We kick off this week’s bangers with Who Believes in Angels?, the debut collaborative album project from Elton John & Brandi Carlile. The album, which was co-written with Bernie Taupin and produced by Andrew Watt, includes ten new and original songs. This is Elton John’s 33rd and Brandi Carlile’s 8th studio album, respectively.
Black Country, New Road return with Forever Howlong, their first studio album since 2022’s seminal Ants from Up There earned the band their second Top 5 UK album in just 12 months following their Mercury Prize-shortlisted debut For the First Time. The highly anticipated new album follows 2023’s Live at Bush Hall, with the legendary James Ford (Fontaines D.C, The Last Dinner Party, Beth Gibbons) taking the helm as producer, and vocal duties now shared between Tyler Hyde, Georgia Ellery and May Kershaw.
A new chapter, a new-line-up, a newly minted sound! Miki Berenyi Trio’s debut album, Tripla, is a landmark record for its three creators: Miki Berenyi, KJ ‘Moose’ McKillop and Oliver Cherer. The album’s richly layered, imaginative and uniquely slanted strain of dream pop is an often euphoric and sometimes melancholic mix of guitars and electronica, fronted by Miki’s instantly recognisable vocal, overlaid with an often profound and sometimes abrasive or yearning view of the world.
Death Hilarious, the fifth album from Newcastle’s riff wizards Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, is defined by calculated aggression and self-lacerating lyrics. Its startling bonuses include playful synth work and the appearance of a giant of hip-hop. With its title juxtaposing absurdity and seriousness, this is death – hilarious.
Smith/Kotzen is the musical collaboration between Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden and Richie Kotzen, who is a member of The Winery Dogs as well as a solo artist in his own right. The duo’s new album, Black Light / White Noise, follows their 2021 self-titled debut and continues the project’s exploration of the blues, R&B, and classic hard rock – styles that can all be heard on the thrilling single ‘White Noise’, which takes their unique collaboration up a notch, as their modern approach – both on the fretboard and vocally – evokes their love of classic hard rock.
Our release of the week is Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, which was created by Mike Scott and The Waterboys as a tribute to one of American popular culture’s most compelling public figures. Deeply conceptual, this expansive album of original songs was inspired entirely by the life and mythos of the actor, and brings together high-profile featured artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple and Steve Earle to weave through Hopper’s life, including a song for each of Hopper’s wives.
Click on an image to order your copy.