BY: JOEY REAMS
On Fridays, the world is blessed with new music from a handful of artists. To help you find your next favorite album, we’ve discovered what new alternative and indie albums have been released. This week’s notable artists include Marissa Nadler and The War on Drugs. Check out the list below:
Marissa Nadler – The Path of the Clouds
Boston-based singer songwriter Marissa Nadler has released her 10th studio album, The Path of the Clouds via Sacred Bones Records. This is her fifth record with the label, and her first studio album since her 2019 Droneflower with Stephan Brodsky. Earlier this year Nadler released a compilation album, titled Instead of Dreaming. With the announcement, Nadler also shared the first single of the album, titled “Bessie, Did You Make It?”
“You know it’s funny,” Nadler told Aquarium Drunkard. “I’m not just saying it, but I don’t have a favorite track. I really love every song on it. There are a few things I would have done differently, but I’m pretty proud of it. I guess some of my favorite moments happened because of the randomness of the collaboration. When Jesse sent back those woodwinds for “Elegy” and “Lemon Queen,” I was absolutely floored. Like I knew he was good. I knew all these people were great players, but I guess it takes some amount of trust to just mail songs to somebody and give them no instruction and see what comes back. For the most part, I kept almost everything that everybody sent. I did do the vocals in a real recording studio in Nashville, just because it deserved that.”
Save Face – Another Kill for the Highlight Reel
Although a little more punk than we usually cover, we feel like if you haven’t heard of Save Face before, it’s time to check them out. The New Jersey rock band has released their sophomore studio album, Another Kill for the Highlight Reel via Epitaph Records. This is the second album with this record label. Before the release of the album, Save Face released a music video with their new song, “Bury Me (Tonight!)
“The goal of the video was to put you in the world of the album,” said lead singer Tyler Povanda. “I wanted a visual component that tied in all of the iconographies from the album to make this immersive feeling when paired with the song. I was having a really hard time finding a director who was available to take on the project, so as the deadline approached I ended up having to just write out the treatment and direct it myself. This is what I saw when I wrote these songs.”
Tori Amos – Ocean to Ocean
Tori Amos, an American singer-songwriter known for her mezzo-soprano vocal range, has released her 16th studio album, Ocean to Ocean, via Decca. A vinyl copy will arrive next year on Jan. 28. This is the singer’s first album since her 2017 Native Invader. Amos will go on tour supporting this album next year with a UK and Europe tour in February and March. According to a press release, the singer used this album in part as a way to express her reactions to the US Capitol riots at the beginning of this year.
“This is a record about your losses, and how you cope with them,” Amos said in a press release. “Thankfully, when you’ve lived long enough, you can recognize you’re not feeling like the mom you want to be, the wife you want to be, the artist you want to be. I realized that to shift this, you have to write from the place where you are. I was in my own private hell, so I told myself, then that’s where you write from—you’ve done it before. We have all had moments that can knock us down. This record sits with you where you are, especially if you are in a place of loss. I am fascinated when someone has gone through a tragedy, and how they work through their grief. That is where the gold is. When somebody is actually at that place, thinking ‘I’m done,’ how do you reach that person? Sometimes it’s not about a pill, or a double shot of tequila. It’s about sitting in the muck together. I’m going to meet you in the muck.”
The War on Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
The War on Drugs have released their fifth studio album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore via Atlantic Records. This is the band’s first studio album since their 2017 A deeper Understanding. Earlier this year, the band teased fans with some new music on their Instagram. With the announcement, they share the opening track from the album titled “Living Proof.” Filmmaker Emmett Malloy directed the music video with a 16mm film at the Panoramic studio in Stinson Beach, CA.On top of that, the band has announced a massive tour across North America and Europe in 2022. This will be the band’s largest tour to date, with a first-ever headlining concert at Madison Square Garden.