The best new rock albums you can buy this week

a press shot of paul draper
Paul Draper

Paul Draper - Spooky Action

“While Draper’s inimitable, melodramatic vocals still make Spooky Action instantly reminiscent of Mansun, particularly on the powerfully melodic The Things People Want, the production and arrangements are idiosyncratic and original enough to make it sound pretty much unique. You might detect echoes of Japan and XTC in the uptight synth rock of Who’s Wearing The Trousers, but those are fleeting touchstones, and when it peaks with an instrumental solo so other‑worldly that it could have been played on anything from a guitar to a Moog to a strangled marsupial, you know you’re in the presence of a singular creative force. Feeling My Heart Run Slow is similarly incisive, as pulsing techno unfolds into big booming choruses and even a shredtastic metal guitar solo.”

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Redbone - Potlatch/Message From A Drum/Cycles reissues

“After 1970’s self-titled debut, Redbone brewed up the multi-hued gumbo of Potlatch, their vivid vocal harmonies and supernatural chops straddling Louisiana funk on Maggie, steamy blues rock on Drinkin’ And Blo, wild Sunset Strip freak-out on Without Reservation and defiant soul on acoustic ballad Alcatraz (commemorating the previous year’s Indians of All Tribes occupation of the notorious prison island).”

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Venom Inc - Ave

“Comprising two-thirds of the original Venom (guitarist Mantas and drummer Abaddon) and three-quarters of the line-up that recorded Venom’s Prime Evil album in 1989, plus Tony ‘Demolition Man’ Dolan in place of Cronos on bass and vocals, Venom Inc’s hellfire credentials are undeniable. But do they miss the presence of old demonic croaker Cronos? Not a jot. Ave is as evil as Satan’s bleeding anus and certainly on a par with the early records by the Geordie black metal pioneers.”

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The Tubes - The A&M Years

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The best new rock albums you can buy this week

The best new rock albums you can buy this week

The best new rock albums you can buy this week

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