Out This Week 4/28

It's been twelve long years, but there's finally a new album from UK pop giants Blur out today! KEXP Music Director Don Yates describes their eighth album as "a strong return-to-form incorporating everything from classic-sounding, crunchy Brit-pop to excursions into spacy electro-pop, brooding, dub-inflected ballads and other styles that are more representative of some of frontman Damon Albarn’s other projects (Gorillaz, The Good The Bad & The Queen)."

Other highlights this week include the third album from Montreal trio Braids, "a warmer, more melodic take on the band’s arty electro-pop, combining atmospheric synths, solemn piano, skittering beats and Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s ethereal vocals." Danish band Mew return after a six year break with "a strong set of psych-tinged prog-pop featuring a densely layered sound, shape-shifting arrangements and starry-eyed melodies." The sophomore release from Nai Harvest is "a promising set of punkish garage-pop that’s not far-removed from groups like Japandroids and Cloud Nothings, combining buzzing, effects-drenched guitar riffs, driving rhythms, angst-ridden lyrics and anthemic song hooks."

Paul de Jong (formerly of NYC duo The Books) unveils his debut solo album, which KEXP's Alex Ruder describes as "a thrilling, eccentric affair. While his former bandmate Nick Zammuto has taken a more song-based approach in his solo endeavors, IF proves that de Jong was the driving force behind The Books' cerebral, post-modern, sample-heavy sensibilities, patiently and masterfully piecing together an intricately detailed and sneakily entertaining record of collage folk-pop." And The Barr Brothers have released a 5 song EP today, featuring songs from the Sleeping Operator album sessions.

• Arthur Nasson – “The Emperor's New Sound”
• from The Emperor's New Sound on Philistine
• The Barr Brothers
• from Alta Falls EP on Secret City Records
• Benjamin Clementine – “I Won't Complain”
• from I Dream, I Smile, I Walk, I Cry EP on Capitol
• Bill Fay – “War Machine”
• from Who Is the Sender? on Dead Oceans Records
• Blur – “My Terracotta Heart”
• from The Magic Whip on Parlophone / Warner
• Bobby Bare – “All American Boy”
• from The Storyteller: The Anthology 1960-1983 on Raven Records
• Braids – “Miniskirt”
• from Deep in the Iris on Arbutus Records
• The Brian Jonestown Massacre – “L'Enfer”
• from Musique de Film Imaginé on A Recordings
• Charlie Parr – “Over The Red Cedar”
• from Stumpjumper on Red House Records
• George FitzGerald – “Full Circle” (feat. Boxed In)
• from Fading Love on Domino / Double Six
• Jackson Scott – “PRPLMTV”
• from Sunshine Redux on Bloodmoss Records
• Joakim – “Each Other (A/Jus/Ted Remix)”
• from Each Other EP on Tigersushi
• The Kingbees – “Take My Hand”
• from The Kingbees on Omnivore
• The Late Call – “Carry”
• from Golden on Tapete Records
• The Leisure Society – “The Fine Art Of Hanging On”
• from The Fine Art of Hanging On on Full Time Hobby
• Mew – “Witness”
• from +/- on PIAS
• MG – “Europa Hymn”
• from MG on Mute US
• Millencolin – “Sense & Sensibility”
• from True Brew on Epitaph
• Nai Harvest – “Sick on My Heart”
• from Hairball on Top Shelf Records
• Niagara – “Else (LIARS Remix)”
• from Else What Else? EP on Monotreme
• Nick Catchdubs – “Full House feat. Troy Ave & Heems”
• from Smoke Machine on Fool's Gold
• Olivia Chaney – “Imperfections”
• from The Longest River on Nonesuch
• Paul de Jong – “Auction Block”
• from IF on Temporary Residence
• Prefuse 73 – “You Are Now Poison”
• from Forsyth Gardens EP on Temporary Residence
• Raekwon – “1,2 1,2 (feat. Snoop Dogg)”
• from Fly International Luxurious Art on IceH2O
• Red Red Meat – “Oxtail”
• from Bunny Gets Paid reissue on Jealous Butcher
• Robert Pollard – “UP AND UP AND UP”
• from Faulty Superheroes on GBV Inc.
• Sam Cohen – “Let The Mountain Come To You”
• from Cool It on Easy Sound
• Sarah Neufeld / Colin Stetson – “The Sun Roars Into View”
• from Never Were the Way She Was on Constellation
• Split Single – “Glori”
• from Live EP on Inside Outside
• Trance Farmers – “Garbage Night”
• from Garbage Night on LEAVING Records
• Turn to Crime – “Actions”
• from Actions on Mugg & Bopp
• The Weepies – “Sirens”
• from Sirens on Nettwerk