Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg

★★★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on 4AD Records

Anyone who tells you that rock ‘n’ roll is dead is a dipshit. What they mean is that their pet band is 70+ and not at the top of the charts or whatever. The best in rock music circa 2021 takes its cues from the punk and post-punk movements, and Dry Cleaning is one of the hottest current bands that does. A raft of singles and a pair of well-crafted EPs got everyone used to Florence Shaw’s deadpan, spoken-word delivery; their debut record ups the stakes considerably. While taking considerable influence from bands like Wire and Joy Division (and, much like Sleaford Mods, a touch of the Fall), they expand on the possibilities presented by those first wave acts and situate them in an utterly contemporary milieu.

La Femme – Paradigmes

★★★★

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Born Bad Records

Sixties psychedelia, Seventies disco, Eighties rave, Nineties trip hop, Oughts dream pop, and Tens neo-psych, wrapped in a trashed newspaper and served with coleslaw ($9.99).

Flock Of Dimes – Head Of Roses

★★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Sub Pop Records

A lovely, graceful album that examines isolation, self-doubt, and heartache in a way that you’d never really notice if you didn’t scan the lyrics.

Glasvegas – Godspeed

★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Go Wow Records

The band’s first album in nearly eight years goes for the London Calling effect on its cover but proves to be more of the diminishing returns that have plagued their career since the late Oughts.

The Fratellis – Half Drunk Under A Full Moon

★★★

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Cooking Vinyl Records

The Scottish indie pop band is well past it’s best-before date but it’s still mold-free, if a little stale. I guess that makes them the hot dog buns of the indie world.

Iglooghost – Lei Line Eon

★★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Supernature Records

Hyperpop, older IDM, and elements of trap weave together into a mystical record that manages to be both fey and discomforting all at the same time.

Du Blonde – Homecoming

★★★★

Released April 2nd, 2021

Beth Jeans Houghton’s third album as Du Blonde kicks a serious amount of early 90’s Pixies/Breeders ass. It has actual name-recognition guests, and is thus quite naturally self-released.

The Natvral – Tethers

★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Kanine Records

Kip Berman, formerly of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart and now apparently in a Walkmen cover band or something?

Mary Bell – Bellatrix Boadicea

★★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Destructure Records

A rippin’ riot grrl record from a punk band named after an English serial killer from the 1960s. Does two murders a serial killer make? I don’t know what the rules are. At any rate, Mary Bell, between the ages of 11 and 13, strangled two toddler boys to death and then mutilated their corpses. Mary Bell the band is from Paris and are staunch feminists. I, uh, am not touching any of that.

GHLOW – Slash And Burn

★★★

Released April 2nd, 2021 on PNKSLM Records

A good firm pounding but lacking a little something; like Atari Teenage Riot without the crack.

Dom & The Wizards – The Australian Cyclone Intensity Scale

★★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Tenth Court Records

What in the absolute Syd Barrett.

Amulets – Blooming

★★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on The Flenser Records

Drone that combines elements of the natural and the synthesized to evoke a rich ambient atmosphere filled with lumbering bass lines, fluttering field recordings, and butter-textured guitars.

The Snuts – W.L.

★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Parlophone Records

A collage of the worst impulses from the last ten years of mainstream rock. Every single song has me pointing and screeching about a different band I hate, so they’ve got variety if nothing else.

Mello Music Group – Bushido

★★★★

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Mello Music Group

Usually I don’t care about label comps but this one has Quelle Chris, B-Real, Open Mike Eagle, Apollo Brown, The Alchemist, Kool Keith, and Oddisee on it, so…it’s pretty good.

Haunt – Beautiful Distraction

★★☆

Released April 2nd, 2021 on Church Records

First came Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Then came a bunch of allegedly pop-punk bands who also drew inspiration from Maiden and Priest. Now there are bands taking inspiration from those bands who took inspiration from Maiden and Priest. It’s homeopathy but for metal.