Struggling to keep up with new music? ‘Fraid that your Boomer is showing? Have no fear! The staff at .WAV is here with a list of new and noteworthy music to help you stay Young and Fresh! Keep a lookout for .WAV’s New Music Roundup every Friday and sometimes Sunday. Giddyup!
“The Pink Phantom” – Gorillaz ft. Elton John and 6LACK
Now would you look at that, a new Gorillaz track from their upcoming Song Machine album. Featuring Elton John and 6LACK, this is sure to be something cool. With the first piano chords and synthesizer run into 2-D’s vocals, one is swept into the chilling progressive vibe that the Gorillaz are known for creating. 6LACK’s vocals catch one off guard at first due to the contrasting nature of autotune but one quickly adjusts to it being an integral element of the song, something 6LACK is known for, and something owed to the diversity of artists that the Gorillaz are known for collaborating with. This is further reinforced with Elton John following 6LACK- one can’t help but smile at the nostalgic sound of his mature voice paired with the progressive piano beat set in motion. All in all, it’s a great listen pairing up this combination of artists and mixing all of their sounds together. Would recommend, show it to your dad.
Brian Mendez
Floral Prince – Field Medic
Field Medic exists in two places on my Spotify. The first, a playlist called “songs i could punch someone to” and the second, a playlist named “going apeshit to field medic.” Both accurately capture the mood Field Medic can put people in, especially if it’s blasting full volume. His newest album, Floral Prince, fits nicely into both playlists. The first track, “-h-o-u-s-e-k-e-y-z-,” immediately brings me back to the YEEHAW feeling that he summons with his folk-country tunes and guitar. I’m stomping my feet in a field around a bonfire while he passionately sings about wanting to fuck in the second song, “i want you so bad it hurts.” As the album continues, I consistently feel as if he is strumming his guitar in the same room as me, inviting anyone around him to join in and sing their heart out. In the fifth song, HEADCASE, he does bring in a few background voices and doubles his voice, adding to the chorus and contributing to the feeling of inclusion and warm welcoming that makes one want to go apeshit to Field Medic. The entire album feels like a large barn get-together, and HEADCASE is the highlight of this vibe. He slows it down as the album continues and the party winds to an end, with the sweet love song, “talking johnny and june (your arms around me)” featuring Pickleboy. Their voices seem to ricochet together off the walls of the emptying room, and his final song, “TRANQUILIZED” sounds as if it’s a live recording, played alone at the end of the night. In all, Floral Prince is a very enjoyable album and I’m glad I was invited to this wholesome barn party.
Mia Giacinto
The Ascension – Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens took to his drum-machine and synthesizers to record The Ascension, his new, thematically unique LP. This detail-heavy, hour-plus-long triumph is missing the folksy, introspective Sufjan we have come to know and love, however, it is a breath of fresh, although dense, air. Through cascading spells of electro-pop, melancholy ambience, and ‘80s spook, Sufjan cements the sound he created in Age of Adz and proves he can make social commentary. Stand out tracks “Die Happy”, “Goodbye To All That”, and “Lamentations” showcase the range and depth of an album that Sufjan fans will be excited to explore over and over again.
Delaney Faherty
Rarities 2007-2010 – Women
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of Women’s magnum opus Public Strain, Flemish Eye and Jagjaguwar have released a collection of alternate takes, limited releases, and previously unheard (at least officially) material recorded at varying points during the band’s lifetime.
Listening to this album is like watching an old tape of your best friend saying goodbye to you at a party that hadn’t even ended yet. One could possibly attribute that to Pat Flegel’s hauntingly crooned lyrics. “Now that all of your words are gone/ Now that good time is overdrawn.” It could also be mournful guitar playing of the late Chris Reimer, who tragically died in his sleep back in 2012. Whatever it is, Rarities 2007-2010 sounds like something recorded after its time, before its time.
Jake Davis
Suite – GODTET
Based out of Sydney, Australia, GODTET is sort of a supergroup of underground musicians in Oceania. Their newest EP Suite covers a vast expanse of sounds, pulling from modern choral music, jazz, and a little bit of ambient electronica to craft some amazingly chill soundscapes. Godriguez’s guitar across the project is just excellent, especially on standout track “Morocco”, where it pairs with a deeply melancholic yet driving piano line. Set over an increasingly energizing combo of marching band drums and cowbell, this song perfectly straddles the line between relaxing and exciting. Closer “Mouth Harp” puts forth a beautiful, calming swell of a guitar line with pristine, glittering keys before ending on an incredibly cool Caribbean folk dance. If you’re out searching for a new meditation soundtrack this Friday, GODTET has what you need.
Colin Brunson
Working Men’s Club – Working Men’s Club
Working Men’s Club’s self-titled, debut album is a chaotic blend of dance punk, synth-pop, and post-punk; influences from groups like LCD Soundsystem and New Order are glaringly obvious, but for good reason. The project sounds like some sort of intense soundtrack to an Atari video game, but with enormous energy and undeniable catchiness. If Depeche Mode made a dark, dramatic project, you’d essentially have Working Men’s Club’s debut album. Opening tracks utilize fast, heavy drum machines, coalescing effortlessly with loops of high-pitched keyboards, roaring synthesizers, and drowned out vocals. As the opening tracks sound more techno-influenced than anything else, with looped drums and acid-house squelches, the project showcases an impressive stretch of genres. “John Cooper Clarke” and “White Rooms & People” sound like new-wave songs pulled from the 80’s, featuring catchy bass lines and roaring guitars. Tracks like “Tomorrow” and “Cook A Coffee” reinforce a strong sense of dance-punk. Across the entire project, vocals remain distant, grainy, and echoed; they mix with searing synthesizers and blown-out guitar riffs to create a soundscape that is equally dramatic as it is danceable. The project closes with an absolute post-punk jam that reaches almost 13 minutes in length; the track evolves into what can only be described as hardcore punk, towards the end. The album finishes with the same riveting energy that it opened with, but the difference in sound and genre showcases the band’s ability to effortlessly fuse multiple genres to one coherent project. Working Men’s Club offers an impressive debut album; it is the lovechild of Gang of Four and !!!.
Robbie Baker
“Starface*” – Jean Dawson
If you don’t know Jean Dawson, well you should. The 24-year-old, Los Angeles-based musician just released “Starface*”, another genre-bending beat perfect for telling your mom “it’s not a phase” to. It is one of a string of singles Dawson has put out in anticipation of his 2020 album-to-be. Much like the others, “Starface*” is whiny, dance-worthy, and masterful. It starts off with a reverb-heavy guitar and leads into a simple, lyrically emo ballad. You are suddenly reminded of your Scene years, and for a moment you feel shameless. The song reaches a peak post-chorus when Dawson laments “Who do you think you are” and the bpm increases, making you thrash elbows and seriously miss the mosh pit. The remaining 30 seconds are a cacophony of all that came before it. I wish it was longer.
Delaney Faherty
This article was compiled by .WAV Staff members Brian Mendez, Mia Giacinto, Delaney Faherty, Jake Davis, Colin Brunson, and Robbie Baker. Delaney Faherty created the graphic.
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