If you’re anything like us, you’re probably overwhelmed by the sheer number of albums being released on a weekly basis.
Popdust’s weekly column, Indie Roundup, finds the five best albums coming out each week so that you don’t have to. Every Friday, we’ll tell you what’s worth listening to that might not already be on your radar.
serpentwithfeet, DEACON
DEACON, the latest record from serpentwithfeet, is an expansive meditation on the endless bounds of Black love. The singer-songwriter-producer made a conscious decision not to include any breakup songs on the album, instead opting to create a series of uplifting, alternative R&B anthems: “I’m thankful for the love I share with my friends,” he repeats on early single “Fellowship,” emphasizing the fact that love thrives even outside of traditional romantic relationships.
Floatie, Voyage Out
Voyage Out is the long-awaited debut record from Chicago band Floatie, whose sound melds elements of post-punk and math rock. With precise, technical guitar riffs and hypnotic song structures, Voyage Out is a mind-bending rock record with a DIY ethos that doesn’t compromise its tight musicianship.
Lost Girls, Menneskekollektivet
Lost Girls is the duo of art-pop musician Jenny Hval and multi-instrumentalist Håvard Volden. Their first proper album together, Menneskekollektivet infuses fuzzy ambient elements with clubby beats, coated in a gothic pastiche. A good chunk of the album was improvised, and Hval recorded many of the lyrics before she felt they were “ready”; as a result, Menneskekollektivet — a Norweigan word that translates to human collective — feels just as raw and spur-of-the-moment as it is transcendent.
Antonioni, S/T
On their debut album, S/T, Seattle band Antonioni tap into their vast array of influences for a sprawling take on rock music. Tracks like “Malcolmer” and “Mouth Breather” are bursts of glossy new wave, while more somber, acoustic numbers like “Strange 2 Them” and “Bramble” testify to the band’s early adoration of Elliott Smith. Across S/T, Antonioni are able to shapeshift into a variety of cohesive voices.
Esther Rose, How Many Times
With her crystalline voice, New Orleans singer-songwriter Esther Rose yet again channels her folk pop sensibilities into How Many Times. Inspired largely by a period of personal upheaval in her life, Rose’s latest album uses her rootsy charm and lush, captivating hooks to evoke the feeling of endless possibilities.
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