In No Particular Order – May 8, 2020

Here we are yet again, celebrating a wonderful New Music Friday!

And yet again, I return with a handful of freshly picked new releases for your ears to feast upon. Big and small, we’ve got it all (that rhymes, check it).

To save myself from mindless rambling and deterring you from checking out all the great new releases you’ll find below, I’ll keep this short.

You can find Dusty Organ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify to stay up to date on new releases!

And more importantly, if you enjoy anything you hear, remember to pass it along!

Hayley Williams – Petals For Armor

8/10

Alternative rock/Singer-songwriter

You probably recognize her name from the acclaimed pop-punk band Paramore. Well, despite her career-long denial of ever producing a solo album, Hayley Williams has done it in the form of the strong-willed and deeply personal Petals For Armor.

Known for over a decade as the scrappy, punk star that turned any negativity into colourful, fiery pop music, Williams shows off a more articulate and multifaceted version of herself both personally and musically. Petals for Armor is an exploration of her realignment as a human being after a turbulent band history, divorce, depression, and grief. Her voice carries a consistent deliberateness, using it as a vessel to traverse her lyrics across different genres, moods, and backstories.

Musically, there is very little overlap between tracks on the album; genres melt together in different combinations, from the artsy alt-rock of Radiohead (“Leave It Alone”) to the glittery synth-pop of Robyn (“Over Yet”) to glitchy ’80S pop (“Sugar On the Rim”). Normally jumping between genres comes across as inconsistent and fumbling – especially on a debut – but with Williams, she maintains control of her message and her sound, instead turning the tables with each track to add edge and unpredictability to her solo debut.

She makes new connections with her emotions and her struggles, bringing it out in poetic wordplay throughout Petals For Armor. Opening with the words “Rage is a quiet thing / You think that you’ve tamed it / But it’s just lying in wait” sets the tone for the record, showing her power through her word choice and also the darkness that sits further down the track list. “Dead Horse” once again shows her vulnerability and coarse mindset with the opening lyrics “Alright, it took me three days to send you this but / sorry I was in a depression / But I’m trying to come out of it now”. There genuineness of her writing is a pillar for her new album.

As a solo artist, Williams stands tall on Petals For Armor, making sure her debut performance hit just as hard as her pop-punk days but with exceptional maturity and deliberateness.

Notable tracks: “Simmer” // “Leave It Alone” // “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris”

Astrocolor – Hue

6/10

Electronic

Vancouver electronic group Astrocolor have shared their third album Hue today, playing around with the idea of colour and emotion across the 10 track release.

Incorporating a more “acoustic” style to their production, the five-piece utilize keyboards, drums, saxophone, and more to playful create electronic music that ranges from club music to ambient lo-fi on Hue. Tracks like “Laughter” and “Birds” play with vintage sounds to bring a catchy, almost Ocean’s Eleven vibe, while late nights can be spent listening to “Yacht”, and dance parties can be started over the three closing songs (“Renegade”, “Needs” & “Wants”). They truly do find a spectrum of sound on the record (hence the name).

But as is the case with most of the tracks, if not all on the record, they all seem to plateau early on with the repetition of hooks and riffs being the main source of power moving them forward. They often almost come across as demos as you wait to hear more.

As a fun interactive project, Astrocolor are inviting fans to match frontman Neil James Cooke-Dallin’s legendary high kick to include in their forthcoming video for the hit single “Gold”.. Audiences are invited to film their best high kicks during quarantine and submit a video by May 11. Height, flexibility, number of kicks in sequence, balance, music syncopation, outfit choice, and general creativity are all taken into consideration – learn more about it here.

Notable tracks: “Laughter” // “Gold” // “Renegades”

White Denim – World As A Waiting Room

7/10

Southern alternative rock

For an album written between March 18 and April 17, Austin rock group White Denim pulled off quite a decent full-length (or extended-extended play depending on how you look at it). 9 tracks bursting with the signature White Denim frantic energy and musicality, World As A Waiting Room takes you on a trip for a brief 31 minutes.

Sure, having access to a full studio during quarantine is a slightly unfair advantage, but World As A Waiting Room is one of the few releases during these crazy times that feels like something meant for “the good ol’ days” ] – despite the fact that it’s entirely referencing quarantine and ironically chirping the existential dread that comes with a million hours of free time.

Most of the tracks are overtly referencing the mentally draining aspects of quarantine, from missing work (“Work”) to becoming one with your couch (“Go Numb”), it hits the nail on the head quite a few times. Fortunately, White Denim never let off the gas pedal, so the punchy psych-rock and jam session improvisation of the band shines through on each track to not let the dread set in.

Considering it was written and recorded in just 30 days, World As A Waiting Room is great record. Although it’s not even close to their best work, it’s still a lot of fun and maybe just relatable enough to help smooth things over with a dose of psychedelic rock.

Notable tracks: “Work” // “Slow Death” // “Eagle Wings”

Odd Squad Family – The Flamingo Complex

7.5/10

Hip-hop

Phoenix-based hip-hop trio Odd Squad Family certainly live up to their name. Made up of rappers N.U.B.S., Snowman, and A-Factor, OSF are made up of three of the most unique artists in the business. N.U.B.S. was born without limbs, Frosty has albinism, and A-Factor although “normal by appearance, he has had his own battles to overcome throughout life”.

And because of their differences and struggles, they have a lot to share through music. Their fourth album The Flamingo Complex continues their trend of interlocking positive vibes and articulate flow and style, bringing their hardships and struggles into meaningful hip-hop tracks. “Makin’ Moves”

It’s a very lyrically-driven record, each track dense with wordplay and storytelling, pushing overzealous production and forgettable rap trends to the side. Instead, the songs give each emcee a chance to be heard and guide listeners across the 15 tracks, not worried about being washed over by the production or big-name features. Like all of their work, Odd Squad Family put authenticity and honesty first.

Notable tracks: “Yeah Dat” // “So Low” // “Makin Moves”