If you’re anything like us, you’re probably overwhelmed by the sheer number of albums being released on a weekly basis.
Popdust’s weekly column, Indie Roundup, finds the five best albums coming out each week so that you don’t have to. Ee’ll tell you what’s worth listening to that might not already be on your radar.
Beach Bunny, Blame Game EP
Chicago indie pop band Beach Bunny follow up their 2020 debut full-length with Blame Game, an EP that sees vocalist Lili Trifilio at her most self-assured. Her songwriting has evolved from the insecurities of 2018’s “Prom Queen,” now seeking vengeance from the past romances who caused her to doubt her worth: “Did you want a ribbon? ‘Cause I’m gonna need to hear more than that,” she hollers on “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used),” as her whip-smart lyrics glide over whimsical pop-punk melodies.
Shame, Drunk Tank Pink
Young post-punk favorites Shame have leveled up on Drunk Tank Pink, an album fueled by anxiety and isolation. Tied together with frontman Charlie Steen’s striking vocal delivery, the London band use frenetic guitar work and stumbling time signatures to navigate the strange void between adolescence and adulthood. In Shame’s minds, both places are dark and disorienting.
Sleaford Mods, Spare Ribs
With a deadpan attitude and inventive instrumentals that call immediate comparisons to the Fall, Nottingham duo Sleaford Mods are doing post-punk on their own terms. Their new record Spare Ribs is a more minimalistic approach to the genre, pairing guitar with surprising electronic elements like synths and drum pads. As Jason Williamson hollers about everything from corrupt politicians to quarantine-imposed family tensions, Spare Ribs becomes the backdrop to every type of rage.
Buck Meek, Two Saviors
Buck Meek, member of folk-rock greats Big Thief, recorded his new album Two Saviors directly to tape with a full band in New Orleans. As expected of fans from his band, the album merges elements of wistful country — a pedal steel, a fiddle, a slide guitar — with baroque-pop flourishes of piano and organ, with the live setting added a welcome dose of authenticity and intimacy.
Christian Lee Hutson, The Version Suicides, Vol. 1
A frequent collaborator of indie favorite Phoebe Bridgers, Christian Lee Hutson emerged with his first solo album Beginners last year. As did many artists during the quarantine’s heyday, Hutson decided to spend his free time recording covers: “Last year, I started recording quiet demo versions of songs I like on my phone just to send to friends.” Now, he’s turning those covers into a series, cleverly titled The Version Suicides. For the first volume, he puts an acoustic spin on ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” Taylor Swift’s “Betty,” and Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.”
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