With the new Eric Clapton, Rose City Band, and Delines records in the hopper, 2025 is shaping up to be a boffo year.
The Waterboys have a Dennis Hopper themed record ready to be released soon.
Swedish rockers The Hellacopters have a new record out on January 31. Overdriver.
And Frontier Records own, Perfect Plan delivers the AOR goods on their latest “We Are Heroes.”
And here, in an abundancy of riches, here are five new records that saw the light of ear this week.
David Gray – Dear Life
On his 13th album and first since 2021, David Gray gets a bit more sparse and introspective than we are used to from the artist that first hit our ears with the mega-hit “Babylon.”
Recorded mostly in his home London studio, this time out Gray reflects on things getting old on “Plus & Minus,” on “I Saw Love” he is heavily influenced by Raymond Carver short stories, and “Leave Taking” with its horns and intricate production is worth a headphone listen.
The Weather Station – Humanhood
With Humanhood Tamara Lindeman and Weather station doubles down on the jazz-inflected pop sound version of the band that she brought to our ears going back to the 2021 release, Ignorance.
“Body Movement” has a certain Joni Mitchell element to it, while “Neon Signs” will float you on a Suzanne Vega cloud.
The instrumentation on this record with bass, sax, and flute delicately dispersed throughout the record is next-level quality. Listening to this one while chemically induced will take you back to the ‘70’s sitting under a tree deep in a forest.
20/20 – Back To California
Think of the spawn of the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Little River Band and you will have a bit of an idea of what this band is all about.
In business under various configurations going back as far as 1979 and their eponymous record, these guys are all Laurel Canyon all the time.
The opening title track has an R.EM. bent to it, “The End Of Summer” could have been a Bodeans B side, and “Laurel Canyon” is pure power pop.
If you are looking for a record full of melodic nirvana wrap your ears around this one.
Mick Clarke – Bad Whisky Blues
Recorded entirely in his Surrey, UK studio Bluesman Man Mick Clarke delivers up a set of whisky-drenched songs that run the gamut from stone-cold classic covers to self-penned tumblers.
“Killing Floor” and “Smokestack Lightning” are adequately covered and “Watch Your Step” is a ZZ Top worthy jam.
This one is the perfect soundtrack for that next bender, but make sure that you cleanse the palette with a nice single malt before extinguishing the flame.
Ex Void – In Love Again
A behemoth of an Indie Rock record, everything that you thought of the genre is wrapped up for you in one tight package.
My Bloody Valentine, check. The Smiths Check, The Cranberries, Dinosaur Jr., check, check, check. Cobbled together from several indie-pop U.K. bands of stirling quality including Joanna Gruesome and The Tubs, the dual frontpeople consisting of Lan McArdle and Owen Williams take center stage on this one that is sure to be top 10 contender.
And, if you don’t believe us have your ears take a gander at the Lucinda Williams cover, “Lonely Girls.”
Rock Is The New Roll 