Eliot famously (and beautifully) said that April is the cruellest month, but I've got some news for him (though he's long dead) -- this April, not so much.There are so many new releases this month, my little heart is all atwitter, and my head can't quite wrap around all the awesomeness that we've gotten. So I decided to give you a few highlights and most anticipated of this month's many amazing offerings. (If you want to check many of these bands out, check my playlist -- quite a few of these artists are there.)Highlighted releases:Foals: Antidotes. Mathrock never sounded so cool. No really, it didn't. These kids are quirky, in the best possible sense of the word. Their lyrics are brilliant, if a bit unconventional; their guitar is phenomenal, if a bit Bloc Party; their lack of choruses amazes me; their ability to subtly work French into the album makes me giggle; their uncanny tendency towards repetition which somehow doesn't bore me but does quite the opposite intrigues me. Oh yes, this album is sheer love.Los Campesinos!: Hold On Now, Youngster... . This is how you spell "HAHAHA I found the most adorably fun ridiculously unpretentious indie pop album ever!" And I'm pleased. Oh yes, I'm pleased. Maybe it's the bookslut in me loves the literary backbone to the lyrics (definitely). Maybe it's the fact that whenever this record is on, I literally have to dance (literally). Maybe it's the brilliance of this album and its intricacies and clevernesses that made me fall in love and keep on loving with every listen. Either way, I'm holding onto every word of this record.M83: Saturdays = Youth. This album is the prettiest album I've heard in ages, and functions beautifully as a true album. The layered textures remind me of MBV in a very, very good way -- I think this album is the heir apparent to MBV, as the prettiest textured shoegaze-esque album around. Kim & Jessie and Graveyard Girl stand out for me, but on the whole, it doesn't get much prettier than this.Clinic: DO IT!. It's funky. It's catchy as hell. It's quirky. It's utterly Clinic, and it's absolute love. I can't stop listening to this record. It's brilliant. There's nothing more to say.REM: Accelerate. Finally, an REM album that sounds like a bloody REM album! Seriously, though, Accelerate is a throwback to the days of rocky REM -- I daresay it's the best album they've made since New Adventures in Hi-Fi. With the exception of the closer (I'm Gonna DJ) which is abominably bad, it's a good solid album, and a glimpse into the awesomeness that REM apparently still has, buried beneath the last 10 years' muck.Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours. These guys make throwback so cool, I'm halfway tempted to sport some crazy 60s hair. Well... maybe not, but damn do Cut Copy make the 60s throwback sound cool. This is another album which works flawlessly as a true album -- the transitions are perfect and seamless, and there really aren't any weak points. There are some amazing high points, though: Lights and Music, So Haunted, Hearts on Fire, and Strangers in the Wind really stand out as brilliant tracks. Like any truly great album, it only gets better with every listen.Anticipated albums:Last Shadow Puppets: The Age of the Understatement. Alex Turner can do no wrong. Literally. His guitar is always catchy; his lyrics always phenomenal. The kid is a genius, and a riot, at that. I've been waiting on pins and needles for this album since I heard the title track. I'll give you a full report when the album leaks; till then, I have to content myself with listening to the single on repeat. And repeat. And repeat.Portishead: Third. There are no words. Literally. The wait was worth it. More than worth it. We're not worthy. Third, though, very much is. The Rip is absolutely gorgeous -- it might just be perfection, with a build that's absolutely astonishing. Nylon Smile, Small, and Hunter stand out for me as favourites, but really, there isn't a low point on the record. Beth has never sounded better. Don't believe me? Watch it live and tell me they're not on top of their game. I cannot wait to hold this album in my hands and marvel at it's brillancy.Echo and the Bunnymen: Works. I have loved Echo & the Bunnymen for ages... and am finally glad to see a decent remastering of their work, and a decent collection. Hence Works. As I haven't actually heard this yet, I can't attest to the quality; however, I can't wait to get my pretty little hands on it. Expect a full report.
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