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 August here.
You can always count on Interpol for some consistently loud indie post-punk, and they haven’t really failed to provide that since their debut album nearly two decades ago. Now they’re back with their sixth album, and sure enough, they maintain the high level of quality the world has come to expect.
Meanwhile, Blood Orange shares an intimate offering, an album that explores issues that are close to the heart of Dev Hynes. This week also saw a new One Direction solo EP from Liam Payne, a live album from Four Tet, something that’s very much like a live album from Justice, and other new releases from White Denim, Honne, Alice In Chains, and Devon Welsh.
Interpol — Marauder
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Interpol has been one of the most consistent indie forces of the past couple decades, and now they’re back with another album of frenetic post-punk energy. Lead single “The Rover” embodies the high-octane spirit of the album, which is filled with guitars and Paul Banks’ idiosyncratic vocals from start to finish.
Read our interview with Interpol here.
Blood Orange — Negro Swan
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Nobody out there does it quite like Blood Orange does. His new album is an intensely personal affair, led by songs like “Charcoal Baby” that explore what it’s like to deal with black depression and queer anxiety.
Liam Payne — First Time
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Like Harry Styles and the others before him, Payne has shared his first post-One Direction solo release. On his debut EP, Payne is looking for a radio hit on songs like the Latin-influence and French Montana-featuring title track.
Four Tet — Live At Funkhaus Berlin, 10th May 2018
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Four Tet is perhaps the most creative thinker in electronic music, and his live shows feature fascinating and entertaining reinterpretations of his work. This show, recorded earlier this year, is led by material from his past couple of strong albums, Morning Side and New Energy.
Alice In Chains — Rainier Fog
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The grunge legends are back with their first album since 2013, and they’re in top form. Songs like “The One You Know” are classic Alice In Chains, boasting undeniable energy, rhythm, and sludge.
Justice — Woman Worldwide
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Electronic groups like Justice are just about their live sound as they are their studio recordings, something they acknowledge on their new album, which is sort of like an album version of their live show: Featured here are remixes of classics as they are performed in concert.
Devon Welsh — Dream Songs
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Welsh will be forever tied to his previous Majical Cloudz project, but following its dissolution, he’s striking out on his own. His new album is filled with lush string arrangements accompanied by his smooth and powerful voice, on tracks like “By The Daylight” and “Vampires.”
White Denim — Performance
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Good psychedelic garage rock isn’t exactly a common commodity these days, but that’s an itch that White Denim can scratch. Their new album is a succinct 32-minute affair, and it packs a lot of fun into that half hour, like on the jaunty “Magazin” and the propulsive “Moves On.”
Honne — Love Me / Love Me Not
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The English electronic duo are back with a new record that sounds like the cooler cousin of contemporary radio music. The undeniable rhythm and soul of “Shrink” and the R&B and hip-hop influence on “I Might” show a band that’s aware of what the kids are into, but that they know how to do it in a different and equally viable way.
