The Pulse is the Uproxx Music guide to the best new albums, mixtapes, and other music releases that matter this week.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of a 13-game winning streak, but that doesn’t mean that ‘A&R Bron‘ is taking any time off: Just days after Big Sean and Metro Boomin announced a collaborative album, Bron was previewing tracks from it on Instagram. Double Or Nothing dropped today, along with the start of a three-EP series from some indie greats, a covers album by My Morning Jacket’s frontman, and more.
Big Sean & Metro Boomin — Double Or Nothing
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They managed to make this one without a vocal booth or even headphones, but that doesn’t show on the music itself. The duo also got some high-profile features from Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Swae Lee, and others.
Belle and Sebastian — How to Solve Our Human Problems – Part 1
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This EP may not be able to solve all of our problem, but at least the gentle indie rock might be able to bring some balance to a hectic day. If you’re into this, the good news is that there are two more parts on the way. In the meantime read our interview with the band’s Stuart Murdoch here.
Luke Bryan — What Makes You Country
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If you were looking for a definitive guide to what is and what is not country, look no further. Beat-up boots, dirt roads, no cab tractors, and other related things are all a part of it, but the country lifestyle is one of inclusion: “You do your kinda country / They doing they kind of country / I do my kind of country / Whatever makes us country,” Bryan sings on the title track. That’s a sort of blue-jean unity I can get behind.
G Perico — 2 Tha Left
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It’s barely been a minute since G Perico’s collaborative project with Jay Worthy, G-Worthy, but he’s already back with an album of his own. 2 Tha Left is heralded by the piano-led “Affiliated,” and overall, it sounds like Perico’s lyricism and delivery are as sharp as they’ve ever been.
Jim James — Tribute To 2
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In 2001, the My Morning Jacket frontman released an EP of George Harrison covers, shortly after his passing, called Tribute To. This here is a sequel, and he spreads the covering love around to several different artists this time, like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Sonny And Cher, and a host of others.
