New Music Friday could not come soon enough, and we are ready with your Howl at the Moon Release Radar! After a barren first week of 2018, we had several new releases to dig through this week including a pair of debut albums and big riffs from some grizzled rock n’ roll veterans. It’s time for some new beats to make your weekend howl!
Harmonies in Havana
The most anticipated release of the week—and the year, so far—is Camila, the debut album from former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello. “Havana”, the LP’s lead-off single, features Young Thug and an eerie-yet-sultry piano melody to flavor the song over a dancefloor rhythm. Though Cabela’s vocal display isn’t groundbreaking on the track, she stacks up just as well to anyone in the business and Havana still manages to take the watered-down vibes of recent years’ carribean-pop trend and give it a fresh home in Cuba.
Camila’s second single, “Never Be the Same”, is a near 180 degree turn from “Havana”, however. The reverb heavy drums and long synthesizer notes are uninspiring tropes of pop music from the first half of this decade, but Cabello does showcase an astounding range throughout the song’s chorus that should leave fans inspired for what’s to come.
No Shame in Praise
The other debut album making the Release Radar comes from newcomer UK group, Shame. Songs of Praise spits fire right out of the gate, with lead single “Concrete” featuring the type of ambition an overseas band must posses when making their first impression amongst US fans. The call-and-response vocals and ambient riffs are an inspiring blend of mewithoutYou and The Smiths, while the chorus is a pure-punk thrill ride that moves at a right speed that will make nearly everyone want to jump in.
Shame’s second single, “One Rizla”, adds a subtly California vibe to the similarly spacy leads found in the previous track. The bass and drums push through the verse rather than pull this time, and it all builds up to a chorus that could have been lifted directly from a lost Sex Pistols track. The group clearly draws influence from their fellow countrymen.
Songs of Praise is out now on Dead Oceans Records and you can hear “Concrete” here!
Rev Your Engine
If you need something to rock a little harder to, the newest release from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club may be just the thing! The veteran group’s eighth album, Wrong Creatures, sees the band return to it’s blues-rock core and deliver exactly what they do best. “Little Thing Gone Wild”, the album’s first single, lets its scaly, vibrato-tinged riffs lead the way and the track as a whole provides plenty of groove. However, nothing truly cuts through the mix throughout the single’s 3:19 length, feeling somewhat stuck between psych-rock and barnburner. Perhaps it’s where BRMC prefers to stay.
The other single from the album, “Haunt”, does provide a sincere change of pace. A wonderfully hollow and echoic bass line grabs your hand and walks you through this slow-builder, but the rest of the track left me wanting more layers than what I got. Although an outlier amongst the LP’s other tracks, what “Haunt” lacks makes it feel like a solid-but-standard, soft-tempoed performance rather than a heartbreaker that cuts to the core.
Live Music Venues
Not enough music in your day? Then Howl at the Moon is the ultimate place to be, featuring unbeatable drinks, tons of room on our dance floor and incredible live music every night! Hit songs as fresh as “Havana” are sure to be heard, plus all of your favorite songs through almost every genre! Howl is even available for table reservations, semi-private space rentals and full-venue buyouts—perfect for unforgettable after-parties or customizable celebrations of any kind!
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