It’s our first “New Release Report” back after a short hiatus and we’re as excited to be here as you are to be reading us on a regular basis again. And what better way to kick off a new release week, the first week of autumn, with some major new releases!
Drake is back with his third opus entitled Nothing Was The Same which sees the Canadian hip-hop swooner continually climbing that mountain while riding high on top of three successful singles (“Started From The Bottom”, “All Me”, and “Hold On, We’re Going Home”) that preceded the full-length.
On the other Pop spectrum is Kings Of Leon who return with Mechanical Bull and lead off single “Supersoaker” which our own KBOX reviewed here. Is MB destined to follow the path of Come Around Sundown and the breakout Only by the Night? Stay tuned to this space for KBOX’s review…
Then there’s the ladies! Not only does this week bring us a new album by Cher, whose Closer to the Truth (Her first in 12 years!) album features guest verses and songwriting from Pink, Timbaland, and Paul Oakenfold, but also from Hope Sandoval and the reactivated Mazzy Star who release Season of Your Day, their fourth overall and first in almost 17 years!
On the heavier side of things, keep your ears peeled for new albums by Touche Amore, Jesu, and the ultimate thrash masters Metallica and Megadeth who release a soundtrack to a “concert” film and a live performance of a concert respectively. Yeah, I’m confused too.
Oh, and some band who single-handedly ushered in the grunge-era is releasing a 20th Anniversary edition of some album named In Utero this week.
As usual, head on over to Pause & Play for a complete list of the week’s releases and then head back here next week when we look at JT’s second album of the year and some heaviness from Max Cavalera’s Soulfly and the new project from Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison.
6 comments
Trey Stone says:
Sep 24, 2013
I feel like the second “Nothing Was the Same” becomes the top-selling rap album this year is the second I become a cranky old head who officially Doesn’t Get It
that “Hold On” single is jammin’ though
Big Money says:
Sep 25, 2013
It will in pretty short order. I say within a month.
And it isn’t a bad album. On first listen, I can say there are at least two songs I absolutely love. And I didn’t hear anything that made me lunge for the “skip” button.
Trey Stone says:
Sep 25, 2013
There’s some sonic differences with his first two albums but I have the same basic issue, he raps over these moody backdrops that don’t have a lot of motion to ’em. Feel like they need some extra oomph to connect that they don’t have.
I could talk about not personally finding his lyrics or persona appealing but honestly I don’t know that I’d mind if he was a better rapper over better beats. I think unlike Kanye, who doesn’t necessarily always care about trying to be a technically adept rapper these days but makes up for it in other ways, Drake clearly does want to be taken seriously as a classically good emcee. It’s just that aside from “Too Much” where he’s got a more fluid delivery, he generally raps in this strained, lean hard into every syllable style that puts me off.
was sorta hoping this’d be the album of his that’d win me over tbh since I think “Hold On” is easily his best solo single
Big Money says:
Sep 25, 2013
Yeah, I’m a very big fan of “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” I like the Jay-Z joint too, but way more because of Jay than because of Drake. Actually, it kinda feels more like a Jay song featuring Drake.
Trey Stone says:
Sep 25, 2013
Yeah that Jay verse seems like it’s gotten some negative responses and idgi, I think that’s one of his better verses in a while
maybe people just got too hung up on the “cake cake cake” part
Big Money says:
Sep 26, 2013
I think it works in the greater framework of the rhyme. I don’t know, that verse sounds to me like he was thinking “dagger,” and he hasn’t been in that lane in a while.