This week’s sensational six start with This Is Midpoint, the first album in which Tom Chaplin presents his whole self: as a writer, a singer, a husband, a world-beating artist with a past – and all the ups and downs that come with it – and, now, as a middle-aged man. It’s a beautiful collection of songs of reflection and imagination, warmly produced by Ethan Johns (Laura Marling, Paul McCartney), empathetically played by a small group of hand-picked supporting musicians and recorded in six productive weeks at the end of last year in studios including Peter Gabriel’s Real World in Bath and Paul Epworth’s The Church in North London.
Megadeth’s explosive new album The Sick, The Dying … And The Dead features twelve new tracks from the titans of thrash metal! Produced by Dave Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw, the band’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed, Grammy-award winning album Dystopia will melt Megadeth fans’ minds worldwide with tracks like ‘We’ll Be Back’, the new hit ‘Killing Time’ and ‘Night Stalkers’ – the last of which features icon Ice T.
Yungblud is the self-titled third album by 24-year-old singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Yungblud (Dominic Harrison). Following the success of 2018’s 21st Century Liability and 2020’s weird!, his third record is a reclamation of his own narrative and the consolidation of his artistic identity. Yungblud is an artist of a type that rarely comes along, and he has undeniably become Gen-Z’s rock’n’roll poster child. Fearlessly advocating for the weirdos, the freaks and the marginalised in the world from the ground up, Yungblud has amassed legions of dedicated fans all over the world, who flock to his sold-out shows and scream every word along to his songs as if their lives depend on it.
In Pulse Of The Early Brain, the fifth in their ‘Switched On’ series of retrospective albums, Stereolab have taken another trip through their entire back catalogue, pulling out some more choice releases in need of a good re-airing, alongside some ear-opening rarities. The triple LP is initially available as a special numbered edition, exclusive to independent shops.
David Sylvian describes his second solo album for his own Samadhisound label, now lovingly reissued on vinyl, as being “a modern kind of chamber music. Intimate, dynamic, emotive, democratic, economical.” Recorded in London, Vienna and Tokyo, the 8 songs and 1 instrumental on Manafon bring together some of the world’s leading improvisors, and innovators – artists who explore free improvisation, space-specific performance and live electronics – including Evan Parker, Keith Rowe, Christian Fennesz, Sachiko M, Otomo Yoshihide, John Tilbury and members of Polwechs.
Our release of the week is Jerry Jeff, which was held over from last week. Steve Earle has been creating intimate and personal music for well over four decades now. His songwriting has wound itself along a path from Texas to Tennessee and his education came in the form of learning from the best: 2009’s Grammy-nominated Townes was a tribute to his dear friend and mentor, Townes Van Zandt; and, ten years later, Earle released Guy, an album paying homage to the late Guy Clark and the indelible friendship that they had formed in stories told through song. 2022 welcomes the release of Jerry Jeff, a 10-song collection of songs written by the gypsy songman Jerry Jeff Walker. Featuring hits like ‘Mr Bojangles’ and ‘Gettin’ By’, Earle & The Dukes honour the late Texan by amplifying the concept and sound of each song with a full-band recording.
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