The Cure

Songs of a Lost World

Capitol, Fiction, Lost Music, Polydor/Universal

How do you continue to innovate artistically when you've been doing things this long? What mountains are left to conquer when your "classic era" spans decades and your audience continues to expand as newer artists continue to reference you? Thankfully, Robert Smith and pals still have the answer, on this their first record in sixteen years. The intervening years have seen personal losses for Smith, huge changes in the world and society, and the slow pace of Songs of a Lost World matches the slow, methodical release schedule of the Cure's latter-day output. But this is a shining, melancholic return to form. Dark, powerful, beautiful and unlike anything else, this is the Cure at their inimitable best, playing the sound of aging and loss.

– Matt

Uranium Club

Infants Under The Bulb

Anti Fade Records, Static Shock Records

Do you take your punk with saxophone? Do you like post-angular guitars and rhythmic, near-spoken vocals? If so, Uranium Club is probably right for you. Apparently they call this egg punk nowadays. I would have called it art-punk. It definitely runs in the left-of-the-dial, DIY punk world, but has that glasses-wearing, proud-of-your-weirdness element that makes it hard to pin down to a single descriptor. It sounds like Wire and The Fall and maybe a touch of Lifter Puller and Shellac…kind of. In many ways it reminds me of No Wave era, but with modern production and some surprises along the way, all connected by hypnotic, head-nodding rhythms. It has the dynamic creativity of ‘80s Touch & Go and the personality of early punk. While it wanders fertile creative ground, there’s just enough traditional song structure to keep cohesive and digestible. I missed the hype when the band released The Cosmo Cleaners: The Higher Calling Of Business Provocateurs in 2018. But it’s 2024 and I’m playing Infants Under The Bulb a lot, and digging deeper into Uranium Club’s catalog too.

– Loren

Bright Eyes

Five Dice, All Threes

Dead Oceans

After re-recording their classic earlier records, Taylor Swift-like, Bright Eyes have returned to grace us with this middle-aged (but happier for it) follow-up to their 2020 return to form Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was. Mixing genres and found sounds as usual, there's a lived-in quality to Conor Oberst's lyricisms and witticisms, but if you've been along for the ride to this point, you're already a convert. This is the sound of a band having fun, firing on all cylinders, and bringing their pals along for a ride. 

– Matt

Sweat

Love Child

Vitriol

Sweat hit the ground running with their debut, working up a lather on Gotta Give It Up. Two years later, the California trio is back and they still seem plenty angry. Their second LP, Love Child may have a charming title but it has just as much fire as their debut. It follows a similar style while showing more nuance and growth. The biggest development I see on this record is that the guitar carries more of the melody, where Tuna Tardugno’s vocals were the core emotive piece on the last one. The tapestry weaves together just a little bit more this time, with interplay between the two bringing some forceful moments. The first time around, the vocals somewhat stole the show. They are just as effective now, but with even stronger backing. As a whole, this record hits me similarly to the first one. I’d argue that Side B is a little bit stronger, but not in a night vs. day comparison or anything. It’s just a strong record that ends on a high note. 

– Loren

Ekko Astral

pink balloons

Topshelf

This music is for people “who are struggling, who are at their absolute lowest" according to vocalist and guitar player Jael Holzman. Am I at my absolute lowest? No. Have I had a bit of a rough patch? Sure (it’s not that bad – don’t worry about it mom). Can I relate to music for people “who are struggling, who are at their absolute lowest"? Yes, obviously, we all can. That’s what makes Ekko Astral’s album pink balloons so soulfully relatable. pink balloons is not just music for when you’re feeling low, but the anecdote to it. It doesn’t just commiserate. It’s joyful, loud and pridefully political. It confronts sadness with a deep understanding and a wall of wailing guitars. A lot of noise albums fall into the same trap- monotony. It’s a wall of fuzz and squealing guitars the whole way through. Ekko Astral jumps over the pitfall with ease. The changing tempos, jittery melodies and hypnotic, rhythmic vocals keep every track feeling fresh. Ekko Astral’s brash, energetic LP is a punk rock lesson in joy and belonging.

– Delaney

Night Court

$hit Machine

Recess

Forget all the stereotypes about punk. Night Court are a punk band, but they aren’t nihilistic or aggressive. Instead, they’re scrappy and DIY and -- while they are certainly cynical at times -- they carry an air of positivity. It’s a well-defined sound on the band’s fourth LP, with 17 bouncy songs to singalong to. At heart these are pop songs, inspired by ‘90s alt rock, punk, lo-fi, and a splash of B-52’s. While the band has a clear formula, the songs never blur together. This doesn’t sound like the same song 17 times. It sounds like a cohesive collection of likeminded tunes. I’ve enjoyed the entire Night Court discography, but it feels a more cohesive this time around, with all of those little pieces fitting together just a little more tightly without losing its chaotic undertone, like it could fall apart at any time, in the best possible way.

– Loren

Sex Organs

We're Fucked

Voodoo Rhythm

Sex Organs is a duo based between The Netherlands and Switzerland, formed by members of The Anomalys and The Jackets who play scuzzy garage-punk while dressed as genitalia. Obviously, it’s a gimmick where the band has a focus on their fun, sex positive message rather than breaking new artistic ground. That’s a short way of saying this record reminds me of a lot of classic garage rock tunes over 12 tracks. It’s the rare case where you can somewhat judge an album by its cover, at least as far as knowing what you’re about to spin on your record player. Song topics include dildos, assholes, underpants and general naughtiness. Take that R-rated theme and add a singalong party punk vibe and you have the band’s basic sound figured out. 

– Loren

The Sleeveens

The Sleeveens

Dirtnap

You know how most records start out with an absolute banger? It sets a mood, for sure, but it often feels like the band doesn’t top it as the full album plays out. I’m definitely not saying that The Sleeveens deliver a dud with the first song here, “Give My Regards To The Dancing Girls,” but I am saying that it keeps picking up steam from the beginning. With this style of rock, the hooks need to do the talking. Think early protopunk meets the Ramones, like Stooges energy with a Ramones rhythm. It’s high strung, masculine and feels mostly timeless. In fact, the most impressive thing to me about this debut record is how the band manages this sound, which often sounds overproduced and too pristine in the modern era. This record has the feel of being in the crowd in a dingy bar as the band up front reinvents rock ‘n’ roll before your very eyes. It’s good on the very first listen, and even better on repeat.

– Loren

Grumpster

Grumpster

Pure Noise

Grumpster is just one of those bands. The first record caught my attention, the second was a “whoa” moment, and now it’s already album number three, five years later. It’s been a relatively quick progression and there’s a big jump in sound between the first and last albums, but it’s also linear and it makes sense. The band come from the California Bay Area and play poppy punk with a realist point-of-view. Fever Dream felt upbeat, even while dealing with more depressing subject matter (“Today I almost crashed my car for fun”). On this new self-titled record the band has embraced where they crashed landed. They are back on their feet -- perhaps battered and bruised -- but the grit pairs beautifully with the upbeat tones. They are determined to get back on the road, back in control. A self-titled Record #3 is a statement. It’s not exactly starting over, but it’s looking forward instead of back. The journey will continue.

– Loren

Ultrabomb

Dying To Smile

DC-Jam Records

Some may think this is a punk supergroup that will slip into the moonlit graffiti-strewn alleyway, never to be spotted again. However, this is where I must correct you on your erroneous ways of doubt: Ultrabomb explodes all over your turntable with this pristine bone white vinyl. How can you go wrong with Finny McConnell (The Mahones), Greg Norton (Husker Du) and Jamie Oliver (U.K Subs)? Ultrabomb have gelled with this release proving they are no one-trick magical unicorn but a lasting project that exudes camaraderie, strength and experience. Get it before it detonates.

– Christopher D

Spectral Voice

Sparagmos

Dark Descent

Good things take time. The seven-year wait from Erroding Corridors of Unbeing to Sparagmos was necessary for Spectral Voice. Their death/doom brewed patiently, increasing its hallucinogenic essence and fundamental extreme characteristics. While not necessarily a novel combination, it has been a minute since an act of that style tapped so deeply and completely into this crossroads of paradigms. The result is a psychotropic experience of the most potent kind, a bad trip with no ending in sight. To that end, Spectral Voice embrace many diverse elements, from post-metallic leanings to dark ambient passages, resulting in a work that is labyrinthine and multifaceted. Sparagmos, as its name suggests, is a work that tears you apart. A record that traverses the path of despair and madness. It is a combination defined by the original pioneers of death/doom, and now Spectral Voice have produced a record of the same caliber.

– Spyros Stasis

Laura Jane Grace

Hole In My Head

Polyvinyl

On her second solo album Laura Jane Grace throws back, looks ahead and reminds us why we should be grateful for the present. A foil to pandemic times Stay Alive, it reaches out with retro tinged punk tunes that catapult her from sounding like Bob Dylan to Joan Jett to Phoebe Bridgers and back again. While most of the tracks are spare musically and quite short they still feel fleshed out and full; in large part due to Grace’s warm vocals and nonstop lyrics. The album doesn’t reinvent anything but it does pay homage to folk punk past, present and future. Hole In My Head is witty, melodic and fun without being glib or derivative. In other words, Laura Jane Grace continues to make banging music.

– Delaney

The Jesus And Mary Chain

Glasgow Eyes

Fuzz Club Records

What I enjoy most about the Jesus and Mary Chain is arguably also their biggest flaw. The band’s slacker energy meets wall of feedback with a surprisingly melodic twist has always worked for me, but it kind of blurs together after a while. It’s kind of rainy day music – hence the classic “Happy When It Rains” off 1987’s Darklands. The band broke up in 1999, reforming in 2007. I listened to the 2017 comeback record and didn’t mind it, but never really dove in deep. Newly released in 2024, Glasgow Eyes sounds like classic JAMC, and that’s an accomplishment given how most reunions work out. It does sound a little different, too, of course. The modern production is bigger, louder, and cleaner – which could be divisive depending what you like about the group. It highlights their melodies more than the fuzz. Here, they’ve taken their classic sound and updated it with some modern flourishes that compliment rather than overpower. I wouldn’t use Glasgow Eyes to introduce people to the band, but this is still an enjoyable listen with a modern vibrancy that feels authentic.

– Loren

Scrunchies

Colossal

Learning Curve Records

I’ve covered a lot of bands in the Scrunchies family tree in the past, so Colossal is pretty much what I expected. Yet, at the same time, it’s a slight turnaround in style for the band, who released Feral Coast in 2022, which was a punkier sound. Their third LP, on new label Learning Curve, Colossal takes a hard ‘90s turn while still sounding very much in the here and now. You’ll get feedback, shouted vocals, and loud guitars. It pays homage to some ‘90s classics of both the underground and the mainstream but it also features contemporary vocal trade-offs, more nuanced mixing, and lyricism reflective of the present. It’s also the one of the last recordings by Steve Albini. This record has it all if you’re a fan of loud rock ‘n’ roll with independent spirit. I’ll admit it didn’t strike as hard on the first couple of listens, but the closer you pay attention, the bigger and stronger it gets. Dare I say that it sounds, well, colossal?

 

– Loren

Pinhead Gunpowder

Unt

1-2-3-4 Go!

The partially-active Aaron Cometbus band is back with a surprise new record that slows down the pace but maintains the group's magically blend of melodic punk and poignant lyricism. The album balances cynicism and positivity as only Cometbus records can.