The Pulse is the Uproxx Music guide to the best new albums, mixtapes, and other music releases that matter this week. Find our complete list of the records coming out in November here.
To be frank, this is one of the most packed weeks in terms of new music in recent memory. It would have been a strong week if even just one of the five strongest records that just dropped was released. Anderson .Paak’s highly anticipated Oxnard has arrived, Smashing Pumpkins have finally released their reunion album, Mumford And Sons are back with a new record, Mariah Carey’s Caution is her first album in a few years, and Damon Albarn’s The Good, The Bad & The Queen finally released their sophomore record eleven years after their debut.
Even beyond the headliners, there are still noteworthy releases: Chvrches have reinterpreted some Love Is Dead songs on a new EP, Sloucher reps Seattle indie rock in a big way on their latest, and Ryley Walker decided to cover an entire lost Dave Matthews Band album. It’s been a big week, so let’s dive in.
Anderson .Paak — Oxnard
[protected-iframe id=”aa6e0cd0d8e073124c06b1fb391f128f-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:3rqqwtJE89WoWvMyPTvbZc” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Paak is one of the brightest forces in contemporary hip-hop, so it’s not surprising that he got Dr. Dre to produce his new record. Among other highlights, the album is led by an uber-fun Kendrick Lamar collaboration “Tints.”
Smashing Pumpkins — Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun
[protected-iframe id=”623e575dac7a9767a35265f2af6d74c0-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:43Ov5N3lHVLZj8sUpFvihN” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
This here is the first album that founding member James Iha has been involved with since 2000, so even though Smashing Pumpkins have been putting out records somewhat regularly over the past decade or so, this is a bit of a comeback album. The group does sound like they’re at a high point too, especially on songs like “Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts).”
Mumford And Sons — Delta
[protected-iframe id=”5f98614056b063e81299f5b2861128a5-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:3thbkS5Ijz41mAbAOat7wc” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
The band’s Ted Dwane told Uproxx recently, “I think we all feel like it is the album we’re most proud of. In terms of what we set out to do, to make an honest expression of who and where we are at this time, that’s what a record is to this band.”
Read our interview with Mumford & Sons here.
Mariah Carey — Caution
[protected-iframe id=”ee07b59682f11b658b0bfddace871b60-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:64zK6tmksJw9gNZR0L4DVx” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
You’re about to hear a lot of Carey coming right up (thanks, Christmas), but she impresses on her non-holiday offerings as well. She remains a pop queen on tracks like the smooth “GTFO” and the punchy “A No No.”
The Good, The Bad & The Queen — Merrie Land
[protected-iframe id=”f265879181eee569382e508a23b0a107-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:3OCV0CcPqayHyPUqtjWcOT” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Damon Albarn doesn’t take many breaks, does he? The sophomore album from this supergroup is his third album since 2017, as Gorillaz have released two records since then, and through it all, Albarn has continued to prove he’s one of the strongest forces in alternative music.
Sloucher — Be True
[protected-iframe id=”7695ca60fa9562ba75e4fbfa0821316b-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:0ozxvtCkDsMFNvvSPeZAWm” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Jay Clancy, the frontman of the rising Seattle indie rock group, told Uproxx recently, “I don’t know that we’re ever going to be a huge rock band or whatever, but it’d almost be cooler to be this unknown band that people are talking about 40 years down the line. That’s more impressive to me than, you know, selling 100,000 tickets.”
Read our interview with Sloucher here.
Little Mix — LM5
[protected-iframe id=”37d93fc603fddae3acd9f4868bf56211-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:7Ho8gAx4haSxv1eFLQwvTj” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
The UK girl group has been prolific since releasing their debut album in 2012, as they’re already on their fifth record. Their latest record shows their versatility in the pop format, whether it’s with acoustic-driven tracks like “Told You So” or the anthemic pop of “The Cure.”
Ryley Walker — The Lillywhite Sessions
[protected-iframe id=”e60af6042e9f1e3ce37a252de18cc86e-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:4PUmLDHOz5M2CxUo78gvJg” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Walker decided to take an album of Dave Matthews Band songs that were never released and record them himself. Through his reinterpretations, he shows off both his own abilities and the fact that DMB is a group that’s too often dismissed by detractors just because their reputation precedes them.
Chvrches — Hansa Session EP
[protected-iframe id=”1c1c4b043a5af4d94d42dfdbdf54b82f-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:6QSXl9SjnqOOg1l1HXfacL” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Chvrches’ Love Is Dead is a huge electropop record, but they’ve decided to scale down some of the album tracks for this new EP, which is more driven by piano and orchestral sounds. The record shows that even though slick production is a big part of the group’s success, the pure songwriting is there to back it up as well.
City Girls — Girl Code
[protected-iframe id=”e12016f44475544e21a5f1505c9f049d-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:45TU0GIOO5AxFoiOPk08i1″ width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
City Girls already dropped Period earlier this year, but here they are, back with another record. It’s led by dance-ready hip-hop tracks like “Twerk,” which are undeniably fun and easy to get moving to.
Leikeli47 — Acrylic
[protected-iframe id=”8bb94f9469acd717ac3382e7e23d8c2e-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:69GP3by8YMB8yz0pG03DWl” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
She dropped Wash & Set last year, and now the rapper and producer says of her new record, “We have this saying that when you smell acrylic, you know just where you are. Acrylic is a hard substance and I feel this is one of my harder records to date. It speaks to how hard times don’t break you, they make you.”
