Things are slowing down a bit in the music world — but don’t tell that to the Zac Brown Band, Olivia Rodrigo, Depeche Mode, Sting, Scorpions or any of the others starting the last month of the year with some fresh releases…
Album of the Week — Zac Brown Band, “Love & Fear” (Master of None): Twenty years after its debut the genre-straddling through country centric outfit delivers its ninth studio album, and first in more than four years. The group says it’s exploring “two sides of the same truth” on these 13 tracks, with Dolly Parton, Marcus King and Snoop Dogg joining the party — the latter on the single “Let It Run.”
Depeche Mode, “Depeche Mode: M” and “Memento Mori: Mexico City” (Columbia): Two version of this document from the duo’s three-night Foro Sol stadium stand during September of 2023; “M” comes with videos of the event as well as the audio.
Sam Fender, “People Watching (Deluxe)” (Capitol/Polydor): The British rocker’s Mercury Prize-winning third studio album grows by an additional eight tracks, including duets with Elton John and Olivia Dean.
MC5, “MC50: 10 More” (earMUSIC): Originally packaged with deluxe editions of last year’s “Heavy Lifting,” this 2018 performance features the all-star MC50 band — which included Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron — playing the landmark “Kick Out the Jams” album to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its original recording.
Thomas Raggi, “Masquerade” (Arista Recordings): Following Maneskin bandmate Damiano David, guitarist Raggi busts his own solo move with an eight-track set produced by Tom Morello, with additional help from Beck, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, Jet’s Nick Cester, Upsahl, Maxim and more.
Olivia Rodrigo, “Live From Glastonbury (A BBC Recording)” (Geffen/UMe): The pop hitmaker’s raved-about British concert features the Cure’s Robert Smith on her renditions of “Friday I’m in Love” and “Just Like Heaven,” with proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders.
St. Lucia, “Fata Morgana: Dusk” (Nettwerk): The second part of the Brooklyn synth-pop act’s latest endeavor, a sequel to “Dawn,” which came out during March.
Scorpions, “Coming Home Live” (Fire): An 18-song document of the German group’s 60th anniversary concert on July 5 in Hanover, where it was Judas Priest, Alice Cooper and others.
“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (20th Century Studios/Columbia): The film has run its theatrical course, but Jeremy Allen White’s performances are preserved on this companion album, along with songs by the ad hoc bar band featuring members of Greta Van Fleet and Rival Sons.
“Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 5” (Legacy Recordings): What everybody wants to know, of course, is if there’s another “Running Up That Hill” to be found in this collection of past hits from Michael Jackson, ABBA, Yello, Tiffany and others. Like so many things related to the show, that remains to be seen…
Sting, “The Last Ship (Expanded Edition)” (A&M/UMe): The Police man’s Tony Award-nominated stage musical remains a work in progress, and the latest version features five new recordings along with appearances by Renee Fleming and Joe Caffrey.
The Waterboys, “The Waterboys Present: Rips From the Cutting Room Floor” (Sun): If you liked the Scottish group’s “Life, Death and Dennis Hopper” earlier this year, here’s 16 more tracks from the session just to show how dialed-in and prolific Mike Scott and company were at the time.
Album Title of the Week: Zeelie Brown, “the apocalypse is not the end but the unveiling” (New Amsterdam)
More new releases for Dec. 5…
Acheron, “The Black Mass Returns” (Kenyon)
Olof Anralds, “Sira” (Bella Union)
Bhavi, “No Te Enamores De Un Artistat” (Independent Co.)
Bottomland, “Bottomland” (Grey Area)
Zeelie Brown, “the apocalypse is not the end but the unveiling” (New Amsterdam)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Live God” (Bad Seed/Play It Again Sam)
Cervello, “Chaire” (Sony Music)
Ryan Charles, “Jiggy Buckaroo” (River House Artists)
CHRLI, “Mantra” (All Cap’s, Dec. 6)
Jacob Collier, “The Light For Days” (Hajanga/Interscope/Decca)
Julia Colom, “Paradis” (self-released)
Convergence, “Reckless Meter” (Capri)
Debra-Jean Creelman, “Little Town” (self-released)
Crumb, “Live!” (self-released)
Danko Jones, “Leo Rising” (Perception/Reigning Phoenix Music)
The Dirty Nil, “Live at the Dine Alone Stone” (Dine Alone Music)
Disinblud, “Disinblud (Remixes)” (Smugglers Way/Domino)
Dove Ellis, “Blizzard” (Black Butter/AMF)
Enthroned, “Ashspawn” (Season of Mist)
Essvus, “What Ails You” (New Amsterdam)
Fields of Jake, “All the Rest” (self-released)
Gwazi, “Return to the Indigo Inn” (JIB Machine)
Lisa Hilton, “Extended Daydream” (Ruby Slipper Productions)
Jutes, “Dilworth” (self-released)
Killguris, “Please Kill Me” (adventure cat)
Kronos Quartet, “Forgive Us For” (Phenotrypic Recordings)
Lettuce, “Cook” (self-released)
Mathias Lillmans, “Remains” Tormbound)
Long Distance Calling, “Live at Lichtburg” (earMUSIC)
Meet Me @ the Alter, “Worried Sick” (self-released)
Melody’s Echo Chamber, “Unclouded” (Domino)
Kira Metcalf, “Lessons In a Majestic Humiliation” (Symphonic)
Miss Emily, “the Medicine” (Gypsy Soul)
Chloe Moriondo, “(my world is an) oyster” (Public Consumption/Atlantic)
Nick & June, “Ne Year’s Face” (self-released)
The Old Dead Tree, “London Sessions” (Season of Mist)
Out Of/Into, “Motio II” (Blue Note)
Keith Oxman, “Home” (Capri)
Persefone, “Live in Andorra” (Napalm)
Crash Richard, “Sensitive Devil” (self-released)
Romeo Santos and Prince Royse, “Better Late Then Never” (Sony Music Latin)
Scotia Rose, “Good Times” (Deko/ADA/Warner)
Shallipopi, “Auracle” (Columbia)
Sigh, “I Saw the World’s End (Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV)” (Peaceville)
Singer/ Mattress. Cat, “Subtropical Personality” (self-released)
Ian Smit, “Que?” (self-released)
Tom Smith, “There is Nothing in the Dark That Isn’t There in the Light” (PIAS)
South Arcade, “Play!” (BKM Artists/LAB/Atlantic)
Jung Stratmann Quartet, “Confluence” (self-released)
Struck A Nerve, “Struck A Nerve” (Listenable)
Subtronics, “Fibonacci” (Cyclops Recordings)
Tesseracct, “Radar & Radar O.S.T.” (Kscope)
Time Is a Blind Guide, “Off Stillness” (ECM)
Jenna Torres, “Firebird” (self-released)
Tourist, “Music Is Invisible” (Queens Road Music/AndRECORDS/Atlantic)
UMI, “people stories” (Epic)
Various Artists, “Passages: Artists in Solidarity with Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers” (Western Vinyl)
Isobel Waller-Bridge, “Objects” (Mercury KX)
The Waterboys, “Rips From the Cutting Room Floor” (Sun)
The Wedding Present, “Maxi” (Clue)
What So Not and Buunshin, “The Quiet That Hurts” (Counter)
Tommy Womack, “Live a Little” (self-released)
Kim Wilson, “Slow Burn” (M.C.)
The Wombats, “Oh! The Ocean (Extended Version)” (AWAL)
Alison Wonderland, “Ghost World” (Casablanca/Republic)
From The Vaults:
jaimie branch, “Fly or Die KK: Dogs in Paradise ((A11 Edition)” (International Anthem)
Judy Collins, “The ’60s Singles” (Second Disc/Real Gone)
Celia Cruz, “The Queen of Salsa” (Craft Recordings/Concord)
Annie DiRusso, “Pedestrian (Deluxe)” (self-released)
The Doors, “Immersed (1967-1971)” (Rhino/Elektra)
Dream Theater, “The Studio Albums 1992-2016” (Rhino/Atlantic)
Everlast, “Eat at Whitey’s (25th Anniversary)” (Tommy Boy)
Sam Fender, “People Watching (Deluxe)” (Capitol/Polydor)
Fine Young Cannibals, “FYC40” (London)
Happy Mondays, “The Factory Singles” (London)
The Hold Steady, Separation Sunday (20 Year Anniversary Edition)” (Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers)
Hot Tuna, “America’s Choice (Quadio)” (Rhino)
Zakir Hussain, “Making Music” (ECM)
Jefferson Starship, “Spitfire (Quadio)” (Rhino)
Korn, “See You on the Other Side” (Virgin)
Mad Max, “Heavy Metal”/“In Concert” (ROAR)
New Order, “Movement,” “Low-Life,” “Brotherhood” and “Power, Corruption & Lies” (Rhino)
O.A.R., “Stories of a Stranger (20th Anniversary Edition)” (Craft Recordings)
Oscar Peterson, “Around the World” (Mack Avenue Music Group/Two Lions)
The Pharcyde, “Labcabincalifornia (30th Anniversary Edition)” (Craft Recordings/Concord)
Sailorr, “From Florida’s Finest Delu/xxx (for my delusional es)” (BlueVision/10Projects)
Jimmy Somerville, “Dare To Love (30th Anniversary Edition)” (London)
Taeyeon, “Panorama: The Best of Taeyeon” (SM Entertainment)
Ultravox, “The Collection (Deluxe Edition)” (Chrysalis)
War, “Why Can’t We Be Friends (Quadio)” (Rhino/Avenue)
Keith West, “Cross That Bridge: The Anthology 1965-1999” (Strawberry/Cherry Red)
Kim Wilde, “Closer (Deluxe)” (Cherry Red)
YFN Lucci, “Already Legend” (Deluxe)” (self-released)
New Holiday Albums:
Kylie Minogue, “Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped)” (Warner/Parlophone)
Twanguero, “Christmas With El Twanguero” (Casa Twang/Altafonte)
The Wildwoods, “Echoes of Evergreen” (self-released)
Soundtracks:
“Oh. What. Fun. (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Sony Music Masterworks)
“Wicked: For Good (Original Motion Picture Score)” (Universal/Verve/Republic)
