New Releases for May 17, 2024

BILLIE EILISH HIT ME HARD AND SOFT - INTERSCOPE CD/LP

‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ is like a musical bridge. It feels like Eilish taking us into new territory for her, but with enough remnants of the sound and style she crafted on her first two albums for it not to be an abrupt change. The way ‘The Greatest’ erupts at its end feels like a more classic rock take on the crescendo of ‘Happier Than Ever’, and there’s plenty of the hushed emotion throughout that has become part of the star’s sonic DNA. Closing track ‘Blue’ marks a bold peak in creativity, stripping back softly swinging, rich and warm layers to a skeleton of dark electronics and gorgeous strings that broods with ominousness. THE FORTY-FIVE


CAGE THE ELEPHANT NEON PILL - RCA CD/LP

With 12 tracks coming in under 40 minutes, there is a sense of tightness and professionalism from Cage The Elephant. It is an ambitious record that feels familiar and fresh in equal measure as they tinker with what has worked for them in the past. There are elements of their blues and garage roots with a more Indie-Pop sound that will suit the festival season. If perhaps lacking something as standout as ‘Mess Around’ or ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’, it is a welcome return for the Kentucky rockers showing after nearly 20 years together they still know how to groove.  - CLASH


BETH GIBBONS LIVES OUTGROWN - DOMINO CD/LP

The arrangements, largely by Gibbons and Ford, luxuriate in the slightly unreal edge of music once removed. Much of the instrumentation (for example, the sweeping, almost Middle Eastern string lines on “For Sale”) could have been written at any point in the last century, although the rejection of the snare drum’s rebellious crack nudges Lives Outgrowninto a parallel universe where rock’n’roll never really took root. Verses are punctuated by wild brass skronk (“Beyond the Sun”) and violins scrape across the percussive surface like nails on a blackboard (“Burden of Life”). These leftfield choices underscore the courageous and subtly unusual nature of Gibbons’ album, which hides its eccentricity behind her deathless voice and sympathetic lyrical insight. Lives Outgrown may have taken agonizingly long to arrive, but it bears the mark of more than a decade well spent, a singular talent reborn in surprisingly spiky glory. - PITCHFORK


AIR MOON SAFARI (DLX) CD

ANOTHER TASTE/MAXX TRAXX DON'T TOUCH IT 7”

ATMOSPHERE STRICTLY LEAKAGE LP

AVETT BROTHERS AVETT BROTHERS CD/LP

BLIND VIDEO GAME LOFI: SECRET OF MANA LP

BLITZEN TRAPPER 100'S OF 1000'S, MILLIONS OF BILLIONS CD/LP

BONOBO ANIMAL MAGIC CASSETTE

ALAN BRAUFMAN INFINITE LOVE INFINITE TEARS LP

CAGE THE ELEPHANT NEON PILL CD/LP

BILLY COBHAM SPECTRUM (BLUE) LP

JIM CROCE YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM LP

CYMANDE PROMISED HEIGHTS LP

ON KAA DAVIS HERES TO ANOTHER DAY CD

DEHE WATER LP

DUANE EDDY BIGGEST TWANG OF THEM ALL LP

DUANE EDDY DUANE EDDY DOES BOB DYLAN LP

BILLIE EILISH HIT ME HARD AND SOFT CD/LP

DANNY ELFMAN PERCUSSION CONCERTO CD

FANTOMAS DIRECTOR'S CUT LP

FANTOMAS FANTOMAS LP

FANTOMAS SUSPENDED ANIMATION LP

FAUN FABLES FAMILY ALBUM LP

FAUN FABLES MOTHER TWILIGHT LP

JERSKIN FENDRIX POOR THINGS (O.S.T.) LP

GATECREEPER AN UNEXPECTED REALITY LP

GIANT SAND BLURRY BLUE MOUNTAIN LP

BETH GIBBONS LIVES OUTGROWN CD/LP

GLASS BEAMS MAHAL LP

GOUGE AWAY BURNT SUGAR LP

LUKE GRIMES LUKE GRIMES LP

GROWLERS HUNG AT HEART LP

GRUPO EBANO GRUPO EBANO LP

GUSTER OOH LA LA LP

HAVE A NICE LIFE VOIDS CD/CASSETTE

HAMPTON HAWES FOR REAL LP

HERMETICS TORNA 1 LP

HOW TO DRESS WELL I AM TOWARD YOU LP

JOYWAVE PERMANENT PLEASURE LP

KERRY KING FROM HELL I RISE CD/LP/CASSETTE

DARREN KORB HADES - O.S.T. LP

LEMON DEMON DAMN SKIPPY LP

LIGHTHEADED COMBUSTIBLE GEMS LP

LIP CRITIC HEX DEALER LP

MACHINE GIRL NEON WHITE PART 1 O.S.T. LP

MACHINE GIRL NEON WHITE PART 2 O.S.T. LP

MELANIE MARTINEZ CRY BABY CD

MAVERICKS MOON & STARS CD/LP

MELANIE STONEGROUND WORDS LP

HANK MOBLEY WORKOUT LP

MODEST MOUSE GOOD NEWS FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE BAD NEWS LP

MORTICIAN DOMAIN OF DEATH LP

MUSCLECARS SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA LP

SATO NAOKI GODZILLA -1.0. O.S.T LP

NININGASHI HEAVY WAY LP

NOCTURNUS AD UNICURSAL CD/LP

VARIOUS ARTIST NOW K-POP CD/LP

ONE STEP CLOSER ALL YOU EMBRACE LP

JOELL ORTIZ & KXNG C H.A.R.D. LP

POSTURE & THE GRIZZLY BUSCH HYMNS LP

POTATOHEAD PEOPLE EAT YOUR HEART OUT LP

QUASI WHEN THE GOING GETS DARK LP

RAPSODY PLEASE DON'T CRY LP

THE ROLLING STONES GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT LP

SASHA ALEX SLOAN ME AGAIN LP

SHELLAC TO ALL TRAINS LP

ELLIOT SMITH NEW MOON LP

SOFT SUMMER BREEZES SOFT SUMMER BREEZES R 5 0.00 24.99

SQURL MUSIC FOR MAN RAY LP

STRYCHNOS ARMAGEDDON PATRONAGE CD/LP

SVEN WUNDER NATURA MORTA LP

SVEN WUNDER WABI SABI LP

SYLVAN ESSO SYLVAN ESSO - 10TH ANNIVERSARY CD/LP

TIDIANE THIAM AFRICA YONTII LP

TOTALLY SLOW DARKNESS INTERCEPTS LP

STANLEY TURRENTINE BLUE HOUR LP

WAXAHATCHEE AMERICAN WEEKEND LP

LAMONTE YOUNG DREAM HOUSE 78 CD/LP

ZAYN ROOM UNDER THE STAIR CD/LP

HANS ZIMMER DUNE PART ONE (O.S.T) LP

JOHN ZORN NEW MASADA QUARTET LP

LATE ADDITIONS…

CANNONBALL ADDERLY BEST OF CASSETTE

OREN AMBARCHI GHOSTED II LP

BABES IN TOYLAN NEMESISTERS CD

CHET BAKER PRETTY / GROOVY CD

BLACK SABBATH ON AIR 1971 CASSETTE

BLACK SABBATH PARIS 1970 CASSETTE

BLACK SABBATH STEEL CITY BLUE CASSETTE

BLACK SABBATH SYRACUSE 1976 CASSETTE

BRACE OVERJEAN BRACE OVERJEAN CD

CITY OF PRAGUE STAR WARS SAGA LP

CURRENT 93 HORSEY CD

DEATH ANGEL ACT III CD

DESMIND DEKKER KING OF SKA LP

ERIC DOLPHY OUT THERE CD

DON & THE GOODTIMES ORIGINAL NORTHWEST SOUND OF CD/LP

ECHO & BUNNYMEN STARS THE OCEAN CASSETTE

BRIAN ENO/ HOLGER CZUKAY/J. PETER NSCHWALM SUSHI. ROTI. REIBEKUCHEN LP

NILS FRAHM DAY LP

FUNKADELIC MAGGOT BRAIN CASSETTE

GASTR DEL SOL WE HAVE DOZENS LP

ASTRUD GILBERTO WINDY CD

JOAO GILBERTO BRASIL CD

GIRL & GIRL CALL A DOCTOR CD/LP

GOAT GALLOWS POLE LP

GRAVEDIGGAZ 6 FEET DEEP LP

GREEN-HOUSE SIX SONGS FOR INVISIBLE GARDENS LP

KEITH HUDSON PICK A DUB LP

IXTAHUELE PATHWAYS TO PARADISE LP

ETTA JAMES ROCKS THE HOUSE CD

JUDAS PRIEST HOLIDAYS IN HOUSTON CASSETTE

KARATE BOOGALOO HOLD YOUR HORSE CD

KILLER MIKE RUN CASSETTE

KOOL & THE GANG LOVE & UNDERSTANDING CD

LA LUZ NEWS OF THE UNIVERSE CD/LP

LIL PEEP CRYBABY CASSETTE

LIL PEEP LIVE FOREVER CASSETTE

EDU LOBO COM A PARTICIPA CD

LORETTA LYNN BEST OF CASSETTE

MACHINEDRUM 3FOR82 LP

BILL MACKAY LOCUST LAND LP

MASINO I'M LONELY 7”

DORIS MONTEIRO DORIS MONTEIRO CD

JOHN MULANEY BABY J CD/LP

JASMINE MYRA RISING LP

PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS YOU'LL BE THERE 7”
RED FANG RED FANG LP

KIM RICHEY EVERY NEW BEGINNING LP

CAOILFHION ROSE CONSTELLATION LP

RUFUS RAGS TO RUFUS CD

SONIC YOUTH EVOL CASSETTE

STRETCH & BOBBI NO REQUESTS CASSETTE

SUN RA EXCELSIOR MILL LP

VANISHING TWIN AGE OF IMMUNOLOGY LP

VEGYN ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOODNINTENTIONS LP

FAYE WEBSTER FAYE WEBSTER CASSETTE

WIND-UP BIRDS OUR LADY EVE LP

WIPERS OVER THE EDGE. CASSETTE

WIPERS YOUTH OF AMERICA CASSETTE

YELLOWMAN NOBODY MOVE… LP

YOUNG JESUS FOOL LP