The Monday Rewind: New Album Releases 3/25/16

Every Monday, Ghettoblaster is looking back to new albums released the previous week.  Below you’ll find several albums released on Friday March 25th that we believe are definitely worth a listen.

Littler – Of Wandering (Birdtapes)
Of Wandering, the debut album from Philadelphia band Littler, is one of the year’s most enjoyable albums to listen to.  Littler has a nice dynamic of girl/guy singing over rough power pop music, with definite similarities to The Breeders.  These are tough rocking songs with fantastically catchy choruses.  The album chugs along at a wonderful pace and all of a sudden is finished, leaving you the desire to start it from the beginning once again.  Of Wandering takes you back to your mid-twenties when you wrestled with the desire to finally grow up and get things figured out, yet still wanted to have fun.

Eric Bachmann – Eric Bachmann (Merge Records)
After years creating music as the front man of indie rock legends Archers of Loaf and then Crooked Fingers, Eric Bachmann is back with an absolutely stunning self-titled album.  Eric Bachmann is filled with nine songs centered around impeccable lyricism, bright piano and dazzling harmonies, making for a truly beautiful album.  There are several stylistic ventures along the way, including country, doo-wop and alternative rock, but the songs are perfectly paced throughout the album so they never seem out of place.  If you’re a fan of great lyrics sung in intricate melodies, you should definitely check out this album.

Domo Genesis – Genesis (Odd Future Records)
There is nothing in music quite like a great hip-hop debut album and Genesis from Domo Genesis is just that.  This is a very personal album and includes bits of storytelling, which illuminate pieces of his life: a message from his mother at one point and a phone call from a friend in prison where Domo tells him that he just finished the album.  These points of departure from music let us know that this album is a living organism to Domo Genesis, one that has been long in the making.  Genesis is also a really solid hip-hop album in its own right.  The songs are well produced and interesting musically, presenting a quasi-jazz feel that is accessible and challenging at the same time.  Overall, this is a special debut from a promising rapper with great beats and just the right amount of storytelling.

Bob Mould – Patch the Sky (Merge Records)
Wait a minute.  The former front man of Archers of Loaf and the former front man of Husker Du released albums on the same day from the same record label? Nice work Merge, you know how to make this demographic very happy!  Whereas the former former front man has largely traded in guitar riffs for piano riffs, Bob Mould has returned with a riff-tastic new album about grief and loss.  Mould has experienced the loss of both his parents in a relatively short amount of time, and the lyrics of these songs search for guidance, strength and understanding in the darkness.  Although the subject matter is dour, the music is catchy and easy to absorb, making for a triumphant feeling overall.  Again, this album has guitar riffs right, left and center all throughout and they are fantastic sounding guitars at that.  Any fan of Bob Mould will love this album and anyone who is unfamiliar with Bob Mould but enjoys catchy rock songs with great riffs will find something new to celebrate.
Other Noteworthy Albums
This week was so full of great albums we couldn’t cover them all!  Below you’ll find other noteworthy albums to check out.

The Thermals – We Disappear (Saddle Creek Records)

Night Moves – Pennied Days (Domino)

The Sun Days – Album (Run for Cover Records)

exmagician – Scan the Blue (Bella Union)