Twostepcub's New Albums Roundup 2/12/23...
It's time for my weekly new albums roundup, where I take a look at the
big albums on this week's American and British albums charts, along with
my choices of the new records I think you should check out. To catch up
on this week's singles round, you can click here.
There are three new albums in the top ten on this week's Billboard 200 chart, which tabulates both sales and streaming of albums as well as tracks from said albums (don't get me started).
Billboard 200 debut: #1
Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #1
Choice cut: "Sugar Rush Ride"
With the void left by BTS being on hiatus, K-pop boyband TXT aspire to the crown with this extended play single of five songs that top the chart in America this week. I really want to like this radio offering whole-heartedly, but it's like two songs mashed into one, starting out great with the nicked Doobie Brothers hook before it devolves into a clunky whistle track that would help if it were edited right the frig out. All and all it's OK for the K-pop stans, but not especially grabbing otherwise.
(Click below to see the rest of the post)
Billboard 200 debut: #7
Current Albums Sales debut: #4
Official British Albums chart debut: #1
Choice cut: "Unholy"
Smith took a gamble and embraced their queerness which paid off in spades with "Unholy", so of course most of the album follows that template. There are moments of more reflective restraint, like the self-help missive "Love Me More" and duet with Ed Sheeran "Who We Love", that balance the out-there-ness.
Billboard 200 debut: #9
Current Albums Sales debut: #14
British Albums Chart debut: #32
Choice cut: "drive ME crazy!"
Talking about taking chances, Lil Yachty evolves from a comic joke rapper to a trippy genre-hopping force with this psychedelic affair that has more in common with Pink Floyd than PinkPantheress. There's all delves into 70s soul including this ready-for-radio jam featuring Diana "Wynter" Gordon.
Billboard 200 debut: #34
Current Albums Sales debut: #7
British Albums Chart debut: #11
Choice cut: "Million Dollar Baby"
Dance-pop singer goes full "Bad Romance"-era Gaga on this surprisingly solid sophomore album. Maybe I'm a little off, the set takes as much from Dua Lipa as Stephanie Germanotta.
Billboard 200 debut: #53
Current Albums Sales debut: #8
Choice cut: "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)"
King noticed what side her bread was buttered on and scrapped a third rock album for this country detour, which has one glorious song ("Drunk") along with some that work ("Jersey Giant") and some that don't ("Try Jesus").
Billboard 200 debut: #199
Choice cut: "Kilby Girl"
It is odd that as this Provo, Utah band had their biggest radio hit just last month with "Growing/Dying" from their second album Waiting To Spill, their first album pops on to the big chart, their first to do so. But then again, it contains this little gem.
Current Albums Sales debut: #10
Choice cut: "Eyez"
The second disc from the side-project of the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and his studio wiz friends is a trippy set that sounds wonderful on headphones but probably enhanced on edibles.
Current Albums Sales debut: #32
Choice cut: "Suspicious Minds (Live At Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX, April 18, 1972)"
Another dig into the mines for RCA with this collection of four concerts on Elvis' 1972 tour as well as rehearsals and odds and ends with a blu ray included make this box set a nice show of evidence why thousands of fans were still flocking to his concerts in the 70s.
Current Albums Sales debut: #66
Choice cut: " Call On Me"
The second disc from British DJ/producer Lewis is nicely varied through styles in dance music, from the lite house smoothness of "Vibe Like This" to the filtered sample bop of "Something About Your Love" to this synthpop gem with Tove Lo.
Current Albums Sales debut: #76
Choice cut: "Mushroom Punch"
Arizona singer/songwriter's first full length album with Concord Records is an understated but continuously entertaining set of songs.
Current Albums Sales debut: #88
Choice cut: "In The Wind"
Legendary guitarist finally puts out the music he recorded in 1991 with singer Johnny "Gash" Sombrotto, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1998. If you need a guitar-driven rock fix, here's your record.
Current Albums Sales debut: #89
Choice cut: "How I Love"
Garage-rock troubadour who has worked with Ty Segall is back with this unassuming set that goes from Beatle-esque pop like this one above to more experimental rock tracks.
Current Albums Sales debut: #98
Choice cut: "Procession/Love In The Void"
The twelfth album from ambient indie rock duo Hammock sports such eye-grabbing titles as "It's OK To Be Afraid Of The Universe" and "I Would Stare Into The Sun With You Forever" but it's entrancing from the first two songs.
Current Albums Sales debut: #100
Choice cut: "That's The Way I Always Heard It Would Be"
Carly's "ambush concert" at the transportation hub in New York City was televised on the Lifetime network in 1995, and now finally got an CD/Vinyl/digital release. Her grace in the setting is amazing, and her interaction with the audience is heartwarming. This version of her best song IMHO is worth the price of a ticket.
and now for one that didn't make the charts...
Choice cut: "Hug"
Kelley Deal of the Breeders and her side band R. Ring (are they named for the Smiths song?) are back with this meaty indie-rock nugget that is definitely worth a listen.
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