twostepcub's New Albums Roundup 1/15/23...
Hey folks, it's time for my weekly round-up of the new albums hitting the American and British charts this week. You can catch up with yesterday's singles round-up by clicking here. This week, tracking the post-holiday, is even more sparse than last's, with only one album making its debut in the top 100 in sales and streaming. So I'm gonna throw in a couple more sets that came out last Friday that I think you should check out (not the insufferable Run The Jewels and their "Latin Edition" - they have always been rap music for self-proclaimed alpha males for me, and I have no need for that).
Billboard 200 debut: #7
Choice cut: "Halazia"
If you like your K-Pop on the more dramatic side instead of the bubblegum pop BTS has turned into, this group brings a short set of five tracks, including this featured single, which I appreciate how they all seem to have different voices in the song instead of one giant K-pop borg. I'd probably appreciate it more if I got the sci-fi imagery they were going for.
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Choice cut: "Strung Out Johnny"
The 75-year-old punk icon returns with a star-studded affair with members of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink-182, Pearl Jam, and Guns N'Roses helping make the most tight, focused record I've heard from him in forever. The diversity of sound helps greatly, with the raw power (see what I did there) of "Frenzy" segueing into the wall of sound of "Strung Out Johnny", by far my favorite, to the later album track "Comments", which the late Taylor Hawkins co-wrote and played on.
Choice cut: "Girl Talk"
An intimate and casual set from veteran pianist and HIV activist Hirsch and five-time Grammy winner Spalding (Best New Artist for 2011, for one) at the legendary West Village jazz club that has many twists and turns on standards including the opener "But Not For Me", but also Spalding's inversion of Neal Hefti and Bobby Troup's "Girl Talk" to the female-positive side of the coin. Her interaction with the audience (and Hersch) is endearing, and Hersch, whose history with the venue and New York life in general is integral, works beautifully.
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