Best New Releases, Sept. 20: Jamie xx, Nubya Garcia, and more
Today’s a slightly less bonkers release day than some of the ones we’ve had of late, and (looking ahead) the avalanche just over the horizon. But that being said there’s a lot of great stuff to dive into today, including the return of a celebrated dance music producer, a stellar new jazz album, some blistering hardcore and more. Check out this week’s best new releases.
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Jamie xx – In Waves
After Jamie xx delivered his solo debut In Colour back in 2015, his bandmates in The xx, Oliver Sim and Romy, each released their own solo debut, thus completing the trifecta. Now it’s Jamie’s turn again, and his long-awaited sophomore album is thoroughly loaded with bangers. The album features both Romy and Sim, and as such “Waited All Night” is either unofficially or officially, a The xx song as a result. But in addition to that, he collaborates with Robyn on the triumphant house essential “Life” and pairs up with The Avalanches on the pulsing “All You Children.” And there’s plenty more where that came from. We’ll have more to say about this one soon.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Turntable Lab (vinyl)
Nubya Garcia – Odyssey
British saxophonist Nubya Garcia has performed with Khruangbin, collaborated with Sons of Kemet and Makaya McCraven, and is a member of the group Nérija. And after delivering her outstanding debut Source in 2020, she’s back with another full-length set of boundary shifting jazz. Odyssey showcases both low-key grooves and more dramatic, commanding compositions like “The Seer” and the gorgeously orchestrated “Clarity.” It’s a highlight of jazz in 2024, and we’ll have more to say about this one soon.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
Regional Justice Center – FREEDOM SWEET FREEDOM
Ian Shelton started the powerviolence project Regional Justice Center before debuting Militarie Gun, whose Life Under the Gun was a highlight of 2023. This band, which began in response to his brother’s incarceration, is a lot more visceral and intense, and their third album is no different. FREEDOM SWEET FREEDOM is an explosive album that features Shelton’s now-released brother, Max Hellesto, taking over on vocals and it’s even more intense and uncompromising than the group’s prior two albums. An absolute destroyer. Plus read our interview with the band about the album.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Amazon (vinyl)
Unto Others – Never, Neverland
Gothic heavy metal band Unto Others are inching toward simply goth, full stop, with a new batch of songs that lean ever closer to the Transylvanian grandeur of bands like The Sisters of Mercy. “Angel of the Night,” for one, is pitch-perfect goth-rock with all the melodramatic trappings: a layer of acoustic guitar, an air of romantic melancholy, a bassline heavy on chorus effects and hooks that take flight and soar. Then again, a song like “Momma Likes the Door Closed” is just furious heavy metal in a dark pair of shades. Either way, the new album from the Portland goth-metal outfit is a splendid showcase for their knack for melody and riffs alike, and its deluxe edition comes with their cover of Ramones’ “Pet Sematary,” which is a fun bonus.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Amazon (vinyl)
Katy J Pearson – Someday, Now
Following the release of 2022’s Sound in the Morning, British singer/songwriter Katy J. Pearson eases back into a set of warm and magnetic pop songs that balance roots music with a bright, new wave sheen. As showcased through the early single “Those Goodbyes,” Pearson’s knack for vintage pop hooks is as strong as ever, while there’s a rich alt-country sensibility to the closing track “Sky.” Someday, Now isn’t a long album, and it’s so replayable that you can clock a couple spins in an hour, which is a highly recommended course of action.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
LICE – Third Time at the Beach
Bristol group LICE were, rightly or wrongly, characterized among a wave of post-punk revivalists when they first emerged, but their debut album WASTELAND put an end to that fairly quickly with its curious progressive and experimental tendencies. Their second album, Third Time at the Beach, takes an even deeper dive into experimental waters, showcasing a more ornate sensibility that you might find in a band like These New Puritans juxtaposed against some of Black Midi’s more accessible moments and dance punk grooves. This is a weird and wonderful album that we’re still untangling, but we might have more to say on this soon, whether or not we fully solve that mystery.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp
Lijadu Sisters – Horizon Unlimited
Nigerian duo Lijadu Sisters have built up a devoted following on the strength of the series of albums they released in the ’70s, which found an even broader audience outside of their home country in the ensuing years. Their 1979 album Horizon Unlimited is a highlight of their catalog, rich in deep funk grooves and stunning vocal harmonies. It’s been reissued a handful of times over the years, but Numero Group—which has a sterling reputation for curating catalog releases—has just reissued it in digital and physical formats for the first time in over a decade, as the first in a planned series of reissues of their entire catalog. It’s an outstanding record, and there’s more on the way where this came from.
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp | Rough Trade (vinyl)
