We’ve been anticipating some of these albums since we published our 2020 preview, but some of March’s upcoming releases are full of surprises. From Stephen Malkmus’ new folsky infusion to Pearl Jam’s unexpected ’80s synth sound to NCT 127’s sophomore growth spurt, these are the 11 albums we can’t wait to hear this month.
March 6
Anna Calvi, Hunted
English singer-songwriter Anna Calvi made a singular statement with her 2018 album, Hunter—so singular, in fact, that Calvi’s raw, fierce point of view translates just as strongly in stripped-down acoustic reworkings of those same songs. That’s the basic idea behind Hunted, which enlists Courtney Barnett, Joe Talbot, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Julia Holter to help Calvi bring forward what label Domino Records calls “the innate fragility” of the original, self-recorded demos for what eventually became Hunter. [Katie Rife]
CocoRosie, Put The Shine On
CocoRosie’s Sierra and Bianca Casady have always been sonic alchemists, their combustible cuts toying with strands of pop, ambient, freak folk, and hip-hop. That experimental spirit lives on Put The Shine On, an LP they recently described as “very beat-based” and packed with “heartbreak, swag, frogs, roosters, and old-timey hooks.” That’s evident in the sassy, theatrical flow of “Restless,” as well as “Smash My Head,” an electro-pop banger punctuated by daggers of grimy electric guitar. [Randall Colburn]
Stephen Malkmus, Traditional Techniques
For Stephen Malkmus’ third album in three years, the former (and soon to be current—for two dates, at least) Pavement frontman tries sometimes pastoral, sometimes psychedelic folk on for size: Twanging Americana for “Cash Up,” a thrumming bad trip for “Xian Man.” There have always been traces of these Techniques in the Malkmus songbook; the new Traditional elements are instruments like the rabab and the udu, which approximate musical customs much older than the album’s cut-out bin forebears, providing clever juxtaposition to the wry, extremely online commentary of “Shadowbanned.” [Erik Adams]
U.S. Girls, Heavy Light
With its driving dance beat, jumpy guitar, and blistering saxophone solo, Heavy Light’s “Overtime” is musically of a piece with the political disco pop of U.S. Girls’ widely praised In A Poem Unlimited. Thematically, both the new single and album see Meg Remy getting more personal (publicity materials call her thirteenth LP a “deeply introspective about-face”), but whatever mode they’re in, Remy and her collaborators always put forth works of art that are at once pointed and intoxicating. [Laura Adamczyk]
NCT 127, Neo Zone
NCT 127’s last full-length LP was a dream-state concept album that blended conventional pop with more experimental garage-like beats. The band’s second effort teases a well-rounded showcase of every single member, ranging from bass-heavy funk to chaotic hip-hop. Tracks like “Love Song” rest comfortably in their velvety R&B purview, but it will be exciting for fans to experience the more complex vocal arrangements of a group eager to show their growth as vocalists. [Shannon Miller]
Caroline Rose, Superstar
Alt-country songwriter-turned-offbeat pop purveyor Caroline Rose describes her new album as tracking a person’s doomed pursuit of fame after receiving an accidental phone call from Los Angeles’ Chateau Marmont. There’s humor to the premise and all kinds of color in lead single “Feel The Way I Want,” which pulses with 16-bit synths and a vibrant, funky rhythm. As on her last LP, Loner, Rose’s energy is infectious. [Randall Colburn]
March 13
Pearl Jam, Gigaton
Longtime fans were understandably a bit nonplussed when “Dance Of The Clairvoyants,” the first single from the Pearl Jam’s upcoming Gigaton—its first record in more than six years—was released a few weeks back. The song was an unexpected venture into icy ’80s synth-pop, a strange look on the classic-rock outfit. But new single “Superblood Wolfmoon” is a reassurance that, no, the band isn’t completely reinventing its sound. Pearl Jam is just trying a little experimentation; once in a while, it’s not so bad to do the evolution. [Alex McLevy]
0 Comments