With this sun and these records, the new normal doesn't feel too bad you know...
Hello, Friends.
Finally in our hands and spinning (in full splattering glory), our May Record of the Month is Tim Burgess' superb new solo LP I Love The New Sky. We first heard this beast back in September of last year, we were working on the festival and a fortuitous conversation with our mate Simon ended up with the LP on our headphones and Tim booked to join us in Dartington. So today on the eve of what would have been the Sea Change weekend, it's a thrill to have the album in hand and also so bitter-sweet knowing that we have to wait some more to have Tim join us in person. Above all else, the writing here is fantastic. It's smart and funny, but really direct and the way he has filled the songs out with his new band and the production is a real joy. It really is a fantastic record, one that we'll be playing plenty until we finally get to welcome him down this way.
+ First pressing on transparent splatter vinyl.
This week's Record of the Week is Consummation, a really brilliant return from Katie Von Schleicher. This LP has such a great drive to it, a smokey sort of delivery with tense and driving pop production. It's only when you really deep dive that you realise that the jangles, twists and turns cloud big thoughts on anxiety and trauma. Both sides of that coin are brilliant and engaging, we're really hammering this one on the stereo. We were thrilled to work with Katie and Full Time Hobby to have this fine album as Dinked Number 45, and we're delighted to make our last few copies available online... now!
• Exclusive clear vinyl.
• Exclusive bonus 7” with two tracks (A: “CMWA” - B: “Display”)
• Exclusive tote bag with artwork by Katie.
• Limited to just 300 copies pressed, worldwide.
• Hand-numbered sleeve.
Oh Yeah? is the fourth album from the blistering New York psych-jazz-rock quartet Sunwatchers. They are one hell of a band and this latest outing finds them in full flight, ever building euphoria with droning guitars, honking sax and the sort of locked in grooves that always get us going over here at Drift. Wether you think you like the sound of this or not is out of your control, one listen and they'll have you hooked... very highly recommended!
+ Limited Indie Shop version LP is pressed on 'Brown Ice' coloured vinyl.
Brat is the new LP from Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and producer NNAMDÏ. It's a HUGE record this, he brings in so much both vocally and with his instrumentation. Got a lush flow to it, moves all over the place but never feels eratic.
+ Indies only LP on Splatter vinyl. Standard LP on Opaque Blue vinyl
Steve Earle returns with The Dukes and his new LP Ghosts of West Virginia. It centres on the Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion that killed twenty-nine men in that state in 2010, making it one of the worst mining disasters in American history. Vocally he sounds great.
+ Indie version LP is pressed on limited yellow marbled vinyl.
Master producer Blake Mills drops his new album Mutable Set and hardly surprisingly, it's brilliantly produced. It's got that late period Talk Talk vibe going on in places, everything sounds utterly cavernous and huge, but also whispered like he's in your ear. Quite the experience this one.
Also this week we have some massive grooves on Rocket Recordings from Kooba Tercu with Proto Tekno. Nightingales release their pounding new Four Against Fate LP. LA musician Miles Shannon drops his self titled debut as Cassowary. Jazz is the focus, but this is blurred with funk and hip-hop, real nice.
A very welcome return this week too from Badly Drawn Boy with his ninth LP Banana Skin Shoes. He's such a human songwriter... He's so engaging in a really intimate and simple way. Bit of a treasure isn't he.
I think we have twice told you that the James Elkington album is out... well, we've touched it! IT IS HERE. His guitar playing has long been celebrated, but tell you what, vocally he's next level here and Ever-Roving Eye is an album we're really taken by.
+ Act quick, we have a deluxe green glass vinyl LP edition.
The 1975 release their highly anticipated new album Notes On A Conditional Form this week. We have CD copies and we're pretty sure it'll be streaming as of tonight too, but the LP formats drop soon. We have an indie version, were also running a competition to win a signed test pressing, more on that here.
Soul Jazz Records release a heavy duty compilation today called BLACK RIOT, it's all about Early Jungle, Rave and Hardcore. The first run of both the 2LP and CD versions includes a graphic novel, 'Black Riot: The Mysterons save Planet Earth' by the Xatheroid Angels.
We were delighted to be James Endeacott's guest yesterday on his excellent Morning Glory show on Soho Radio. We spoke about shop culture and also about not being able to run Sea Change this weekend. You can stream the entire show on our blog, including our 'daydreams' mix.
We are really excited to be a part of next month's #loverecordstores celebration. There will be a full 24 hours of programming from guest artist and label partners all celebrating record shop culture. There will also be some really lush special edition releases, you can view the list here: www.loverecordstores.com
We'll keep you posted with more details as we get a little closer to the day!
Have a great long weekend, and if you're having a bit of a moment about Sea Change past, present or future, give us a little message on our freshly reinstalled twitter page here.
- Drift
