Now that the comparatively barren first quarter of the year is officially dispensed with, the release schedule is well and truly picking up.
April is a certainly a busy month for releases – so let's have a look at what's coming down the line in the next few weeks.
IMELDA MAY – '11 Past the Hour' [April 16th]
She staged a reinvention of both her music and her style with 2017's 'Life Love Flesh Blood', and Imelda May continues to push the boat out with her sixth album. Here, she joins forces with everyone from Noel Gallagher to Ronnie Wood to Miles Kane and even her real-life beau, Irish musician Niall McNamee. The result is a lush, beautifully paced record.
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LONDON GRAMMAR – 'Californian Soil' [April 16th]
London Grammar frontwoman Hannah Reid admitted that her band's second album saw them take little to no risks. That's remedied somewhat by their third record 'Californian Soil', which sees Reid get personal with her lyric-writing: there are songs about toxic relationships, dealing with misogyny in the industry and the price of fame. And if you're already a fan of the Nottingham band, you'll be happy to know that their understated electronic pop sound remains intact.
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FIELD MUSIC – 'Flat White Moon' [April 23rd]
One of the most quietly ambitious and underrated guitar bands of the last twenty years? That's Field Music. After throwing themselves into other people's stories on their last record, a concept album loosely tied to WWI, Peter and David Brewis are back with a very personal and somewhat melancholy album, some of which was inspired by their mum's passing. It's not a downbeat-sounding album, though; Field Music's idiosyncratic musical trademarks are in full flow. Overall, it's one of their best yet.
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ROYAL BLOOD – 'Typhoons' [April 30th]
It's been seven years since Brighton rock duo Royal Blood released their snarling debut, and four since its follow-up 'How Did We Get So Dark?' Now, Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher are back with album number three, but it sounds like they're eager to shirk the constant comparisons to The Black Keys; this album supposedly sees them flirt with the disco and dance-rock genres. Colour us intrigued.
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TEENAGE FANCLUB – 'Endless Arcade' [April 30th]
After almost three decades together, Scottish indiepop/rock stalwarts Teenage Fanclub found themselves without founding member (and co-vocalist/co-songwriter) Gerard Love, who quit the band in 2018. After reconfiguring their personnel and introducing new keyboardist Euros Childs (best known as frontman of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci), the Glasgow band are back with their excellent tenth album, which runs the gamut of loss, sadness and hopefulness. If jangly guitar-rock is your bag, 'Endless Arcade' proves that the Fannies are still knocking it out of the park after 32 years together.
