For those of you keeping score at home, this is now the second release date Kanye West’s DONDA has rolled right past, as the singular rapper continues to tinker with his latest while haunting Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium like an extremely famous ghost. Let that not distract from the bands with worthwhile new albums out today, including a swing-for-the-fences effort from Foxing, Laura Stevenson’s poignant new self-titled LP and a hot meal (GUMBO’!, to be precise) from rapper/producer Pink Siifu. Sink your teeth into another New Music Friday feast below, and don’t forget that today (Aug. 6) is also Bandcamp Friday, i.e., an ideal day to support your favorite artists directly, whether they’re dropping today or not.
Foxing: Draw Down the Moon
“Ever since I got going, I’ve been going for broke,’’ sings Foxing’s Connor Murphy during “Go Down Together,” a synth-pop number that arrives shortly into the group’s newest album, Draw Down the Moon. The line is a pretty efficient way to sum up Foxing’s whole ethos: Since 2013’s The Albatross, they’ve been a band that zig when any other band would zag, pairing the insurgent energy of the 2010s emo revival to synthesizers, soaring hooks and arena rock worship. Foxing’s whole presentation is a little goofy, sure, but their choruses are life-changing and Murphy often shares some of the best lyrics of the year. I keep coming back to “Where the Lightning Strikes Twice,” a disco-flavored romp that has to be the most positive Foxing tune in years. The song’s got a lovely four-on-the-floor groove and vague touches of Blondie, but Murphy can’t help but lament feeling like he might not achieve the same level of success that he once had. “With everything we gave it, it’s hard not to feel devastated,” he sings at one point. At the least, he seems to realize that Foxing have done their best work yet here, as Murphy proclaims in the first verse that he’s “here up on the hill [he] want[s] to die on.” Foxing have long been one of our most ambitious bands, but Draw Down the Moon confirms they’ll keep going for broke for the foreseeable future. —Ethan Gordon
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Kississippi: Mood Ring
Mood Ring is a sophomore leap forward for Kississippi’s Zoe Reynolds, who leans into her glossy pop instincts on the follow-up to her scrappy 2018 debut Sunset Blush. Where that first record set distinctly Philadelphian pop-rock alongside more vocal- and drum machine-driven balladry, this one blends those elements into such a smooth solution, it’s as if the album is a precious gem Reynolds dug up fully formed. Polished to a bright, big-hearted gleam by Reynolds and her crack team of collaborators, including Andy Park (Death Cab For Cutie, Princess Nokia), Sarah Tudzin (illuminati hotties), Marshall Vore (Phoebe Bridgers, Conor Oberst) and Bartees Strange, Mood Ring blends the earnest emotion of indie-pop with the industrial-strength hooks of a major-label release. —Scott Russell
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Laura Stevenson: Laura Stevenson
Laura Stevenson’s self-titled is the songwriter’s exploration of anger, heartache and healing as a result of a life-changing year. Alongside veteran producer John Angello (Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile, Waxahatchee), Stevenson reels in her anger and fear in the soothing, effortless style she’s best known for. As she ruminates on keeping her newborn baby safe following the near-death experience of a loved one, Stevenson balances the guilt of wanting to be selfless for friends with the instinctual urge to protect her child first. Stevenson weaves together an honest exploration of the complicated role of being a mother, friend and woman as she figures out what her roles are and the pressures that come with them. —Jade Gomez
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Lingua Ignota: Sinner Get Ready
Following her titanic, devastating mesh of metal, opera and noise, Caligula, Kristin Hayter (aka Lingua Ignota) retreated to the desolation of central Pennsylvania for her new album, Sinner Get Ready. Steering in the opposite direction of her previous work, Hayter embraced the isolation of her environment for a comparatively sparse, minimalist album that loses none of its emotional potency. The songwriter’s lyrics are dark and calamitous, foretelling hellish prophecies and painting brutal pictures almost as a form of worship, frequently recalling familiar religious icons in devotion. Sinner Get Ready thrives in these profound feelings, achieving something hauntingly beautiful. —Jason Friedman
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Nas: King’s Disease II
It’s been a good week for New York. Fresh off the Verzuz battle between The Lox and Dipset, the city’s own Nas released his 14th studio album, King’s Disease II, a follow-up to 2020’s King’s Disease. While most of Nas’ recent work has paled in comparison to some of his more iconic releases, the rapper is reminding fans both old and new of what makes him a living legend. Teaming up with producer Hit-Boy, the pair effortlessly work off one another as Nas navigates punchy drums and keyboards, switching between the old and new landscapes of hip-hop he has influenced. There’s even the incredible “Death Row East,” a raw look at his involvement in the historic coast wars that claimed the lives of multiple all-timers, including Tupac, with whom Nas had a highly publicized beef. The track details the pair’s reconciliation shortly before Tupac’s murder, providing a somber look at the less glamorous side of music. Alongside a wide selection of features ranging from New York up-and-comer A Boogie Wit da Hoodie to the swagger of the Bay Area’s YG, and even a special appearance from Ms. Lauryn Hill herself, King’s Disease II oozes leisure and luxury alongside a keen understanding of his place in hip-hop as Nas shines a light on the titans before his time and the ones in the making. —Jade Gomez
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NTsKi: Orca
One of the rising stars from prolific and reliable post-vaporwave label Orange Milk Records, Kyoto-based artist and musician NTsKi dazzles with imaginative, hypnotic production on her debut album Orca. Thoughtfully arranged and supremely textural throughout the whole project, NTsKi’s unique take on pop music often finds her gentle voice being swallowed up by the stuttering beats and bright synths, resulting in brilliant bursts of melody amidst organized chaos. The magic of songs like “On Divination in Sleep” or the cover of Miharu Koshi’s “Parrallélisme” lies in the way these tracks, despite being sonically complex, are accessible and charming. Through its experimentation, Orca finds a singular sonic palette which, channeled through the lens of pop and electronic music, wriggles its way into a class of its very own. —Jason Friedman
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Phone Voice: Cradle Tape
Cradle Tape is the debut release from Phone Voice, the Portland-based solo project of graphic artist and educator Chitra Subrahmanyam, who sings and plays every instrument but bass on the album. Written prior to the pandemic (2017-2019) recorded at Lady’s House in Portland from September 2020 to June 2021, and produced by Matthew Langlais, the 11-track LP offers up warm, cozy bedroom rock with lo-fi intimacy and lyric emotion to spare. Subrahmanyam’s engaging songwriting makes ample use of the second person, inviting you into her mind and immersing you in her feelings of disconnection and longing. Her sense of humor shines through subtly: “I thought you said last time / would be the last time / but I guess that’s what you said / the time before,” she sings early in sprawling closer “Coke.” Meanwhile, her instrumentation moves from boldly distorted fuzz (“Stuck”) to bright acoustic strums (“Mother’s Milk”), and her singing from blurry murmurs (“D.I.D.P.”) to twee trills (“If I Were”). Cradle Tape feels like the kind of garden from which, with water and light, a career’s worth of special songs can grow. —Scott Russell
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Pink Siifu: GUMBO’!
The third album from Birmingham-born, Cincinnati-bred, Los Angeles-based artist Pink Siifu, GUMBO’!’s guiding principle is the same multiplicity that defines both its namesake and its creator. It’s as if Pink Siifu, who produces a handful of tracks himself under his iiye alias, set out specifically to disprove that “too many cooks spoil the broth.” All 18 GUMBO’! tracks are collaborations, from de facto title track “Gumbo’! 4 tha Folks, Hold On,” featuring Big Rube, Liv.e, V.C.R, Nick Hakim and producer DJ Harrison, to “Play On’! Inshallah,” with Liv.e, Kamilah and producer Notwolfy. The record is just as protean from a genre standpoint, as Pink Siifu’s tireless explorations span the entire spectrum of Black music, from in-your-face hip-hop (“Wayans Bros.,” “Big Ole” feat. BbyMutha) to electro-soul (“Doin Tew Much. [In My Mama Name]”) and borderline-ambient R&B (“Living Proof [Family],” prod. The Alchemist). It’s a rich, complex concoction, bold and subtle at turns, a feast for the ears. —Scott Russell
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Tinashe: 333
Since the beginning of her career, singer/songwriter Tinashe has excited her audience with her unique, passionate and blunt pop music. On her latest album 333, she sounds fully unrestrained, confidently using her expressive voice atop futuristic, genre-melding beats that blur the lines between pop, R&B and electronic club music. This unique sonic palette, made up of textural noise, orchestral strings and fat drums, generates some of the most engaging work Tinashe has released thus far, feeling constantly dynamic and often addictive. From the synth-pop-inspired thrill of “The Chase” to the lush and experimental title track, 333 is another exciting entry in Tinashe’s discography. —Jason Friedman
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Ty Segall: Harmonizer
Out of the clear blue sky comes Ty Segall’s first new solo album in two years, Harmonizer, both announced and released digitally Tuesday via Drag City, with a physical release to follow in October. A press release aptly describes the record as “a synthtastic production redesign that finds Ty dialing up a wealth of tightly controlled beats, thick keyboard textures, guitar and endless harmonies. This glossy sound makes for some of Ty’s cleanest songs and starkest ideas to date.” Segall co-produced his First Taste follow-up alongside Cooper Crain, titling it for his newly established Harmonizer Studios, from which it’s the inaugural recording. Segall’s Freedom Band-mates—Ben Boye, Mikal Cronin, Emmett Kelly and Charles Moothart—appear throughout Harmonizer as individuals, rather than as a unit, while his wife Denée Segall co-writes and appears on two of its 10 tracks. —Scott Russell
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And don’t forget to check out… Bread Boy: Blowout, Catbite: Nice One, Colin Hay: I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, FEET: Walking Machine EP, Glaive: all dogs go to heaven EP, Hippo Campus: Good Dog, Bad Dream EP, Homeboy Sandman: Anjelitu EP, Liam Kazar: Due North, Liars: The Apple Drop, Sparks: Annette: Cannes Selections – Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, The Umbrellas: The Umbrellas, Zachary Knowles: tendency to be a loner
