Music Soundcheck
Welcome to Seven in Seven, where each Thursday in this space we would typically take a look at concerts coming to the region over the next week. With most shows on hold due to the pandemic, here’s a look at seven of the best albums being released Nov. 6:
1 Alter Bridge — “Walk the Sky 2.0”
Since announcing the cancellation of their entire 2020 touring schedule, members of Alter Bridge have taken time to do what they are known best for: creating.
Never a hard rock band to take a lot of personal time off, the guys reviewed live recordings from their shows in January and February of this year to pick a few of their live favorites of songs from their latest album, last October’s “Walk the Sky.” This led to the recording of a new studio song, “Last Rites,” a track written, recorded and completed entirely during the COVID-19lockdown. The resulting EP, “Walk the Sky 2.0,” serves as a reminder of the group’s powerful live show and a taste of what lies ahead.
2 Pole
— “Fading”
German electronica artist Stefan Betke began his musical life with the embrace of an accident — he took his moniker “Pole” from a broken Waldorf 4-Pole filter that gave him a distinct sound. Over the years his music morphed and transitioned into a finely tuned and honed project with a clever yet potent
sense of evolution. Billed as an extension of his trilogy — “1,” “2” and “3” — “Fading” is loosely inspired by the concepts of personal legacy and memory loss. That approach gave Betke the opportunity to reconnect with his own recollections and past, making for a record that feels wholly present while distinctly connected to his roots and as suited for immersive headphone listening as it is to being pummeled out through a PA loud enough to feel the bass rattle your ribcage.
3 Madison Cunningham — “Wednesday”
Having first picked up a guitar at age 7, Madison Cunningham by 12 was singing and performing alongside her five siblings in church. It only took until she was 15 for her to realize songwriting was a passion she wanted to pursue, citing Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan as key inspirations. Her new
EP “Wednesday” follows the release of Cunningham’s critically acclaimed debut LP, “Who Are You Now,” which was nominated for “Best Americana Album” at this year’s Grammy Awards. The four-song set is made up of covers of songs by Radiohead, the Beatles, Tom Waits and John Mayer. 4 Wilco
— “Summerteeth” (Deluxe Edition)
Wilco’s third album, “Summerteeth,” arrived in March 1999 to glowing reviews for its daring arrangements, lush harmonies and revealing lyrics by the beloved indie rock outfit. More than 20 years later, the Chicago-based band is expanding the record into a four-CD set that includes a Bob Ludwig 2020 remastered version of the original album along with an entire disc of unreleased studio outtakes, alternate versions and demos that chart the making of the album
Pole: “Röschen”
Alter Bridge: “Last Rites”
Madison Cunningham: “No Surprises”
Wilco : “Summer Teeth (Slow Rhodes Version)”
Ólafur Arnalds : “We Contain Multitudes”
Heather Trost : “Love It Grows”
Rama Gu : “Good Egg”
from songwriting demos to alternate studio arrangements to finished masters. The two remaining discs in the set feature a previously unissued live show from a concert that took place late in the “Summerteeth” tour — on Nov. 1, 1999, at the Boulder Theatre in Colorado — after the new songs had been road-tested and the band was in top form.
5 Ólafur Arnalds — “some kind of peace”
Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and composer Ólafur Arnalds’ new album, “some kind of peace,” is about what it means to be alive, daring to be vulnerable and recognizing the importance of rituals. It’s a personal journey told through Arnalds’ introspective music, against the backdrop of a chaotic world. All the collaborators on the album were key to his life during the making of the album, including British musician Bonobo, Icelandic singer and multi-instrumentalist JFDR and German singer-songwriter Josin. Arnalds weaves real-world pieces of his life story throughout the album, masterfully using sampling techniques to give the listener a window into his experiences.
6 Heather Trost — “Petrichor”
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and composer Heather Trost’s second solo full-length, “Petrichor,” is fresh and unique, as experimental as it is accessible. The LP was recorded between 2018 and 2019 by Trost and her husband, Jeremy Barnes — known for his work as a member of the band Neutral Milk Hotel and many other projects — at their New Mexico home studio. It features seven beautiful songs that defy easy categorization, gleefully mixing elements from multiple genres to create a strikingly modern psychedelic pop, futuristic and shimmering and smart.
7 Rama Gu — “The Garden”
Following a slew of glowing endorsements from influential outlets like radio station KEXP and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, the New York-based indie-pop project Rama Gu, spearheaded by songwriter Anders Kapur, is releasing its debut full-length record, “The Garden.” The outfit has never ceased to mesmerize listeners and its growing fanbase with Kapur’s direct tenor voice and gorgeous arrangements, each merging into one profoundly engrossing storytelling experience. As his first full-length foray under the Rama Gu name, “The Garden” is an emotive, evocative exercise in aural storytelling, with the songwriter’s knack of interspersing subtle wit between each heartstring-pulling moment still potent as ever.