Music is at the backbone of everything on this planet.
It’s in every movie, every show. People blare it in their cars. They wear earbuds in crowds or while talking to another person.
The best part is there’s so much music, every listener can get a taste of something new. What’s better is music comes out week after week so listeners are a glutton for new songs. This week’s releases are diverse enough to fill a radio station.
Here’s a taste of the new albums coming out this week.
Bruce Springsteen – “Tracks II: The Lost Albums”
83 tracks of unreleased songs recorded between 1983 and 2018. That’s all there is to know. Fans of The Boss will jump in to listen to treasures previously unheard. This box set/compilation follows the first one – aptly titled “Tracks” – that was released in 1998 and only featured a paltry 66 songs. For this set, Springsteen dug through his vault to mine for what he calls “complete records” even though the songs didn’t feel completely “essential” to him at first. A documentary was released prior to the record where Springsteen goes in depth on the music.
Lorde – “Virgin”
After a few years off, New Zealand’s own Lorde comes back with her Madonna record. It’s not actually referred to as that but “Like A Virgin” was a big thing when it came out. Anyway, Lorde took the negative reception from her previous record, “Solar Power,” and really aimed at writing anthemic songs. Behold “Virgin:” an album of very powerful sounding tracks. Take the lead single “What Was That” where the singer’s vocals are growing more sure as the beat builds. A lot of it is due in part to Lorde’s signature voice. But a lot of these songs are athemic. Mission: accomplished.
Adrian Quesada – “Boleros Psicodélicos II”
Alternative Latin Rock is such a beautiful thing. Quesada’s voice is longing in every note. The guitars sound clean with a bit of crunchy attitude. This would feel very much at home in a local vinyl shop. Each song feels like an experience. Listen to “Agoia” and “Tu Poder. Both tracks feature female driven vocals. Both are filled with bravado. But they want different things. They slip into harmony with their respective backing tracks. “Tu Poder” is more haunting than the pain that “Agonia” brings. What a fun album to dissect.
Tech N9ne – “5816 Forest”
22 songs is a lot of songs for any musician. The good thing is listeners can often pick the 10 or so they enjoy most and divvy those up among playlists. The better thing is Tech N9ne is such a good rapper to listen to. It’s no wonder he’s been able to deliver since 1991. His voice bounces off of words like in “Lola” but can take the lead as in “Yoda” with fellow longtime rapper Lil Wayne.
Sister Sadie – “All Will Be Well”
This bluegrass style band has been around since 2012 and has had just as many members. But, over their releases, they’ve managed to keep their same country sound. Sister Sadie’s mix of fiddle and banjo fill in well with the vocals of the four out of six members who sing. “Make Me Stay or Make Me Go” could define this band as it captures the entire essence of what they can do.
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Bruce Springsteen, Lorde, Sister Sadie: The Best New Music For The Weekend