As 2015 is starting to wind down, we’ve now arrived at what is one of the busiest album release months in the entire year in November. This week is possibly the most crowded with huge high-profile releases from Justin Bieber, Kurt Cobain, Jeezy, One Direction, Ty Dolla $ign, Alessia Cara, Hailee Steinfeld, Logic, Boots, Oneohtrix Point Never, and many many more. Without further ado, let’s get to the albums you need to hear this week.
Justin Bieber – Purpose
The apology tour for one Justin Bieber has at last reached its final stop: Purpose has arrived. After years of what seemed like irreparable damage, the Canadian pop singer is betting on a more polished dance R&B sound, anchored by production from Skrillex, Blood, and Diplo. While he’s had the chops to do something like this for a while, it was his personality that most likely held him back. But now that he’s worked on repairing those issues for the better part of a year, and has come through with an undeniably catchy effort featuring heavy hitters like Big Sean, Halsey, Nas, and Travis Scott, it seems that the stars have finally aligned for the once-hated superstar.
Kurt Cobain – Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings
Prior to its release, the main criticism of the Kurt Cobain rock documentary Montage of Heck was that it was returning to a well that had already been drunk from perhaps too many times. Then, when the film was actually released, people mostly didn’t care because the quality was still so good. Accompanying that release is Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings. Some were upset that Brett Morgen would release unfinished recordings and demos of Cobain’s, but the director likened the album with another iconic American songwriter in the Bob Dylan Bootleg series. Through this prism, we all get to enjoy the writing and creative process of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest artists, in the truest sense of the word.
Jeezy – Church in These Streets
While Seen It All: The Autobiography doesn’t seem like it came that long ago (it’s been a little more than a year), Jeezy is back with a new album and what seems like an entirely new persona. Church in These Streets has awoken Pastor Jeezy, a man who is desperately trying to protect and reach his street flock. Back in August, he penned a fiery letter about racial injustice and what it means to live in America today alongside the album’s first single “God.” That set the tone for what his next effort would be and his Politically Correct EP followed suit. Now that Church has arrived, you can gauge the fundamental shift between this and his last studio effort. There are no other rappers on this album; it’s a singularly focused effort from Jeezy at the pulpit giving street sermons. Will this be the Jeezy we come to know from now on? No one knows. But it’s certainly an interesting turn for one of the game’s finest.
Here are the rest of the week’s albums:
One Direction – Made in the A.M.
Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC
Alessia Cara – Know-It-All
Logic – The Incredible True Story
Boots – Aquaria
Hailee Steinfeld – Haiz EP
Oneohtrix Point Never – Garden of Delete
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Hell EP
Givers – New Kingdom
Le1f – Riot Boi
Mutemath – Vitals
A Great Big World – When the Morning Comes
Bobby Caldwell and Jack Splash – Cool Uncle
Redman – Mudface
JEFF the Brotherhood – Global Chakra Rhythms
Frankie Cosmos – Fit Me in EP
Jeff Lynne’s ELO – Alone in the Universe
Wimps – Suitcase