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:

The Laurels – Homecoming (Feature Album)
Aldous Harding – Warm Chris
Destroyer – LABYRINTHITIS
Eamon – No matter the season
Jenny Hval – Classic Objects
Kick – Light Figures
Punko – Plants Singing
Sankt Otten – Symmetrie und Wahnsinn

SINGLES: 

Bernice – Empty Cup (Yves Jarvis Sequel)
Big Orange – Love’s not enough
Good Morning – Misery
Henry Franklin, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad – The Griot
Mirror Mirror – Baby be mine
Mush – Get on yer soapbox
Nagging Doubts – Dirty Scene
Salarymen – Rerun
Sam Shinazzi – Closing Time
SCRAPS – Peculiar Radio

The Feature Album this week on 2SER is from local stalwarts, The Laurels. On Homecoming, they fuse their trademark effect-heavy indie rock with rich harmonics and open, explorative dreamlike sounds. Their bright and shimmering guitar riffs fuse with synthesisers and sublimated vocals, and this is an  excellent new release, their first LP since 2016’s Sonicology.

A firm favourite of 2SER is New Zealand’s dream pop auteur Aldous Harding. Her latest Warm Chris, is another serving of of Aldous’ unique gothic folk sound, carried on gliding vocal melodies, velvet lyrical softness and melancholic piano lines. Lead singles such as Fever and Lawn gave a taste of what to expect, and the full release is just as explorative as her previous albums. Also on high rotation from this week is the new mystifying chapter from Canada’s Destroyer. As always hard to define, this is a wild combination of dream pop, balladry and disco, all held together by the distinctive narrator-styled vocals of Dan Bejar. 

Keeping on music that touches on ethereality, Melbourne’s Punko has just released a mesmerising new one. Entitled Plants Singing, it dips into deeper and more surrealist sounds and experimentation that verges between pop and Krautrock/Plant music  sound templates. It’s a beautiful listen and a fantastic debut from solo artist Liv Jansz.

In a similar spirit, the latest (twelfth if you’re counting) full-length from Sankt Otten is a luscious synth-driven affair. The parit from Osnabrück, Germany take us on a voyage spanning thematic synthesised soundscapes and warm , retro-inspired electronics. Opening tracks carry a Neu-type pulse, while it gives way to more ambient arrangements by the close. We’re playing select cuts off these throughout the day on 107.3FM (and the usual digital outputs) from today.

The sophomore album from Italian duo, Kick (Light Figures) dropped today too and it’s worth hearing. Driven by  bass-heavy grooves, snappy drum arrangements and uncompromising vocal attitude. There’s much range throughout as well, from low-slung and smoky grind of Setting Tina to the Bush-Tetras-esque Sirens Never Sleep. It’s out now Anomic Records and playing loud on the 2SER airwaves.

Another album that just came in is the new one from Staten Island native, Eamon – No matter the season, co-produced by Likeminds. Now residing in Southern California, his fourth album is a powerful outing in husky and raw soul music, with no filler. It seamlessly fuses his weathered vocal style with 70s jazz and African music samples, live drumming and horns.

As well, there are plenty of new singles lighting up your airwaves (if you’re on the correct frequency). The debut from North Coast Yacht-Rocker Mirror Mirror is a strong first expedition into blue-eyed soul. Taken off of the excellent recent compilation by  New Weird Australia, we’re feeling  Peculiar Radio by Scraps. It’s a foreboding yet sweet take on electronic music with a raw edge, plus we all love some peculiar radio here generally!

One of 2SER’s favourite Sydney acts, Salarymen just released Rerun, which is an excellent new taste of Psychadelia-tinged rock. Likewise, local post-punkers Nagging Doubts’ Dirty Scene is a top-shelf and infinitely catchy one (the video also has some under-the-radar skating spots on display).