The coronavirus can’t stop your favorite music
Look inside for seven of the best artists hitting shelves and streaming services on July 3.
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, venue doors have shuttered, and no 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 ’n 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 on July 3:
1 Willie Nelson — “First Rose of Spring”
Country music legend Willie Nelson might’ve just turned 87 years old, but he’s proving prolific as ever with the release of his 70th solo studio album, “First Rose of Spring.” It’s an atmospheric soulful showcase of beautifully written songs and poignant performances, and his first new release since winning the 2020Grammy Award for best country solo performance — Nelson’s 10th overall. Alongside two tracks co-written with his longtime friend and producer, Buddy Cannon, the singer pays musical tribute to a variety of pop and country songwriters and performers, interpreting songs penned by Toby Keith (“Don’t Let The Old Man In”), Billy Joe Shaver (“We Are the Cowboys”) and Pete Graves (“Just Bummin’ Around”), a song recorded by Jimmy Dean, Dean Martin and others.
2 Paul Weller — “On Sunset”
Ex-Jam and ex-Style Council member Paul Weller began working on the forthcoming album, “On Sunset,” soon after finishing 2018’s critically acclaimed “True Meanings.” The new LP features 10classic yet modern songs from “The Modfather,” including masterly pop classics, heart-tugging ballads and occasional touches of experimentalism. It’s an album that sees Weller taking a rare glance into the rear-view mirror as he’s traditionally been ahead of the curve with much of his catalog. Here, he’s found a balance that’s difficult to pull off in moving forward while looking back.
3 Cocktails — “Catastrophic Entertainment”
Cocktails waste no time in cutting right to the hooks immediately on their new record, “Catastrophic Entertainment.” It’s full of fuzzed-out melodies, catchy choruses, sticky guitar riffs and pop-rock heaters. Produced and mixed by the band, the album relies heavily on what Cocktails does best: bluntly bashing out well-crafted pop songs. The common thread between the 11songs is the craftsmanship put into them and the lack of pretension. Cocktails may no longer be the new kids on the block at the power pop game, but with this record, the band has taken its sound to a new level, making it known they belong in the genre’s heavyweight division.
4 Poltergeist — “Feather of Truth”
Swiss speed and thrash metal legends Poltergeist roar back with “Feather of Truth,” carrying out a lot of signature arrangements that fans would expect, but providing diversity with various speeds, harmonies, melodies and technical influences. The lyrics are based on real-life topics, mixed with historic elements, as in the title track, which is about the Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, justice and morality, but they still have a significant meaning in relation to modern times.
5 Maryann Cotton — “Hallelujah”
Rolling back the clock to a time that seemed so much more easygoing and lighthearted than the here and now is what Maryann Cotton does best. It was a time when men needed more hairspray before gigs than a girl’s boarding school, and in which not every word was taken literally on social media. The band, which takes its name from the English serial killer of the 1800s, created eight songs that hearken back to the sleazy Sunset Strip days of the ‘80s, with the group’s eponymous singer sounding like a sneering Alice Cooper from the same era. “Hallelujah” is a little bit of glam, a little bit of pop and a lot of rock ‘n’ roll spirit, but all with a knowing wink.
6 A.A. Williams — “Forever Blue”
A rapturous blend of postrock and post-classical, “Forever Blue” smolders with uncoiling melodies and haunted atmospheres, shifting from serenity to explosive drama, often within the same song. A.A. Williams is a fantastic musician as well as songwriter, playing the guitar, cello and piano, and her voice has the controlled delivery of a seasoned chanteuse while still channeling the rawest of emotions. The album’s threads encapsulate the anxieties and addiction of love and loss with haunting detail, which proves to be as devastating as it is glorious.
7 Dream Wife — “So When You Gonna ...”
London-based punk rock trio Dream Wife released their self-titled debut in 2018 to across-the-board acclaim, earning support slots with the likes of Garbage, Sleigh Bells and The Kills, as well as sold-out international headline shows, all the while using their platform to lift up other women and non-binary creatives with empowering messages and their “girls to the front” ethos. The band’s new record., “So When You Gonna …,” shows them masterfully dealing with topics such as abortion, miscarriage and gender equality. They keep their ideals in the forefront and in the background, as evidences by how the LP was produced entirely by a non-male team.