like ‘Sauvignon’, ‘Tomorrow’, and ‘Gemini Sun’. In the current music scene, navigating the journey to uncover new talented artists can be challenging. However, Black Pumas’ music is undeniably exceptional, serving as a powerful reminder that true innovation can break through conventional barriers unexpectedly and once it does, it’s here to stay. [Words: Kelly Scanlon]
The Secret to Life – FIZZ – 4
The coming together of Dodie, Orla Gartland, Martin Luke Brown, and Greta Isaac, FIZZ is truly a meeting of the up-and-coming titans. But make no mistake, they’re not a supergroup. On their debut album, The Secret To Life, the four solo artists collapse together to make a cohesive album that traverses far beyond their individual wheelhouses.
Mixing the indie, pop, rock and folk expertise they all bring and levelling it up, The Secret To Life is beautifully maximalist but never tips over into being too much. Stand-out tracks come on gentle cuts like ‘Close One’ and ‘Lights Out’ or the feminine rage of ‘As Good As It Gets’. A masterclass in harmonies with intricately layered vocals laying on a busy nest of theatrical musical details – The Secret To Life is the injection of fun that’s so necessary right now. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
The Silver Cord – King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – 4
Reviewing King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is almost a pointless task. They’re obviously not a band that awaits star ratings with bated breath. Their ardent fans certainly won’t pay any attention – and the only numbers they seem concerned with far exceed five measly stars. With six members and 25 studio albums to their name, King Gizzard are more concerned with churning out the next Zappa-esque oddity. I cannot think of another band that rivals their prolific output, let alone their sound.
Each of their albums is intended as an experience, and if you’re a fan of converging synths set to thumping beats with sprawling, psychedelic vocals referring to vessels and dragons, this is for you. It goes without saying fans of recreational acid use will love it, as will fans of Butterfly 3000, which probably creates its own overlapping Venn diagram.
While their embrace of electronic equipment isn’t new, the attempt at using it to its fullest in two different time constraints is. The bizarre fusion of electronica, psych-trance and jungle that it results in proves Gizzard haven’t backed themselves into a corner just yet. [Words: Poppy Burton]
A Living Commodity – Egyptian Blue – 3
It’s difficult to stand out in the increasingly saturated scene of post-punk. Whether it’s through incorporating jazz influences or calling back to the genre’s past, many have tried and failed. Luckily, Egyptian Blue are unconcerned with the scene that surrounds them on their debut record.
Egyptian Blue have delivered a seemingly straightforward and self-contained record that almost gives into genre conventions rather than avoiding them. It doesn’t stray too far into experimentation because it doesn’t need to. The result is a demonstration of their sonic progression so far and a solid entry into the genre for seasoned fans and newcomers alike. [Words: Elle Palmer]
God Games – The Kills – 3
The last decade has made it increasingly challenging to reinvent the usual duo formula. Even though the aftermath of The White Stripes may have been cute for the first few years, the massive wave of acts like The Black Keys has made the idea of two people onstage delivering their music to the public little more than a solid gimmick. Although The Kills were there during the reign of duo acts, how did they spend their time adapting?
Answer: making some of the most aggressive music of their career. Then again, it’s hard to call an album like God’s Games on the level of heavy metal by any stretch. Rather than focus on the raw tones that other bands try to squeeze out of their instruments, Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince spend most of the album getting in tune with the spiritual side, either through the lyrical end or the instrumental choices.
Even with a touch of filler, The Kills have sculpted a perfect way to grow out of the customary duo and blossom into something new. It’s no fun resting on laurels, and if you want to find the answer to your problems, it’s sometimes best to go into that studio with your instruments and see if God is captured within the grooves. [Words: Tim Coffman]
Hold – Wild Nothing – 2.5
After five years away, Jack Tatum has fired up Wild Nothing for Hold, their first new album in half a decade. With the new experience of being a father fueling his work, Tatum steps up as his own producer for the first time since Wild Nothing’s debut LP Gemini back in 2010. That album was filled with swirling dream pop and sudden left turns into drowsy downtempo. Hold, by contrast, is a straightforward dive into the bright lights of 1980s synthpop.
At a brisk 40 minutes and nothing in the way of real experimentation or edge, Hold is a well-produced, well-performed, well-meaning album that wants so hard to be acceptable to everybody. It is very much acceptable, but not much can be said after that.
Had Tatum really dug into the emotions of becoming a father, gone for some truly bizarre synth tones, or even just thrown a curveball into the album at some point, it would have been a lot more interesting. As it stands, Hold is little more than a pleasant diversion, one with real skill and joy but also with few surprises. [Words: Tyler Golsen]
Reissue – Nirvana – In Utero – 4
Where on Earth does one go after Nevermind? This question began to rattle around Kurt Cobain’s mind in 1991, and when Nirvana finally returned with their follow-up in 1993, one would be excused for expecting a regression session of sorts, considering the baby cover was proceeded by In Utero’s references to maternal anatomy.
Like Nevermind, In Utero explored Cobain’s personal demons through oblique lyrical structures teeming with dark humour. The album perhaps lacks the consistency of Nevermind but was reconciled by its tonal variety. Fans can skim the surface with clean-cut head-bopping singles like ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ or sink to the depths of unrefined esoterica in ‘Tourette’s’.
Although unbalanced, In Utero offered a satisfying glimpse into a deeply troubled mind one year before its infamous demise. Unsettling lyrics are abundant, but even in tracks like ‘Rape Me’, the purposefully disconcerting messages strike the listener with the dark truths behind one of the 20th century’s most cherished rock icons.
To celebrate In Utero’s 30th birthday, Nirvana has announced a special reissue pressed on 180g vinyl. The release also includes five B-sides and bonus tracks pressed onto a ten-inch vinyl and encased in a separate sleeve with new artwork. The original recordings have been newly remastered from 96kHz 24-bit transfers of the original analogue tapes by the album’s original engineer, Bob Weston.
The reissue will arrive on Friday, October 27th, and is available for pre-order now. The record is currently listed for £37.99 here. Far Out Magazine may earn from qualifying purchases. [Words: Jordan Potter]
