Bring out the dancing horses, reach up for the top-shelf bottles, party like it’s 2021. Hear that gong, that’s the sound proclaiming that this is the best week of album releases so far, and the new Jason Isbell record hasn’t even come out yet.
The Black Keys are back with a video from their blues-centric latest Delta Kream.
Rock is the New Roll favorites, Georgia Thunderbolts are coyly teasing our ears with a new single, “Take It Slow.”
And, if you are in the mood for some careening down-the highway head-a banging monster energy, give a spin to this one from Lord Bishop Rocks, a song that features Vernon Reid with a killer guitar solo.
And, don’t bail out on that wave just yet. There’s more. Here are five epic records that are spinning in the offices of Rock is the new Roll this week.
Yola – Stand For Myself
Never shy about extolling the virtues about what they are doing at Easy Eye Sound down there in Nashville, it seems we feature one of their records every week, this time they may have come out with their best of the year with Yola’s new one, Stand For Myself. Building on the foundation of her debut record, Walk Through The Fire, released in 2019, this time out she displays her chops as a first-class songwriter along with all of her other skills,
Blending Americana, Pop, and soul as effortlessly as a bird in flight this time she blends classic ’70s R&B, horns, and vintage organ to create a sound that is vintage-cool while at the same time polished and smooth. The break-out single “Diamond Studded Shoes” evokes Tina at her snarling best, the title track is a burning every-person anthem. The Donna Summer disco splendor of “Dancing Away The Tears” shows off the sonic splendor of a perfect artist-producer pairing the likes of which we haven’t seen since George Martin was in the sandbox with his mates.
Quite possibly the best sophomore release from any artist in recent memory, this one is a keeper that just might be the best Soul record released in the last 10 years.
Bleachers – Take The Sadness Out of Saturday Night
With the band self-professing that this album captures that tipping point when joy finally shoves desperation out of the way, after listening to the ebullient anthem “Don’t Go Dark,” who are we to disagree. Coming in at a tight 33 minutes with the vibe going from low-fi to medium fi at the blink of an ear, the record brings to mind “Pink Floyd” in places, mid-career Bruce Springsteen in others, and The Talking Heads on the catchy “Stop Making This Hurt.”
And, what self-respecting New Jersey band could release a record without a fly-bye from The Boss himself? Here, “Chinatown” would have fit in quite nicely on the Working On A Dream sessions. And, oh yeah before we forget, “Secret Life” features a seductive guest turn from Lana Del Rey.
Durand Jones & The Indications – Private Space
Yet another soul-stirrer of a record from Durand Jones and his band featuring a two-headed monster on vocal duties with Jones and Aaron Frazier handling the hi-low harmonies. Whether you are a new school or old school R&B fan, this one will be right up your street.
“Witchoo” parties down like “Rappers Delight,” “Love Will Work It Out would make Barry White Blush, and “More Than Ever” is a silky-smooth wonder. If Donny Hathaway and Prince were the twin sons of Stevie Wonder and the family formed a trio, their million-selling record would sound like Private Space. If you have been looking for love in all the wrong places, your ship has just come in.
Various Artists – Choctaw Ridge (New Fables of the American South 1968-1973)
This various artists’ compilation mines the country sound that emerged following Bobbie Gentry’s Southern-noir classic “Ode To Billie Joe” her number one hit from 1967.
Riding the type of deep-woods storytelling that could be found between the pages of a Faulkner novel, singers like Jimmy Webb, Lee Hazlewood, and Michael Nesmith took their Nashville outsider status to the deep South to pen tunes that amounted to darker edged boy meets girl songs set on the “other side” of the other side of the tracks.
The song titles pretty much tell it all here whether it is on “The Back Side of Dallas, “Mr. Jackson’s Got Nothing To Do,” or “Chris Gantry’s”If Only She Had Stayed,” every selection has a foreboding of doom and despair right around the corner.
Selecting a favorite from this lot would be a fools ending, however, if you were to hold a gun to our head during a game of Russian Roulette, feast your ears on “Why Can’t I Come Home” or “Saunders Ferry Lane.”
Nobody’s Girl – Nobody’s Girl
An Austin Americana supergroup of sorts, Nobody’s girl, named after a Bonnie Raitt song, is Betty Soo, Rebecca Loebe, and Grace Pettis. Playing it forward with a vibe that floats somewhere between Fleetwood Mac and Mary Chapin Carpenter the album is a polished gem that never misses a beat over 11 compelling tracks.
“Beauty Way,” a song that could have been on the Tusk record displays guitar player Charlie Sexton prominently, “What’ll I Do” has a distinct ’80s Ladies dusting to it, good stuff indeed. Dismiss the thought that this may be too slickly produced or too radio-friendly and lose yourself in this wonderfully atmospheric Americana record.
Rock Is The New Roll 