SEVEN music IN SEVEN
Welcome to Seven in Seven, where each Thursday in this space we typically take a look at shows coming to the region over the next week. Due to the coronavirus pandemic though, most venue doors have shuttered, and few concerts are taking place. That doesn’t mean the music stops, and new releases are coming out weekly from artists you know and love and some waiting to be discovered. Whether your musical tastes are rock and roll, jazz, heavy metal, R&B, singer-songwriter or indie, there’ll always be something to check out on the docket each Friday.
Here are seven of the best hitting shelves and streaming services Sept. 18:
1 Ace Frehley — “Origins Vol. 2”
Kiss co-founder Ace Frehley follows up “Origins Vol. 1,” his critically acclaimed 2016 covers album, with “Origins Vol. 2,” picking up right where he left off, taking on songs by the artists who influenced him so long ago. This time around, the guitarist tries his hand at Deep Purple (“Space Truckin’”), Led Zeppelin (“Good Times Bad Times”) and The Beatles (“I’m Down”), among others. Once again, Space Ace has stocked the LP with guest stars; he’s brought along fellow guitarist John 5, Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander and even his first replacement in Kiss, Bruce Kulick.
2 Little Richard — “The Rill Thing” and “King of Rock and Roll” reissues
Most recording artists are lucky to enjoy one successful comeback. Rock and roll pioneer Little Richard waged several after racking up a non-stop string of hits in the mid-’50s. No one expected the success of his return, though, in 1970 with “The Rill Thing.” The following year’s “King of Rock and Roll” demonstrated it was no fluke. The two LPs from “The Innovator” featured originals alongside covers of Motown classics, songs by the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Hank Williams and the Beatles, proving there was no doubt who sat on the throne of popular music. Even in death, Richard is still changing the game, with his song “Rip It Up” the new theme to Monday Night Football.
3 Ed Harcourt — “Monochrome to Colour”
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and musician Ed Harcourt, who released his Mercury Prize-nominated debut, “Here Be Monsters,” in 2001, in recent years has gained acclaim for his songwriting for a variety of artists. Back to his own catalog, though, following 2018’s “Beyond the End,” “Monochrome to Colour” is Harcourt’s second consecutive album of powerful, cinematic instrumentals. Yet where the predecessor was beautifully melancholic, gliding amid the dissipating vapor trails of precious memory, the new LP is a more ecstatic — and eclectic — collection. “Monochrome to Colour” was made with an interesting blend of instrumentation, ancient and modern. There’s a 1910 Hopkinson baby grand piano and a dulcitone, a 19th-century oddity where hammers strike an array of tuning forks.
4 Luke Wild — “Sunburn” EP
The influences of Luke Wild are wide-ranging, making it hard to pinpoint his music into any one category, making him a true original. The 24-year old was raised on the craftsmanship and the soulful vocal characteristics of R&B, rock and the DIY energy and rebellious attitudes of the Southern punk and rap scenes. He grew up a skateboarder in Tampa, Fla., but it was in college that he started spending time in a studio producing recordings for trap rappers. Wild eventually dropped out after some time in Atlanta and found his way to Los Angeles. His own material is so layered, mixed with pop and infectious grooves without losing an ounce of edge.
5 Napalm Death — “Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism”
Even after exerting an indelible influence on the entire world of heavy music for more than 30 years, there is still no band on the planet that sounds like Napalm Death.
Not just the undisputed Gods of Grind, but an enduring benchmark for invention and fearlessness in heavy and experimental music of all kinds, the Birmingham, UK, legends are still hurtling forward at full speed, showing all the new death metal and grindcore kids how to do it right. “Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism” is the band’s first album in five years, making it the longest gap between studio records. The wait has been too long for headbangers, but it doesn’t disappoint.
6 Anjimile — “Giver Taker”
Dallas-born and Bostonbased Anjimile Chithambo knows that study and appreciation are as important as practice when it comes to music. When it comes to composition, he draws upon everything learned, from the African pop beloved by his parents to time in youth choir to later influences from Sufjan Stevens and ’80s music. Early projects like 2016’s “Good Boy,” which he recorded entirely on a smartphone, delve deeply and thoughtfully into the human condition. The neo-folk songs on “Giver Taker” range from addressing the dichotomy between faith and life as a trans person to the hopeful victory of overcoming addiction. It’s personal, powerful and for these times.
7 Digital Leather — “New Wave Gold”
Shawn Foree has been making music under the alias Digital Leather for almost two decades. Even releasing numerous albums and working with some well-known artists during that time, he’s clung to relative obscurity. This project, which began in Arizona with Foree and his childhood friend, Ryan Rousseau, was initially just an experiment, a toying around with some dusty synthesizers, the Cold Wave aesthetic and a subversive disregard for audio clarity. Rousseau left early on to pursue other music, but Foree never stopped, and his writing game kept growing stronger. With “New Wave Gold,” he has shown creative maturity and has proven himself to be a master songsmith as well as a competent producer with a penchant for sound texturing and a “mid-fi” aesthetic.