The 2 Bears – The Night is Young (Southern Fried)
Why you should listen: This second album from the bear suit-wearing duo, comprised of Raf Rundell and Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, unleash another pop-house record with relatable lyrics and the kind of 90s dance flourishes currently making the rounds in the charts.
It might not be for you if… You’re either too young to get into The 2 Bears’ “life in your 30s” realism, or too old to be bothered with music designed for club dancefloors.
What we said: “The Night Is Young manages to be simultaneously familiar and strange, commercial but emotionally weighty, grown-up without being boring: a musical grey area that grows curiouser all the time”, wrote Alexis Petridis, in his lead review for the Guardian. Read Paul Mardles’ three-star review from the Observer New Review here.
Score: 4/5
Ex Hex – Rips (Merge)
Why you should listen: Mary Timony, who made her mark on the US 90s alt-rock scene in bands Autoclave, Helium and Wild Flag, fronts a new three-piece with drummer Laura Harris and bassist Betsy Wright. The results are scuzzy, earworm guitar tunes with a pop edge.
It might not be for you if… This sort of power-pop guitar music makes you cringe: you either want the sweet stuff, or the grit.
What we said: “Ex Hex sit somewhere near the middle of a Go-gos/Ramones/Sleater-Kinney Venn diagram, and join latterday power-pop aces like Warm Soda, the Love Triangle and Sheer Mag in making some of the most endlessly repeat-listenable should-be-hits of recent years,” wrote Tom Hughes, for the Guardian.
Score: 5/5
Kindness – Otherness (Female Energy)
Why you should listen: Adding saxophone to his generally genre-defying take on pop, R&B and disco, Kindness’ Adam Bainbridge is back – and he’s brought alt-R&B’s Kelela, Scandi-pop queen Robyn and Mark Ronson-affiliated vocalist Tawiah with him.
It might not be for you if… You struggle to find an access point for music that makes soul less about feeling and more about an academic endeavour. We’re streaming Otherness on our music blog now, so have a listen below to make your own mind up.
What we said: “This really is a beautifully crafted album, its sincere homages to Jam & Lewis’s crisp R&B or Womack & Womack’s swish club soul transformed by a distinctly English kind of longing,” wrote Sam Richards, in the Guardian.
Score: 4/5
Yasmin Levy – Tango (World Village)
Why you should listen: Theatrical as ever, singer-songwriter Yasmin Levy pivots slightly on this sixth album, moving from Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) to Argentinian tango-inspired music. She weaves in hints of Spanish and Turkish song, too, working with Israel Kibbutz orchestra musical director Yaron Gottfried.
It might not be for you if… You find that Levy’s brand of emotional, voice-cracking warbling grates rather than delights.
What we said: “On this set, recorded live in Tel Aviv, she is backed by a full orchestra to rework classic tangos that almost all deal with love and pain,” wrote Robin Denselow, in the Guardian.
Score: 4/5
Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out (Nuclear Blast)
Why you should listen: Judging by their relentless energy, you might not guess that these thrash experts have been on the scene for decades. As an added bonus for Exodus fans, vocalist Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza returns after 10 years away.
It might not be for you if… Cut-and-dry thrash of this variety tends to melt into an almost soothing puddle of monotony.
What we said: “Blood In, Blood Out’s wholesale return to the vicious thrash simplicity that Exodus helped to define 30 years ago is a joyous and welcome development”, wrote Dom Lawson, in the Guardian.
Score: 4/5
Last week, readers below the line were keen on the new Flying Lotus, Underworld and Caribou albums. Which bands and musicians will you be getting into this week? Comment away and let us know.
