To mark the start of 2020 here are some key new releases.
Setting the benchmark is a deluxe 4 CD box set reissue of Mercury Rev’s 2001 album ‘All Is Dream’. Taking forward the template laid out from the now classic Deserter’s Songs, the original album is now joined by B-sides, outtakes and demos, an unreleased live show recordings and a French radio session. Taken together they show the group at their peak with tracks like ‘I Keep A Close Watch’ and ‘Back Into The Sun (You’re The One)’ getting the attention they deserve.
The Greek Theatre’s third album ‘When Seasons Change’ retains the incredibly high standard of their previous two LPs. Again West Coast, psych and pop harmonies infuse all the tracks with a beautifully vintage production given this release a timeless appeal. With a limited edition of just 300 vinyl copies this is an album you’ll want to hear in analogue.
Available in February 2020 is Extradition Order’s ‘American Prometheus’ album. Centred around the life of of J Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project and the development of the atomic bomb it’s a hugely ambitious album. The lyrics however don’t prove cumbersome, with the band laying down tightly honed hooks drawing from post-punk and Motown. Fans of B-52s and Gang of Four look no further.
The Phantom Broadcast bring together an eclectic mix of musical influences on ‘Antiquities’ to create their own unique indie sound. You wouldn’t think that merging rock, jazz, punk, metal and ambient influences would work but it does in spaces with material like ‘Benediction’ which recalls Radiohead at their experimental best. ‘Burrowing Owl’ shows a epic side to this collective and marks an endless field of possibilities for the group.
RAPTOR’s latest music video for ‘Escapism’, the title track from their album is a glorious blast of lysergic rock alternating between pastoral daydreaming and hard rock trips into space.
Ulysses’ ‘On Safari’ is a rip roaring rock album where every one of its 15 tracks competes to be a single. Stomping glam and psych abound throughout set by opener ‘Looking For A Guru’. ‘Dragons’ is a power pop gem and ‘This Useless Love’ has shades of The Beach Boys. Think the lovechild of Marc Bolan and Roy Wood.
It’s Karma It’s Cool’s new single ‘Wooden Buddha’ b/w ‘Ghosts of Rome continue the successful template laid out with the melodious indie of previous release ‘Hipsters and Aeroplanes’. Strong songwriting and ear candy production underpin both tracks which trail their forthcoming, full-length album, coming early 2020.
Colour of the Jungle have teamed up with Humblegarms to donate proceeds from the single to Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a charity which makes efforts to monitor and conserve bumblebees and their habitat. Humblebee is a great indie rocker which shows that this Portsmouth five-piece is a band to watch this year.
Tim Holehouse’s reflective album ‘Come’ was recorded with a string trio, pedal steel guitar amongst various instrumentation. Written over a 5 year period, it’s clear that this LP is a real labour of love and comes straight from the heart.
