Welcome to the new music review where we connect you with some of the best new music spinning on Breakfast, The Daily and Drive programs.

ALBUMS:

Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You  FEATURE ALBUM

Black Country New Road – Ants From Up There
Cate Le Bon – Pompeii
EXEK – Advertise Here
Kase Avila – As Long As We Got
Mitski – Laurel Hell
Neil Frances – There is No Neil Frances
Samm Henshaw – Untidy Soul
Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa

SINGLES:

Arlo Parks – Softly
Body Type – Sex and Rage
Dream Fiend – Aqualight
Full Flower Moon Band – Trainspotting
Harvey Sutherland – Feeling Of Love feat. DāM-FunK
Immy Owusu – Mantra
Maxine Gillon – Genuflect
Newdad – Banshee
Nick O’Mara – Distant Choir
Pinch Points – Am I Ok?
The Slims – Crooks

On There is no Neil Frances, the LA-based duo Neil Frances further their journey through their take on nostalgia-influenced house and disco.

As the title suggests, there isn’t a Neil Frances in the group, being comprised of Sydney’s Jordan Feller and Californian Marc Gilfy.

The standout track on here for many will probably be Dancing: a cover (or remix?) of Rare Silks’ seminal 1985 track “Storms“. While there could be arguments to the contrary, it’s at the very least a memorable tribute.

In comparison to their previous output (a pair of EP’s in 2018 and 2021), this follows a direction more rooted in cosmic disco and house, with a pop slant. Throughout, it sits somewhere between dancefloor and lounge, with tracks such as on We’re falling up and On a dark night combining deeper groove-based vocal cuts and chillwave. Aesthetically it sits on an early 90s inspired sound, featuring raw arrangements coupled with on point sampling.

Self described as being about “self-realisation and becoming the person that you dream of”, this is a quality debut album.

Out now.

Returning with her sixth studio album, Pompeii, Welsh singer and multi-instrumentalist, Cate Le Bon dives in to a more self reflective and sonically stripped back sound.

Inspired in part by the art of long-time friend Tim Presley, her distinctive style of lyrical delivery flow over gently chugging rhythms and dreamy downtempo cuts with an art-pop bent. It often hits blissful heights, standouts include Harbour, Moderation and the already released Remembering.

Recorded throughout the height of the pandemic with co-producer Samur Khouja, Le Bon played almost every instrument featured here, including  bass, giving the record a continuity of sound as it explores concepts such as antiquity, philosophy, architecture and more.

It’s certainly going to appeal to fans of her recent work, especially those hoping for something of the quality of 2019’s Reward.

Out now via Mexican Summer