New album releases this week: Ghostpoet, Alina Baraz, Car Seat Headrest, Damien Jurado and more

May is here along with more new releases for your listening pleasure and Getintothis’ Simon Kirk selects this week’s top finds.

White rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit!

Yup, that’s April gone and a new month awaits.

With the first full month of lock-down boxed off, without trying to state the bleeding obvious, unfortunately there’s probably more of the same for the foreseeable future.

For those who are going stir crazy, we recommend that you check out Jane Davies‘ excellent Mindfulness piece which was published last week. There are some great tips within so do have a read.

As for new releases, well, like every Friday, there’s a fine array for your yearning ears and as per the usual rigours, it’s a job to get it down to just seven.

In saying that, we certainly recommend trawling through the list which concludes the weekly 7, for some releases are just as good if not better. Some brilliant new music has been found trawling through these lists.

Not least, from a new collaboration involving members of former Liverpool favourites Outfit and the brilliant Ex-Easter Island Head, Land Trance whose debut album, First Seance, is released today. Do enjoy that one.

As for the rest, well, I won’t keep you any longer. Ghostpoet is calling you.

Stay safe.

This week’s top seven:

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1. Ghostpoet: I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep
PIAS

The two-time Mercury Prize nominee Ghostpoet (aka Obaro Ejimiwe) follows up 2017’s Dark Days and Canapés with I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep.

Ghostpoet has been around long enough to know how it all works and here he provides us with a dystopian snapshot of society and uncertain times which are ahead.

2. Car Seat Headrest: Making A Door Less Open
Matador Records

Will Toledo‘s Car Seat Headrest project returns with their latest injection of 90s-inspired indie-rock with Making A Door Less Open.

This writer’s been waiting for the CSH spark to come – it may just have arrived. As they say, third time lucky. Or not. We shall see…

3. Alina Baraz: It Was Divine
Mom + Pop Music

Despite the fact this is her first album, Ohio-born Alina Baraz is making big waves in the mainstream. After all, Nas approves, so that’s good enough for us.

Having two EPs already in the can, Baraz‘s debut album, It Was Divine, is a bold statement filled with bangers and ballads for all the family fun.

4. Damien Jurado: What’s New, Tomboy?
Mama Bird Recording Co.

Another year, another Damien Jurado record. And we’re not complaining. At all.

What’s New, Tomboy? follows last year’s brilliant stripped-back affair, In The Shape of A Storm. WNT is said to follow a similar path of its predecessor which is no bad thing.

Happy Damien Jurado Day (yes, we just confirmed that this is now a thing).

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5. Austra: HiRUDiN
Domino Recording Company

Katie Austra Stelmanis has been better known by full moniker for her last three albums, however here she returns as Austra with HiRUDiN.

Toxic relationships and uncertainty were the main themes which inspired HiRUDiN. A close-to-the-bone and daring statement that’s said to be Stelmanis‘ finest work yet.

6. Melenas: Dias Raros
Trouble In Mind

Spanish dream-poppers, Melenas, release their new album, Dias Raros, which will be their first outside of Spain via the very underrated Trouble In Mind label.

Yes, when TiM release something we know it’s not going to be shit-canned. Melenas and Friday. Two words that have a nice ring to them. Enjoy this.

7. Markus Floats: Third Album
Constellation Records

Montréal-based multi-disciplinary composer Markus Lake, returns with his latest work, Third – his first for Constellation.

With a background covering a wide array of genres, Lake‘s latest album captures a nice balance between ambience and drone.

Fans of Oren Ambarchi, Fennesz and Terry Riley? Look no further.

The rest of this week’s notable releases:

• Joan As Police Woman: Cover Two (Sweet Police)
• Land Trance: First Sentence (Dense Truth)
• Diet Cig: Do You Wonder About Me? (Frenchkiss Records)
• Polly Scattergood: In This Moment (Future Paradise)
• Field Works: Ultrasonic (Temporary Residence Limited)
• Johanna Warren: Chaotic Good (Wax Nine/Carpark Records)
• Alanis Morissette: Such Pretty Forks in the Road (Epiphany Music)
• Devon Williams: A Tear in the Fabric (Slumberland Records)
• American Aquarium: Lamentations (New West Records)
• Ben Lukas Boysen: Mirage (Erased Tapes Records)
• Caleb Landry Jones: The Mother Stone (Sacred Bones Records)
• Blakkamoore: Upward Spiral (Baco Records)
• Boston Manor: GLUE (Pure Noise Records)
• Chicano Batman: Invisible People (ATO Records)
• Cotillon: Cruiser (2020 Anniversary)
• Man Man: Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In-Between (Sub Pop)
• Dark Morph: (Jónsi and Carl Michael von Hausswolff): Dark Morph II (Pomperipossa Records)
• Desert Storm: Omens (APF Records)
• Dramarama: Color TV (Pasadena Records)
• The Soft Pink Truth (Drew Daniel of Matmos): Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? (Thrill Jockey)
• GroundCulture: How Well Do You Really Know Yourself? (Hopeless Records)
• Houses of Heaven: Silent Places (felte)
• Umbra Vitae (Jacob Bannon): Shadow of Life (Deathwish Inc.)
• Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards: Bitter Better (Compass Records)
• Lavinia Blackwall (Trembling Bells): Muggington Lane End (self-released)
• Loren Oden: My Heart, My Love (Linear Labs)
• Mark Allen-Piccolo: Word of the Day (BoyCave Records)
• Olivia Awbrey: Dishonorable Harvest (Quick Pickle Records)
• ONO: Red Summer (American Dream Records)
• Pure X: Pure X (Fire Talk)
• Symba: Don’t Run From R.A.P. (Columbia)
• Ted Taforo: Between Dreams (Future Gods)
• Tigerwine: Nothing Is For You (Tooth & Nail Records)
• Tom Bright: Self-Service Checkout (The Future Is Bright Recordings)
• V.V. Lightbody: Make A Shrine or Burn It (Acrophase Recoprds)
• Witchcraft: Black Metal (Nuclear Blast)

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