April Album Releases
Now in the 4th month of 2023, we look ahead at some of the album releases that are generating the most interest and excitment at Postcards From The Underground throughout April.
7th April
Blondshell - Blondshell
Partisan Records
Having relocated from New York City to Los Angeles for music school in 2015 entering USC’s Pop Program studying classic and jazz theory, and the art of harmonies, Blondshell (AKA Sabrina Teitelbaum) found herself writing songs inside the world of pop studio sessions before realising that she didn’t quite belong there.
After finishing her last full-on pop EP with producer Yves Rothman at the start of the pandemic, she gave herself permission to write without expectation penning songs just for herself, with no thought that they would be released. This process was the catalyst for the lucid songs of Blondshell and the self titled debut album, taking her experiences and turning to attest as a true expressions of herself. “It was me, as a person, in my songs,” explains Teitelbaum. Having showed a few to Rothman, he encouraged her to write an album, joining a chorus of friends saying, “This is you.”
“I always want to make people feel like they have more power and control and peace because I know what it feels like to want that for myself. I know how music has helped me get there,” notes Teitelbaum, continuing: “What I’ve realised I need to do is write realistically, and try to not bring shame into the writing. Each song gave me more confidence. I hope the songs help people in that way, too.”
Pre-Order ‘Blondshell’ Here
7th April
Daughter - Stereo Mind Game
4AD
Daughter the trio comprising Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli and Remi Aguilella explore the concept of distance on their third album, Stereo Mind Game. Through lyrics that capture the longing to be close to loved ones and the beauty of accepting all feelings, the record embraces opposing emotions. The album features a diverse range of sounds, from Daughter's signature whisper-like vocals to a 12-member string ensemble and a brass quartet. Through this exploration of distance, Daughter creates an empowering and optimistic record.
Recording the album’s twelve songs in earnest in 2021. Haefeli, who lives in Bristol, met with Tonra at Middle Farm Studios in Devon. Aguilella, who is based in Portland, Oregon, recorded his drum parts in Bocce Studio in Vancouver, Washington. Haefeli produced a number of the songs, while Tonra produced “Junkmail” while co-producing the remains tracks.
While Daughter’s previous work found power in emotional honesty, Stereo Mind Game welcomes opposing feelings. “It’s about not working in absolutes,” Haefeli says.
Pre-Order ‘Stereo Mind Game’ Here
7th April
Emma Tricca - Aspirin Sun
Bella Union
Singer-songwriter Emma Tricca's new album 4th album Aspirin Sun and first for Bella Union is a dream-like musical exploration of grief and alienation, influenced by a range of styles from classical Italian composers to Sonic Youth.
Working with Steve Shelley, Jason Victor, and Pete Galub to create a unique sound that blends traditional songwriting with experimental elements. The record is a reflection of Tricca's solitary childhood, and is a beacon of hope amidst the darkness of the pandemic.
“I was in uncharted territory trying to understand what was happening to me,” Tricca says. In the winter of 2018, only months after her mystical third album St. Peter was released, her father died, submerging her in a world of grief. “I think that the loss really informed the tunes a lot,” she muses, deciding to spend a few months in New York during the summer of 2019 – and when recording Aspirin Sun began with her long-time collaborator Steve Shelley.
pre-Order ‘Aspirin sun’ Here
14th April
Constant Follower and Scott William Urquhart - Even Days Dissolve
Golden Hum Recordings
Constant Follower and renowned folk guitarist Scott William Urquhart collaborate on new album Even Days Dissolve, taking inspiration from the work of ‘the grand old man of Scottish poetry’, Norman MacCaig. Immersed in meditative soundscapes Even Days Dissolve is a moment of beauty between the uniquely talented songwriters and musicians.
Speaking about ‘‘Even Days Dissolve’, Constant Followers’ Stephen McAll explains: “The magic in music for me is all about collaboration. Finding people who inspire me to make better music, then working with them and creating something between us that’s better than what either of us could have made alone. It’s been an honour to work so closely with Scott William Urquhart on this album. He’s someone whom I’ve admired for some time - unquestionably up there with the best acoustic guitarists at the moment in Scotland, and such a beautiful writer of songs.
“Bringing two of these songs together with the voice of our beloved Norman MacCaig has been a real highlight of this project. His poetry was introduced to me by my high school teacher Mrs Tatarkowski, and it was the first prose I was able to read and understand when I was recovering from a traumatic head injury. So his work holds a deep space in my heart. I don’t think any poet or songwriter has matched his ability to capture the space and wonder of the natural beauty of Scotland.”
Pre-Order ‘Even days Dissolve’ Here
14th April
Fenne Lily - Big Picture
Dead Oceans
Tracked live in co-producer Brad Cook’s North Carolina studio, Big Picture the latest album from Fenne Lily delineates the phases of love and becomes a map of comfort vs. claustrophobia. “Writing this album was my attempt at bringing some kind of order to the disaster that was 2020,” Fenne states. “By documenting the most vulnerable parts of that time, I felt like I reclaimed some kind of autonomy.”
“A lot of the music I was listening to while I was writing seemed to be old kind of country stuff; the album Anymore For Anymore by Ronnie Lane and Slim Change was a big one (‘hear Roll On Babe from ’74’) — anything that sounded warm and comfortable, just people in a room playing what came most naturally. When I brought this song to the band it easily fell into that sort of world — it felt stable, which is cool for a song that came from a place of total instability.”
Continuing “This isn’t a sad album — it’s about as uplifting as my way of doing things will allow, These songs explore worry and doubt and letting go, but those themes are framed brightly.”
Pre-Order ‘Big Picture’ Here
14th April
Josienne Clarke - Onliness
Corduroy Punk
Josienne Clarke revisits songs from her back catalogue for new album Onliness (songs of solitude & singularity). Following previous album A Small Unknowable Thing – Josienne was inspired to reclaim songs from her back catalogue, and to reassess them from her current perspective with a freedom that wasn’t previously bestowed, taking her previous songs and allowing them to reflect then person she is now through her own creativity and current emotions.
“It’s a mixture of songs that were singles, that I wanted to reclaim in some way, and then other songs, some really great songs, that never got the attention I think they deserved,” Josienne explains. “Artists are constantly required to create new content, this content is consumed in the short term and forgotten about,” she continues, speaking of her other motivation for the record. “When a big label owns the masters of your songs forever you earn little to nothing from those recordings, it’s not surprising that an artist would have to explore re-recording from a financial standpoint alone. I’ve found that it’s no longer financially viable for me not to revisit material, even being a prolific songwriter it’s just not sustainable for me in the long term.”
Pre-Order ‘Onliness (songs of solitude & singularity)’ Here
14th April
Laveda - A Place You Grew Up In
Papercup Music
New York dream-pop duo Laveda comprised of Ali Genevich (vocals/guitar) and Jake Brooks (vocals/guitar/synths), take on a range of influences from The Sundays and Slowdive to The Cranberries and Radiohead, for new album ‘A Place You Grew Up In’ mixing slacker-rock infused guitars alongwith with spiralling synths.
Discussing the album Genevich explains: ”A Place You Grew Up In” is like a time-capsule in my memory. 2020 and 2021 felt like adulthood had crawled out from a dark cave somewhere in the woods to slowly flood my mind with 24/7 anxieties. It began with the pandemic, then Jake’s mom who had been battling stage four cancer got worse. She passed on New Year’s Day 2021. There was a lot of grief paired with drinking. Many days felt monotonous, though some were filled with writing and demoing.” Recorded on a ranch just outside of Los Angeles. Genevich comments: “We were able to find new meaning in a lot of the songs while out in California. It ended up being this very therapeutic process and I’m extremely grateful for it.”
Pre-Order ‘A Place You Grew Up In’ Here
21st April
Hairband - Under the Plow
Lost Map
Somewhat of a Glasgow underground supergroup featuring members of previous/current bands Spinning Coin, Breakfast Muff, The Yawns, Lush Purr, Rocky Lorelei, Kaputt and Tarantula. Glasgow and Berlin based Five piece Hairband debut album Under The Plow blends intricate, jangly riffs with danceable beats, hooky bass lines, sweet melodies and layered vocal harmonies.
These songs reflect a period the band will forever appreciate and be proud of,” writes Hairband’s Emma Smith, “having stumbled on a particular kind of musical chemistry none of us had really felt before, and having had to fight hard to keep going through times of unrest both personally and globally. You can hear the fun and joy in equal measure, alongside more complex, darker aspects that we hope speak to some of the wider experiences of women. The title Under the Plow tries to capture the growth we’ve helped each other achieve through music and friendship, despite various challenges along the way.”
Pre-Order ‘Under The Plow’ Here
21st April
Lael Neal - Star Eaters Delight
Sub Pop
Star Eaters Delight is an expansion of Lael Neale's sonic collaboration with producer and accompanist Guy Blakeslee following on from her Sub Pop debut Acquainted With Night,
Having moved from Los Angeles back to her family’s farm in rural Virginia in 2020. Lael Neal began looking at the world from a distance and getting in tune with her own rhythms, writing and recording steadily for two years, driven by a need to make order out of chaos. Star Eaters Delight is a vehicle for returning, not just to civilization, but to celebration. She explains: "The unbroken silences on the farm compelled me to break them with sound. This album is louder and more external, calling out to the world."
"I like to use archetypal language because I want to get a rise out of people. I want to trigger a response. A single archetypal word carries more weight and punch than an ordinary word. Jesus means more to us than Joe,” Neale notes, contining, “The past few years have seen more mud slinging & finger pointing than I’ve witnessed in my life. When I found myself getting drawn into the fray, this phrase became a mantra helping me seek higher ground and a broader perspective.”
Pre-Order ‘Star Eaters Delight’ Here
28th April
The National - First Two Pages Of Frankenstein
4AD
Produced by The National and mainly recorded at Long Pond Studio (their Hudson Valley homebase),
First Two Pages of Frankenstein channels a revitalised chemistry into a band now in their second decade, elegantly balancing their musicality with their more idiosyncratic impulses.
“To me the power of this record has to do with the intentionality and structure of the music meeting with a lot of accidental magic,” says Aaron Dessner. “In certain songs you’ll hear slivers of improvisation that are coloring in the edges rather than playing a coherent part, which works well with Bryce’s orchestral arrangements or the linear way that Bryan plays drums. It’s like we’re building a whole sculptural world with the songs.”
“As a band we’ve always talked about how we only want to make records if we feel like we’re still learning
something about ourselves and each other, and if the music itself shines some sort of light in the
darkness,” notes lead singer Matt Berninger.
Pre-Order ‘The First Two pages Of Frankenstein’ Here
More Album Releases On Our Radar
7th April, Bethan Lloyd - Metamorphosis Soulpunx Records
7th April, Billie Marten - Drop Cherries Fiction Records
7th April, Jana Horn - The Window Is The Dream No Quarter Records
14th April, Fruit Bats - A River Running To Your Heart Merge Records
14th April, Stranger Still - The Songs Which Are Self Release
21st April, Silver Moth - Black Bay Bella Union
21st April, Pearl & The Oysters - Coast 2 Coast Stones Throw
28th April, Josh Ritter - Spectral Lines Pytheas
28th April, Post Coal Prom Queen - Music for First Contact Self Release
