Welcome to our weekly music post, where we spotlight our favorite new songs and albums. Hop in the comments and tell us: What new music are you listening to?
Lucy Dacus, “Bus Back To Richmond / More Than Friends”
Lucy Dacus just released her fourth solo album, Forever Is A Feeling, in March, and she’s already back with two new standalone singles. “Bus Back To Richmond” is a melancholy New Year’s Eve hangover full of regret about kissing the wrong person at midnight; it ends with sparkling bells reminiscent of the moment just before the drop in Perfume Genius’ “Otherside.” “More Than Friends” is a country-tinged rocker that similarly feels like it’s building toward a drop that never comes, and the restraint and control that takes is admirable. Dacus’ craftsmanship as a lyricist and musician is on full display with both tracks.
Taste that delicious Midwest emo revival with “Hawk,” the new single from Algernon Cadwallader. Even back when the band was first active from 2005-2012, they had more in common with ’90s emo bands like The Promise Ring than they did with contemporaneous emo outfits like Taking Back Sunday. They were always a throwback, and while they never fully caught on the first time around, now is the perfect time for a ’90s-sounding band to thrive. “Hawk” is the first single from Trying Not To Have A Thought, the band’s first album in 14 years. It drops on September 12 via Saddle Creek.
Big Thief, “Los Angeles / Grandmother (feat. Laraaji)”
Brooklyn indie-folk band Big Thief released two singles from their upcoming album, Double Infinity (out September 5), this week: “Los Angeles” and “Grandmother (feat. Laraaji).” “Los Angeles” is a sweet acoustic number about romantic love that has turned into platonic love over the years, bonds that may change shape but never break. “Grandmother” is the attention-grabbing stunner of the two, four minutes of buildup that culminates in vocalist and guitarist Adrianne Lenker belting out, “I saw sun through the clouds / I saw love through the pain / Gonna turn it all into rock and roll.” It ends with two minutes of vocalizations from ambient musician Laraaji that perfectly punctuate Lenker’s big moment of catharsis.
Osees, ABOMINATION REVEALED AT LAST
With ABOMINATION REVEALED AT LAST, Osees are firmly in their political punk era. Founder, vocalist, and guitarist John Dwyer’s recording project has gone through nearly as many names over the years (Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees, OCS, etc.) as it has genres, but they’ve been playing in the punk space since 2022’s A Foul Form. Their latest album (the band’s 29th overall) is quite possibly their most outspoken yet, railing against capitalism, tyranny, and the generally miserable current state of the world.
Ethel Cain, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You
Ethel Cain has been walking a tightrope lately, apologizing for and acknowledging the harm that she caused with years-old but recently resurfaced offensive comments and materials, but maintaining that “…all of these things resurfacing are not the actions of a well-meaning individual concerned by something they discovered easily and casually on the internet. These are screenshots obtained through extensive digging, hacking, and cooperative effort amongst a group of individuals who do not care who else is hurt by witnessing this media as long as I am ultimately hurt the worst in the end.” It was a moment of vulnerability from an artist who has at times been intentionally off-putting, like with PERVERTS, her ambient drone project from earlier this year. Her sophomore album, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, is a bit like that, too; surprisingly soft and tender, after the gothic horror of her 2022 critically acclaimed full-length debut, Preacher’s Daughter. You can read The A.V. Club‘s full Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You review here.
Teethe, Magic Of The Sale
Magic Of The Sale is Texas slowcore band Teethe’s sophomore album, following their self-titled debut in 2020. This time around, the band brought in several ringers to round out their instrumentation, including Wednesday’s Xandy Chelmis on pedal steel, Hovvdy’s Charlie Martin on piano, and Emily Elkin on cello. It makes for a more expansive sound than their last record, especially given the band’s commitment to not rushing their songs. Magic Of The Sale is intentionally languid, but not indulgently so; instead, it feels like the band is simply giving each song room to breathe.
