Usually, August is the slowest month of the year behind January; it’s the month everyone in the entertainment industry and media takes vacations, and we all chill out before the fall puts everything in overdrive. But this week is jam-packed with notable new releases and I review eight of them, including the latest from The Afghan Whigs, Cornelius, Black Marble, and a new UK band I like a lot, Grandmas House. Plus: the lost album debut from The Cramps, as well as No Joy, Julia Holter, and Black Marble.
For those who remember my reviews column on BrooklynVegan (I was still employed there just a few weeks ago), also probably remember that Andrew Sacher had one as well (and first) that now lives on his Substack. We only two crossovers this week which is rare. Subscribe to his too if you haven’t already (he’s also got his first book you should pick up).
This was the first real week of this Substack that also saw the launch of a podcast, Extra Helpings, which at this point I can’t promise will be every week, but you should subscribe to (Apple, Spotify) so you’ll have the latest episodes as they arise. The first episode is out and features an interview with Sondre Lerche about his terrific new album Acrobats (review below).
Also this week, I wrote about Young Knives, a long-running UK group who are partially responsible for you reading this now, and the first single from Fontaines D.C.’s fifth album which is easily my most anticipated of the fall.
Have a great weekend and head below for this week’s reviews…
ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Cornelius - REFRACTIONS (Eat Your Own Ears Recordings)
Keigo Oyamada rediscovers the spark of ‘Point’ with help from Arto Lindsay, Sean Ono Lennon and The Monochrome Set
Keigo Oyamada has been prolific, for him at least, since reviving Cornelius in 2017 after a decade-plus hibernation. Most of it has been on the gentle side, though, floating atop ambient clouds on Mellow Waves, A Dream in a Dream, and Ethereal Essence. All three are great, but for those hoping for a little more spark, he has woken up. REFRACTIONS feels like a direct successor to Point, albeit released 25 years later with many albums in between. Funk, jazz, and ’80s pop are clear inspirations, all filtered through the kind of digital manipulation and surprising rhythms you’ve come to expect.
