Twostepcub's New Album Roundup 10/2/22...
Hey folks, happy Sunday, yesterday I kicked off a new series I'm trying out, running down my picks for the best songs making their debuts on the various charts in Billboard magazine and across the pond in the United Kingdom. Today I'll continue by sampling my favorite albums making their debut on the charts in the US and UK this week. There's a lot of new music that never makes the traditional "singles charts" so it's a good way to check out what's going on and maybe you'll find something good that you haven't known about before. You can check out my new singles post by clicking here.
Hell Paso - Koe Wetzel
#12 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "April Showers"
Fusing country and alternative rock music, Wetzel's second album for Columbia Records is full of good nuggets including this one with a quite believable end-of-times video.
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#15 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "Becky's So Hot"
Asbury Park's pride Fletcher comes in with her debut album three years after her breakthrough single "Undrunk". A dig at her ex-girlfriend's new squeeze "Becky's So Hot" is deliciously bitter.
Self-Titled - Marcus Mumford
#53 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "Cannibal"
Mumford sheds his Sons for his debut solo album, which is much darker that the folk-rock of his band.
Mr. Sun - Little Big Town
#56 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "All Summer"
Although this is slighter than their previous work, and seemingly released a few months too late, it's Little Freaking Big Town, and their breezy production and mastery of harmonies are a welcome return no matter what.
Asphalt Meadows - Death Cab For Cutie
#60 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "Here To Forever"
Death Cab's tenth album is a kaleidoscope of genres that swirl around a central core of loss and introspection. This one is very early New Order-ish.
The Mars Volta - The Mars Volta
#83 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "Blacklight Shine"
Well, this was a surprise. the experimental rock band returned with a nuanced but accessible flurry of sound that merge Beatles-esque psychedelica and world music percussion like this stunner.
Sunrise On Slaughter Beach - Clutch
#89 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "We Strive For Excellence"
If you want an album to rock out in your car, this is it. The Maryland rockers bring out the dirty metal groove in shovelfuls, but the lyrics are what caught my ear.
Blue Train: The Complete Masters - John Coltrane
#95 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "Blue Train"
I mean, this is one of the most important jazz albums, or any albums, ever released, so the new deluxe version of the classic 1958 set with alternate takes and mono mixes, is just as essential now as ever.
This Is The Heavy - Mitchell Tenpenny
#123 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "Truth About You"
After a couple of false starts, Tenpenny is in with his second major album. Yes, he's derided by many for being a nepotism case (his grandma is a bigwig in music publishing), but songs like "Truth About You" show he can hold his own.
Hold The Girl - Rina Sawayama
#166 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "This Hell"
Pop's saving princess of 2022, Rina's second set is flawless - what is wrong with radio that this isn't a top-40 hit by now? If you like Dua Lipa, you'll adore this.
At The Royal Albert Hall: April 14, 1970 - Creedence Clearwater Revival
#192 on the Billboard 200
Favorite cut: "Bad Moon Rising"
A companion to the new documentary of the classic rock band, this London concert has John Fogerty and the boys in the midst of their swift and large success.
Expert In A Dying Field - The Beths
#21 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "Expert In A Dying Field"
New Zealand-based band bring in the spirit of the Throwing Muses and the Breeders with this indie-rock gem.
Suckerpunch - Maggie Lindemann
#22 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "She Knows It"
Former aspiring dance-pop singer that took the Olivia Rodrigo train to guide her first full-length album. Fluffy angst for the car.
Wilderness of Mirrors - The Black Angels
#30 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "El Jardin"
Like Lindemann, this psychedelic rock band hails from Texas, and mesmerizes with this trippy drone of guitars and 90's phrasing.
God's Work - LeAnn Rimes
#39 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "I Do"
Yes, she gets a little churchy on this set, but as Kristen Chenoweth and Amy Grant have proven, it doesn't have to be exclusionary. Her voice is still in fine form, and this duet with Aloe Blacc is sublime.
Everything I Know About Love - Laufey
#40 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "Valentine"
This is the perfect record to put on while you're having a Sunday breakfast. Jazz-pop at its finest from this Icelandic singer.
TEKKNO - Electric Callboy
#46 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "We Got The Moves"
The harbingers of electrocore (combining electropop and hardcore metal), the German band is huge in their homeland, with this album going to #1 there, and this silly track is a perfect example of their sound.
The Trouble With Fever - Michelle Branch
#49 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "I'm A Man"
With Patrick Carney of the Black Keys producing, Branch rolls out her best set in years, with this feminism anthem the centerpiece.
Look Up! - The Harlem Gospel Travelers
#58 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "Nothing But His Love"
Combining gospel lyrics to retro-soul production and melodies is a stroke of genius, and it's no surprise why Elton John is a fan.
Autofiction - The London Suede
#64 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "She Still Lead Me On"
Almost 20 years after their debut album, the London Suede (or, Suede everywhere else) are back bigger and better than ever with their wall of sound version of alternative rock.
Spark - Whitney
#91 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "Real Love"
This Chicago indie-rock duo infuses some soul into their latest release.
Some Of Us Are Brave - Danielle Ponder
#95 on the Current Albums Sales chart
Favorite cut: "So Long"
If you need some soul in your life, listen to this album from Ponder, who also sings on Marcus Mumford's album. Timeless yet current at the same time, Ponder and Yola have more in common than their fantastic hair.
Carving Canyons - Lissie
#30 on the British Albums chart
Favorite cut: "Night Moves"
American singer/songwriter Lissie has had her best success in the UK, and this reincarnation of Stevie Nicks is a lot of the reason why.
Well that does it - boy, there's a lot here. Let me know if you found something great here. Cheers!
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