The first of this week’s stormers is Dreamstate, the fourth studio album from Kelly Lee Owens, which is born from the experience of inner evolution in the aftermath of a break-up and which has an incredible feeling of freedom and escapism throughout. It’s the sound of a person letting loose and letting go while encouraging everyone else to do the same. Dreamstate is built on the foundations of collaboration, with producer-writer credits to Bicep, Tom Rowlands from The Chemical Brothers and George Daniel.
You Are Not a Stranger Here, the long-awaited new album from Danny & the Champions of the World, is the sound of a band exploring new and surprising musical terrain. Their seventh studio release, their first since 2017’s Brilliant Light, is produced by Champs keyboard player Thomas Collison and features frontman Danny George Wilson’s most compelling songs to date.
I Want Blood is the new solo album from Alice In Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. The album has an energy that rivals any of Cantrell’s previous work – powerful, nuanced and electric. The album was co-produced by Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age) and features Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Gil Sharone (Team Sleep, Stolen Babies) and Mike Bordin (Faith No More), plus backing vocals from Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (Better Lovers, ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan).
Rag’n’Bone Man is ready to accept joy into his life. The Sussex-born singer – born Rory Charles Graham – known for his gravelly blues vocals took the world by storm with his debut album, Human, in 2016. Having won many awards since, he is embracing newfound balance, returning to his creative foundations while building anew. What Do You Believe In is the most vital chapter to date in one of British music’s defining stories. A truth-telling voice that has framed an era, Rag’n’Bone Man’s success speaks for itself.
“A huge thing for this record was to make it feel as close to our live show as possible,” says guitarist Tom Sharkett of W.H. Lung’s latest album, Every Inch of Earth Pulsates. “We didn’t want it to sound live but we wanted to capture the excitement of the live performances.” This is something that has become paramount to the group in recent years as they have undeniably blossomed into one of the most joyous and arresting live bands in the country. “The reason I’m in a band is to play live music,” says singer Joe Evans. “For me, music is live music. That’s what it’s for, to be played with people.”
Our release of the week is Alone Again (Live), a solo acoustic offering that showcases Steve Earle performing as he did when he first started out and that leaves you feeling like you’ve been transported to the venue. Having toured with The Dukes since 1982, Earle chose to return to performing solo after the band’s continuous bloodline ended with the death of his long-time bass player, Kelly Looney, in 2019. The 15-song album features live recordings from Earle’s 2023 tour, including ‘I Ain’t Ever Satisfied’, ‘The Galway Girl’ and ‘Copperhead Road’, and it’s a worthy addition to his extensive body of work.
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