The Monday Rewind: New Album Releases 4/1/16

Every Monday, Ghettoblaster is looking back to new albums released the previous week.  Below you’ll find several albums released on Friday April 1st that we believe are definitely worth a listen.
 

Elzhi – Lead Poison (GLOW365 LLC)

Detroit rapper Elzhi takes us back in time with his new album, Lead Poison, which is heavily inspired by 90s hip-hop. This makes sense as Elzhi made his start in the late 90s with rap group Slum Village. He’s been recording solo albums for several years now and Lead Poison is one of his finest. The beats are solid loops and the emphasis here is on fantastic lyricism and stellar flows. Overall, it’s a melancholy affair focusing on storytelling rap with occasional turns to the surreal.  Apparently this album was actually released on March 25th but it slipped under the radar and we wanted to cover it anyway.

Tancred – Out of the Garden (Polyvinyl)

From the beginning riff of opener “Bed Case” to the fading guitar distortion of closer “Pretty Girls,” Tancred brings us a hugely enjoyable power pop ride with Out of the Garden. Comparisons to Weezer and The Breeders abound in the best possible way. The choruses are catchy, the music is loud and each song is a joy to listen to.

Tacocat – Lost Time (Hardly Art)

Lost Time is a strange, yet super fun listen. The album opens with a track titled “Dana Katherine Scully,” an ode to the character from The X-Files, and the clever humor never wavers throughout. This is an album that inspires as much head bobbing as it does laughing as the music is very well executed power pop. There are some definite heavy parts, both musically and lyrically, but even in these moments Tacocat’s wonderful sense of wit is present.

Laura Gibson – Empire Builder (City Slang)

Empire Builder is a beautiful singer-songwriter album with pop song structures and occasional shades of country. Laura Gibson alternates largely between pop songs, which contain interesting percussion and perfectly produced string arrangements, and slow burning folk songs with introspective lyrics and country influences. The mix between these two styles makes for an unpredictable and endlessly interesting listen.  She is also featured in the most recent issue of Ghettoblaster, out now!

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.

Frankie Cosmos – Next Thing (Bayonet Records)


 

Black Mountain – IV (Jagjaguwar)


 

Mike and the Melvins – Three Men and a Baby (Sub Pop)


 

Autolux – Pussy’s Dead (Columbia)