Erasure reunites for the momentous occasion of their 18th studio album, The Neon , which follows 2017’s World Be Gone . Like the glowing hot substance of the title, the music evokes an exciting and energetic mood. The Neon is a place that lives in the imagination. It’s a place of possibility bathed in warm light and this is music that takes you there. Vince and Andy pull inspiration from pop music through the decades, from bands they loved and want to share with a new generation. The Neon connects us to our pasts and our futures as it glistens with hope.
Washed Out, the Atlanta-based producer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ernest Greene, delivers his most accessible creation to date with his fourth album, Purple Noon . With each release, Greene has approached his evolving project with meticulous detail and a steadfast vision. Greene wrote, recorded, and produced Purple Noon following a brief stint of writing for other artists (most notably Sudan Archives). His time writing for others enabled Greene to explore genres like R&B and modern pop. These brighter, more robust sounds made their way into the songs of Purple Noon and mark a new chapter for Greene. The vocals are front and center, tempos are slower, beats bolder…you can hear the luxuriousness of Sade, the sonic bombast of Phil Collins, and the lush atmosphere of the Balearic beat classics. Mediterranean coastlines inspired Purple Noon , and Greene pays tribute to the region’s distinct island culture using it as a backdrop to tell stories of passion, love, and loss. Purple Noon ’s title comes from the 1960 film based on the novel The Talented Mister Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, and much like romantic Hollywood epics, the melodrama throughout this album is strong. Purple Noon adds a layer of emotional intensity to the escapism of Washed Out’s oeuvre, taking the music to dazzling new heights.
Chicago-based indie rock trio Dehd’s Flower of Devotion ups the ante from the raucous garage sound and lyrical sparring of their 2019 debut, Water , with more polished and sometimes sunnier tunes. The attitude remains, but the results feel more well-rounded, seeing the band come into their own on their sophomore album. Singer/songwriter Emily Kempf sang about the necessity of love, compassion, and companionship on Water ; here she extols the virtues of being a loner while showing off her incredibly expressive range. Balla's guitar lines flirt from cosmic country to the dark sounds of Broadcast. It’s clear that Dehd is making meaningful markers on their way into the journey of the soul.
Twenty-five years after Elliott Smith's self-titled second album was released to little fanfare by the press, this highly-influential work gets the attention it deserves from the good folks at the Kill Rock Stars label. Smith is a songwriter of great emotional depth whose influence on indie rock cannot be underestimated. This influence continues to expand and shape music years after his death, and this dark and beautiful album is considered his seminal work by many. The anniversary reissue includes many bells and whistles for fans, but the most thrilling detail for many will be the inclusion of the earliest known recording of Smith performing as a live solo act. The Smith family’s official archivist, producer and engineer Larry Crane, sorted through archive of reels, cassettes, DAT tapes, and digital files to locate the best sources for Smith’s first-generation mix downs.
