Featured New Releases for
July 13, 2018

Dirty Projectors

Lamp Lit Prose

Domino / Domino Recording

Pop/Rock

After a downbeat breakup album, David Longstreth and company deliver a challenging but joyous celebratory effort.

— Mark Deming

Deafheaven

Ordinary Corrupt Human Love

Anti- / Epitaph

Pop/Rock

After a three years, the California quintet sounds refreshed and renewed on their most musically ambitious release to date.

— Thom Jurek

Cowboy Junkies

All That Reckoning

Latent

Pop/Rock

More darkly beautiful songs of love, chaos, and uncertainty from Toronto's alternative rock veterans.

— Mark Deming

Grateful Dead

Anthem of the Sun [50th Anniversary Edition]

Grateful Dead / Rhino

Pop/Rock

50th Anniversary edition of Anthem of the Sun contains the first CD release of the original 1968 LP mix, and Hart's first concert with the Dead.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Jayhawks

Back Roads and Abandoned Motels

Legacy / Sony Music

Pop/Rock, Country

Gary Louris and his bandmates bring a fine, familiar sound to songs he primarily wrote for other artists.

— Mark Deming

Willie Nelson

Things to Remember: The Pamper Demos

Real Gone Music

Country

The most complete collection of Willie Nelson's early-'60s demos for Pamper.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tanukichan

Sundays

Company Records

Pop/Rock

Winning shoegaze-meets-dream-pop debut from former Trails and Ways guitarist with an assist from Chaz of Toro y Moi.

— Tim Sendra

Rayland Baxter

Wide Awake

ATO

Pop/Rock

The Nashville native's excellent third LP mixes tightly crafted guitar pop with laid-back charm while exploring human behavior in modern America.

— Timothy Monger

Body/Head

The Switch

Matador

Pop/Rock

The duo's heavy, expansive second album is some of its most emotionally eloquent music.

— Heather Phares

Luluc

Sculptor

Sub Pop

Pop/Rock

The Australian folk duo turn a bold corner on their more cinematic and neatly crafted third album.

— Timothy Monger

Lotic

Power

Tri Angle

Electronic, Rap

The Berlin-based artist's long-awaited debut album confronts racism and gender conformity while standing strong and fearless.

— Paul Simpson

Between the Buried and Me

Automata II

Sumerian Records

Pop/Rock

Released four months after its predecessor, this sequel not only completes the narrative story concept, but moves beyond it musically and lyrically.

— Thom Jurek

Bjørn Torske

Byen

Smalltown Supersound

Electronic

The Norwegian producer's fifth solo album is easily one of his most focused works.

— Paul Simpson

Jenn Champion

Single Rider

Hardly Art

Pop/Rock

Jenn Ghetto, formerly of Carissa's Wierd and S, makes a graceful transition into yearning synth pop.

— Marcy Donelson

Chastity

Death Lust

Captured Tracks

Pop/Rock

Melding '90s alt-guitar sensitivity with charged hardcore impulses, this Ontario-based project offers a stellar debut with emotionally unguarded themes and subtle musical shifts.

— Fred Thomas

Smokescreens

Used to Yesterday

Slumberland

Pop/Rock

Flying Nun jangle meets C-86 noise on the California band's tuneful and precise second record.

— Tim Sendra

Needtobreathe

Forever on Your Side

Atlantic

Pop/Rock, Religious

Coinciding with a summer trek of the same name, this upbeat set also features tourmates Johnnyswim.

— Neil Z. Yeung

Primo

Amici

Upset the Rhythm

Pop/Rock

Scrappy indie pop from a trio that includes members of TERRY and the Shifters.

— Tim Sendra

Save Face

Merci

Epitaph

Pop/Rock

Major-label debut from the New Jersey emo-punk revivalists tells a tale of addiction and love in Paris.

— Neil Z. Yeung

The Ophelias

Almost

Joyful Noise

Pop/Rock

The Yoni Wolf-produced Joyful Noise debut of the Cincinnati quartet is warm, unsettling, and artful, but most of all catchy.

— Marcy Donelson

Chelsea Grin

Eternal Nightmare

Rise Records

Pop/Rock

The first Chelsea Grin release to not feature any founding members, Eternal Nightmare administers an endless barrage of caustic blast beats and atonal riffage.

— James Christopher Monger