We start the recommended releases for 7 April with The Far Field, full of the eerie synths and rolling bass lines that make Future Islands’ work so instantly recognisable. This follow-up to the massively successful Singles will further cement their reputation with all those in love with their song-craft. Imelda May returns with a new sound on Life. Love. Flesh. Blood to create an album that is personal, bold and intimately autobiographical. InFinite continues in the same hard-rocking vein for which Deep Purple have become justifiably famous. Mike Rutherford’s Genesis antidote Mike + The Mechanics return with a new batch of songs which are lifted by the gloriously rasping vocals of both Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar. Guided By Voices’ latest, August By Cake, is unbelievably the 100th(!) studio album released by songwriter Robert Pollard since 1986, putting many other supposedly prolific artists to shame. Golden Days, the second album from Brian May and Kerry Ellis, includes new arrangements of some of their favourite songs, some new songs penned by each of them, a tribute to Gary Moore and a couple of reinterpretations of songs essential to their live act. Canadian indie supergroup The New Pornographers’ new album Whiteout Conditions follows up 2014’s Brill Bruisers and is chock-full of great songs.
Our album of the week is Pure Comedy by the incomparable Father John Misty. Hear Misty, a.k.a. Josh Tillman, at the height of his powers as a lyricist and cultural observer. His critiques, bared humanity and gently warped songwriting are all here and – at 75 minutes – there’s a veritable ton of it. Highly recommended.
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