Definitely a favorite of mine thus far. This album sees a consistently great band experimenting a bit, and for all the better. With hints of funk and jam band aesthetics, it's a fun, sometimes hypnotic listen. Stand out tracks include "Hot Thoughts," "Do I Have to Talk You Into It," and "Shotgun".
9/10
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Depeche Mode - Spirit (March 17, 2017)
A decidedly political turn as far as lyrics go, it does have a slight lull half way through (though not one of boredom, just simple repetition). It still features a lot of great sounds from one of the best bands in the electronic biz. Stand out tracks include "Scum," "Poison Heart," and "No More (This Is The Last Time)".
7/10
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The Flaming Lips - Ozcy Mlody (Jan. 3, 2017)
An interesting mix of the band's more recent delve into electronic psychedelia and the dream pop leanings of their more popular output. One hell of a trip, and possibly their best release since 2009's Embryonic. Stand out tracks include "There Should Be Unicorns," "One Night While Hunting for Faeries and Witches and Wizards," and "Listening to the Frogs with Demon Eyes".
7/10
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Bush - Black and White Rainbows (March 10, 2017)
I was excited for this album, especially since I quite enjoyed their last release in 2014. But I was sadly disappointed...It's a flat, overdone, monotonous collection of tracks bloated with uninteresting arena pop sensibility. Zero stand out tracks.
4/10
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If you've made it this far, I have not included John Mayer's recent EP's (even though there isn't a bad song between them) simply because I'm waiting to hear the full album. If you haven't checked out his new music, I recommend "Moving On and Getting Over," "Still Feel Like Your Man," and "Helpless".
I still need to listen to The Shins' new album Heartworms... and I'm looking forward to the return of The Jesus and Mary Chainwith their first album in nearly 20 years, Damage and Joy.
Happy listening.
