Best New Releases, July 12: Johnny Blue Skies (a.k.a. Sturgill Simpson), Scarcity, and more
The middle of summer has historically felt like a slow season for new music, but that’s not exactly how it looks on this New Music Friday, which sees the release of a stellar new record from a consistently unpredictable and consistently great artist in the country/folk sphere. Add to that some avant garde metal, some gorgeous singer/songwriter fare, cumbia, g-funk, and mambo, and you’ve got a hell of a great day for new releases.
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Johnny Blue Skies – Passage du Desir
Sturgill Simpson hasn’t followed anything near a conventional trajectory for a country artist since making his debut over a decade ago with High Top Mountain, because in large part, he’s not anything close to a conventional country artist. He’s dabbled in psychedelia, fuzz-rock, acoustic bluegrass and even Red Headed Stranger-style storytelling on The Ballad of Dood and Juanita. His latest arrives under the name Johnny Blue Skies, marking a new chapter for the singer/songwriter that sees him embracing the lush sounds of ’70s-style progressive country, complete with rich arrangements and a gorgeous, mesmerizingly otherworldly sensibility at times. It’s some of the most incredible music he’s released to date, and we’ll have more on this soon.
Listen/Buy: Spotify | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Scarcity – The Promise of Rain
Avant garde metal outfit Scarcity return with their sophomore album, The Promise of Rain, which finds expanding from a duo to a quintet and as such bring a live intensity to their second, blistering set. It’s currently our Album of the Week, and in our review of the album, Colin Dempsey said, “It’s not surprising that Scarcity cover so much ground. That’s what happens when you gather some of the most technical and adventurous extreme musicians in the New York area and put them in a proverbial instant pot.”
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Cassandra Jenkins – My Light, My Destroyer
Singer/songwriter Cassandra Jenkins landed on our list of the Best Albums of 2021 with her album An Overview on Phenomenal Nature, and for good reason—it captured a gently beautiful introspection through songs that showcased a breathtaking serenity. Her follow-up to that album is cut from a similar cloth, occasionally kicking up some dust in a track like “Clams Casino” while more slow-moving numbers like “Delphinium Blue” wrap her patient melodies in shimmering layers of synthesizer and echoing electronic pulses. We’ll have more to say on this one soon.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Jay Worthy & Dâm-Funk – Magic Hour
In the past few years, Compton’s Jay Worthy has released a handful of records that include collaborations with the likes of Roc Marciano, Kamaiyah, and DJ Muggs. His latest finds him paired with West Coast g-funk maestro Dâm-Funk on a set of deep synth-funk grooves and summertime party anthems that feel perfect when the mercury rises and the sun goes down. It’s an homage to the classic g-funk era, reminiscent of ’90s-era output from DJ Quik, but with a timeless groove driving it. It’s the kind of endlessly listenable rap record that can stay on repeat throughout the summer.
Listen: Spotify
Jake Xerxes Fussell – When I’m Called
Singer/songwriter Jake Xerxes Fussell makes his Fat Possum debut with his fifth album, When I’m Called, a gentle and warm set of folk that’s driven by Fussell’s plucks of acoustic guitar and earthy baritone. Throughout, Fussell occasionally introduces additional elements like the strings that back the stunning “Cuckoo!” or the mesmerizing licks of electric guitar and saxophone that drive “When I’m Called.” But by and large this is a hushed and low-key affair, gorgeous and understated. And we’ll have more to say about this one soon.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Meridian Brothers – Mi Latinoamérica Sufre
Eblis Álvarez has been making music as Meridian Brothers for nearly two decades, reconfiguring the building blocks of Colombian cumbia into more experimental and strange shapes, all while retaining the rhythm at the heart of the sound. Meridian Brothers’ twelfth release, Mi Latinoamérica Sufre, maintains that blend of tradition and playful experimentation, blending in elements of psychedelia, electronics and more. It’s a fun, mesmerizing and unpredictable set of contemporary cumbia, and we’ll have more on this soon.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Orquesta Akokan – Caracoles
Three years after the release of the excellent and energetic 16 Rayos, Cuban mambo ensemble Orquesta Akokan return to venerable soul imprint Daptone with third album Caracoles. Rife with animated big-band Latin jazz arrangements that nod to legends like Tito Puente while bringing vintage Cuban sounds into the present day. Yet it’s still largely in the character of the classics of the sound, with warm production and the slightest sepia tint despite how bright and brassy its arrangements are. A joyful and magnetic release that’s easy to love on first listen.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
