Despite innumerable think-pieces loudly proclaiming the contrary, rock is not on its last legs in 2018. In fact, it’s thriving quite nicely. Are there artists dominating the charts in a Drake-like fashion this year? No, and it doesn’t seem like there will be anytime soon. That being said, the slate of new and amazing music being released on a monthly basis for those who love a fuzzed-out guitars has been downright impressive.
Here are the best new rock albums that dropped this week.
Foxing — Nearer My God
“Right off the bat, a very conscious effort was made to make something that was sort of over our heads,” Foxing guitarist Eric Hudson recently told Uproxx’s Steven Hyden. “We were trying to bite off more than we can chew, and trying to write things in a way we hadn’t written before.” Nearer My God, their new album does feel like a big step forward for the nascent emo standout from their 2015 effort Dealer. The ambition is plain to hear. Songs start out at a vibe-y simmer and then explode into supernovas of guitar and keyboards and drums. The title track is a particularly impressive composition, filled with true yearning and oceans of feeling that swell and crest with an unpredictable and delightful fervor.
The Allman Brothers Band — Fillmore East: February 1970
The Allman Brothers Band are one of the greatest live rock entities that’s ever existed, especially when guitarist Duane Allman was still in the fold prior to his untimely death after a motorcycle accident in 1971. Everyone knows about their seminal double-album At Fillmore East, which is a regular feature on “Best-Of Live Album” lists, but it wasn’t the first time the band had played the venue. This new collection, which was recorded by pioneering sound engineer, and LSD pioneer Owsley “Bear” Stanley culls tracks from three different shows that the band play in New York City on February 11, 13 and 14, 1970. It’s another fascinating glimpse of the Allmans just as they were about to peak as a band.
Slaves — Acts Of Fear And Love
The punk rock duo Slaves have been kicking around for the past six years, logging a pair of top-10 albums in their native UK with Are You Satisfied and Take Control, but they haven’t yet had much crossover appeal in the good ol’ US of A. With their latest album Acts of Fear And Love, singer and guitarist Laurie Vincent and drummer Isaac Holman are hoping to change that. Who knows if they will, but the songs are certainly strong enough to give them a shot, especially “Cut And Run” which has that Strokes-like sneer down to a T.
The Magpie Salute — High Water 1
As long as Chris and Rich Robinson continue to hate each other to the very core of their respective beings, it’s safe to assume that the Black Crowes will remain on indefinite hiatus. It’s a pity, no question, but the brothers have continued to make new music, including this sophomore album from Rich’s new group The Magpie Salute. High Water 1 doesn’t quite reach the lofty heights of Shake Your Money Maker or The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion, but it’s a solid collection of rock tracks with a distinct southern flavor.
