Three new albums you should check out (2/2024)
New music by The Smile (former Radiohead), The SPRINTS (Irish punk), and Angry Blackmen (glitchy hip hop)
I am working on my first Monthly Music Fix of 2024. But, I wanted to quickly share a few new albums I am digging (most of which will not be on that playlist). January tends to be a pretty dry month for music (and many people). But, I’ve listened to a few great albums over the past week that I feel should be shared sooner rather than later.
The Smile - Wall of Eyes
“Who knows what it wants from me? This goes where it wants to be. Honey for the honey bee. But I am gonna count to three. Keep this shit away from me.”
The Smile emerges as a whispered secret between old friends that has the audacity to resonate within the grandest of halls, a testament to the boundless creativity and synergy of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead fame, along with the jazz-inflected beats of drummer Tom Skinner. Their concoction of music - a blend of angst-ridden lyricism, experimental jazz, and the signature ethereal Radiohead soundscapes - unfolds like a narrative that’s both intimately familiar and exhilaratingly novel. No longer a side project, The Smile is now Thom Yorke’s full time gig.
This album sounds both familiar and new. It sounds like some of the best Radiohead work of the past decade. It sounds amazing. Thom’s vocals are emotional and engaged. He is not aloof or distant as I feel he has felt on some of the most recent work. Sometimes we need big massive change to reach our next level in life. If you remotely dig Radiohead, especially the work around the In Rainbows period, I think you’ll dig this album. There are for sure standouts (Read the Room is my favorite), it works best as a complete artistic statement. Check it out.
SPRINTS - Letter to Self
“Its been a long day, its been a long night. Its been a long life.”
SPRINTS, hailing from the vibrant heart of Dublin's music scene, are a force of nature, embodying the raw energy and unapologetic spirit of Irish punk. Their sound, a ferocious blend of punk ferocity, post-punk intellect, and garage rock swagger, delivers a sonic punch that's both visceral and thought-provoking. Fronted by the charismatic Karla Chubb, whose lyrical prowess cuts through societal norms and personal battles with razor-sharp wit, SPRINTS channel the angst and disillusionment of their generation into a cathartic outpour of emotion.
Their latest album, Letter to Self, is a bit of an indie-garage-punk masterpiece. Harsh, heavy, and heaving with emotion its also fast, furious, and fun. I love pretty much every song on this album.
Angry Blackmen - The Legend of ABM
Angry Blackmen, a hip hop duo that cuts through the noise of the genre with a name as bold as their message, delivers an unparalleled sonic experience that melds glitchy beats with an abrasive sound, yet unexpectedly weaves in disco-dancy rhythms that invite you to move. This complex blend captures the nuanced tapestry of the African American experience, offering sharp lyrical commentary on racial and societal issues within a framework that's irresistibly engaging. Brian Warren and Quentin Branch, the dynamic force behind the duo, craft music that not only challenges perceptions and provokes thought but also serves as a soundtrack for movement and expression. Their unique approach to hip hop combines the raw energy of protest with the joy of dance, making their music not just a call to action but a celebration of resilience and unity.
Their new album, "The Legend of ABM" unfurls as a tapestry of modern hip-hop, drenched in the raw, glitchy beats and abrasive yet disco-dancy tunes that mark Angry Blackmen's audacious entry into the music scene in 2024. This album, a cerebral journey through the landscape of black manhood in North America, artfully combines the unvarnished truths of urban existence with a lyrical prowess that bends the ear and the mind. Quentin Branch and Brian Warren, the masterminds behind the music, stitch together a narrative that's both a reflection and a critique, exploring themes of systemic struggle, existential angst, and the relentless pursuit of identity against a backdrop of societal expectation. "The Legend of ABM" emerges not just as an album but as a cultural artifact, laying bare the duo's evolution from their raw beginnings to their current state as poets of the asphalt jungle. Through tracks that range from the introspective to the outright rebellious, they deliver a sonic experience that's as much a call to the dance floor as it is a call to action, crafting a space where the listener is compelled to move and to muse in equal measure.
Check out.