Best of April

Wrapping up April with some of KRCL's music team's favorite new albums.

Feist / Multitudes
Put on some headphones for this one. Beautifully produced, sparsely arranged, emotive songs inspired by some major changes in Leslie Feist's life make up her latest offering. After adopting a baby, the death of her father, and the challenges of the pandemic, Feist took to the stage for some very experimental and intimate performances as she worked out the tracks that would make up her sixth studio album, and first new record in nearly six years. - Ebay Hamilton
Check Out: In Lightning, Borrow Trouble, and Love Who We're Meant To

Rodrigo Y Gabriela / In Between Thoughts... A New World
The virtuoso guitar duo's ninth studio album, written and recorded in their Ixtapa studio in Mexico. The album explores spiritual themes, inspired by the Hindu text the Advaita Vedanta. Instrumental songs, influenced by Jazz and Classical music with Latin and Afro-Cuban rhythms, meld together with string orchestration and electronic elements to make a captivating and meditative listen. - Ebay Hamilton
Check Out: True Nature, Descending to Nowhere, and Seeking Unreality
You can also see Rodrigo Y Gabriela live at Sandy Amphitheater on June 10th

Baby Rose / Through and Through
The Grammy-nominated Singer-Songwriter and producer, Baby Rose, sounds like no one else in the current soul and R&B landscape. Her unique voice and tone is more reminiscent of classic Jazz singers like Billie Holiday than her modern day R&B contemporaries. She even had her new album mastered using analog tapes to give it more of that classic warm sound that can be found on albums from the past. “I’m not just a singer with a unique voice,” says Baby Rose, “I’m somebody that has something to say.” - Ebay Hamilton
Check Out: Go, Stop the Bleeding, and Fight Club (feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow)

Ivan Neville / Touch My Soul
Ivan Neville comes from New Orleans music royalty, his father is Aaron Neville of the Neville Brothers, but he's no nepo baby. In his 63 years he's become the standard-bearer for the New Orleans sound and his band Dumpstaphunk just celebrated 20 years together. He has accompanied The Meters for years backing up his late uncle Art Neville on keys, playing with a Keith Richards side project, Bonnie Raitt, and appearing as a guest artist on countless albums. He comes back with his first solo album in two decades, Touch My Soul. It's a collection of songs that are tender, personal, joyful and funky all at the same time. There's also a cover of a Talking Heads classic that rivals the original. He's brought some friends along including his dad Aaron, Bonnie Raitt, Trombone Shorty, Ben Jaffe of Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Doyle Bramhall II. Touch My Soul is Ivan Neville sounding as his most authentic self. - Eugenie Jaffe
Check out: Hey All Together, Might Last a Lifetime, This Must Be The Place

Ollella / Back Back Back
Ollella’s debut is unlike anything else we’ve heard so far this year and that’s a good thing. Call it indie folk if you like, place it somewhere on the bluegrass spectrum if you must, her innovative live-looping and improvisational vibe keeps the album fresh throughout. She began her musical training as a classical cellist, later blossoming as a Rocky Mountain chanteuse in the band Pearl & Wood. This new direction, upon returning home to the Pacific Northwest, features higher production values that capture her haunting vocals and elaborate orchestration. With no limits to her musical imagination and organic songwriting it is clear why NPR Music’s Bob Boilen calls her “really outstanding.”  - Gavin Dahl
Check out: Head in the Clouds, Methuselah, Test of Time

Brandee Younger - Brand New Life
If you’ve heard the lovely unmistakable sounds of a jazz harpist coming through your speaker or earbud on a recent New Music Monday, this was it. On Brandee Younger’s latest album, she’s doing her thing. That means originals, covers, team ups with hip hop legends and serene female vocalists. This album is also my 4-year old daughter’s favorite new record out of 50+ so far this year. - Gavin Dahl
Check out: Brand New Life (feat. Mumu Fresh), If It’s Magic, Livin’ And Lovin’ In My Own Way (feat. Pete Rock) 

El Michels Affair, Black Thought - Glorious Game
Instant classic from the mighty label Big Crown Records. Prolific arranger, producer, writer, and longtime session musician Leon Michels brings the cinematic soul flavor. While referencing a related palette to his material with members of Wu-Tang from back in the aughts, this LP breaks new ground. Michels reportedly composed his own soul songs, sampled from them, then chopped and looped his own beats. Emcee Black Thought juices his verses with stylish calm, and brings the lyrical protein, declaring “Basic black joy is rebellion.” We need this record right now. Judge for yourself, but don’t wait for Best Of season. - Gavin Dahl
Check out: I’m Still Somehow, Glorious Game (feat. KIRBY), That Girl, Alter Ego (feat. Brainstory)

Daughter / Stereo Mind Games
First full-length release in seven years from London-based indie folk-trio Daughter. Stereo Mind Games trade in their dark moody brand for signs of optimism, telling stories of long-distance relationships and the struggle to be sober set against a background of shoegaze textures and dream pop soundscapes. - Courtney Blair
Check out: Swim Back, Party

Petite Noir / MotherFather
Yannick Ilunga – a.k.a. Petite Noir – is the Belgian-born son of a Congolese academic/statesman. It’s a genre bending collection of tracks that encompass indie, R’n’B, laidback funk, electronic, acoustic and a splash of reggae under Ilunga’s banner ‘Noirwave’. The title came about through a period of Ilunga’s spiritual reflection and newfound feelings towards god being both a maternal and paternal figure. - Courtney Blair
Check out: Blurry (Ft. Sampa the Great), Finding Paradise

Blondshell /  S/T
After finding unhappiness with the direction of her pop music career, Sabrina Teitelbaum took the time to grow, ridding herself of addictions, finding herself musically and mentally. The result is the grunge-tinged debut full-length release as Blondshell, featuring a collection of sharp hooks and biting confessional lyrics about substance use, vengeance and insecurity. - Courtney Blair
Check out: Joiner, Salad

Other albums worth checking out from April:
The National / The First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Josh Ritter / Spectral Lines
Joy Oladokun / Proof of Life
Adam Deitch / TAKE YOUR TIME
Dinner Party / Enigmatic Society
Abstract Orchestra / Madvillain Remixes by Ghost Life
Axel Thesleff / Island Live 
Devon Gilfillian / Love You Anyway