Twostepcub's New Albums Roundup 11/27/22...
Happy Sunday, everybody, it's time for this week's new album round-up,
where I sample my picks of the best of the albums making their debut on Billboard
magazine's sales charts as well as the same across the pond in the
United Kingdom. You can check out yesterday's new singles recap by clicking here.
Billboard 200 debut: #8
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #3
British Albums Sales debut: #2
Choice cut: "Turn Back The Hands Of Time"
Well, it's come to the point where the Boss, the greatest storyteller in rock music today, is going the oldies cover album route. In one way, it makes me sad, it does seem a little bit like a product, but he does put his heart into picking the songs on the set. He's at his best when he's doing a song he can growl and give drama on, like this one and the Four Tops' "7 Rooms Of Gloom". But on others, like the Tops' "When She Was My Girl" and the Commodores' "Nightshift", it comes across as a wedding band - a great wedding band, but a wedding band nonetheless. Still, an interesting listen at least once to something he apparently wanted to share. Will you go back to it? That remains to be seen.
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Billboard 200 debut: #10
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #4
British Albums Sales debut: #48
Choice cut: "Michael & Quincy"
A million times more interesting than the latest product from Drake, rap icon Nas brings out his third album in this album cycle trilogy, with sonically arresting samples and verses to make you listen to get every word.
Billboard 200 debut: #59
British Albums Sales debut: #16
Choice cut: "Bad To Me"
One of the big stars of the Afrobeats scene right now, Nigerian singer Wizkid follows up his American breakthrough with "Essence" last year with a new album that rides a darker and smoother groove for some nice cooldown music.
Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule - Louis Armstrong
Billboard 200 debut: #122
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #6
Choice cut: "Cool Yule"
The late jazz maestro is compiled in yet another collection, this time of mostly holiday tunes, with a couple of nostalgic numbers (like his most famous hit "What A Wonderful World") thrown in. A classy addition to your Christmas party.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #30
British Albums Sales debut: #59
Choice cut: "Bad Spell"
The rock band fronted by the former bluegrass-playing Lovell sisters is their most powerful and diverse set yet. They can do both head-swaying bangers and country-rock with ease here. Fans of the Black Keys and Chris Stapleton should approve.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #31
Choice cut: "You Could Be Mine (Live from the Ritz, 1991)"
The band's most ambitious work gets the super deluxe treatment with a remaster of the sprawling double-disc set along with their complete concerts at the Ritz in New York in 1991 and in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas a year later, at their peak and before everything fell apart. An important piece of history of the early 1990s.
Live Forever: A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver - Various Artists
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #47
Choice cut: "Live Forever" by Willie Nelson and Lucinda Williams
Twelve songs from the country music troubadour are reinterpreted by artists younger (Miranda Lambert, Nikki Lane) and old (Willie Nelson, George Strait) to a respectful but also enlightening reading of his work.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #48
Choice cut: "Sirens"
The Australian remixer/producer delivers his own third full-length album of ear-provoking soundscapes that push the boundaries of chillwave and hyperpop with a collection of guest vocalists including Damon Albarn and Caroline Polanchek.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #68
Choice cut: "Chapstick"
The Nashville trio definitely channels 90s alt-rock heros Cake but also find time for neo-disco and country-rock detours in this cool but accessible fifth album.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #74
Choice cut: "Note To Self"
Houser puts in a solid group of mainstream country songs that attempt to preach without being loud and brash and corporate.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #81
Choice cut: "Sirens Of Blood & Water"
This week's headbanger is from the veteran symphonic metal group from the Netherlands in this short set that clocks in at around a half hour but whose guests provide a lot of variation in their sound.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #86
Choice cut: "Grown Man"
Minneapolis funk fixture just announced his retirement after this tour, hence the album name. Day goes out on a good note, with some fun and smooth tunes and nice cameos from Snoop Dogg, Big Daddy Kane, and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #87
Choice cut: "Uptown In Orbit"
Jazz educator/musician Cohen's latest album is like a warm blanket bringing you back to the glory days of the genre in the 50s without sounding either dated or repetitive. This is perfect Sunday morning listening, I highly recommend it.
Four - Bill Frisell, Gregory Tardy, Johnathan Blake, & Gerald Clayton
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #93
Choice cut: "Holiday"
A more modern approach to the genre from someone twice as old as Cohen as guitar master Frisell assembles a new team for this set, including Gregory Tardy who is doing double duty with clarinet and saxophone at different points. Also has a nice tribute to Saturday Night Live musical muse Hal Willner.
British Albums Sales debut: #45
Choice cut: "Je Te Vois Enfin"
This is the third album and the third persona assumed by the French alternative pop singer, and it doesn't disappoint, with haunting explorations into the human mind and emotion.
That's all for this week - hope you found something new to catch your ear.
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