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