Release Surfer – This Week's Most Interesting New Releases – 09/18

With hundreds of new releases every week, it's becoming harder and harder to decide what to listen to and what to leave behind.
This new OndaRock column will be with you every Thursday, helping you choose which waves to ride in the sea of albums coming out the following day.

Boy Harsher – Get Mean (darkwave, minimal synth) – The Northampton (MA) duo lands on Atlantic for their third album. Will this be a betrayal of their darkwave niche, or will a major-label launch simply be the springboard to wider exposure?

Slow Pulp – Melodie (indie-rock, slacker) – Judging by its title, the third album from the Wisconsin slacker-rock trio promises plenty of melody. We're confident there'll still be no shortage of oblique riffs and their trademark laid-back attitude.

Beck – Ride Lonesome (singer-songwriter, folk rock) – Judging by the three singles previewing the new, hotly anticipated album from the now fifty-year-old LA sprite, we should expect a reflective, intimate work in the vein of "Sea Change" and "Morning Phase". Does that idea excite you, or do you prefer him playful and schizoid as in his golden years?

Echo & The Bunnymen – Apples For Isaac (post-punk, neo-psychedelia) – Ian McCulloch's band makes ever more sporadic appearances – the last one dates back eight years – which is exactly why it's such a treat. Judging by the singles, this will be a dive into the past, no surprises but plenty of nostalgia.

Son Lux – Out Into (electronic, art pop) – Across nearly twenty years of career and a huge number of albums, the New York trio has followed a zigzagging path between refined electronics and pop openness. What's hiding behind this geometric cover?

Orville Peck – Mule (country, singer-songwriter) – The cover of the queer-country cowboy's fourth album shows him less masked than usual. Is it a preview of an album that's less mysterious than usual too?

Beabadobee – Pylon (indie-pop, alternative rock) – The London-based singer-songwriter of Filipino descent has long been hailed as one of the most important figures in the new wave of female singer-songwriters. Early impressions from the international press speak of a near-masterpiece. Should we believe the hype?

Actress – Radical Frame (idm, microhouse) – Surely one of the most acclaimed and innovative electronic producers of recent years, Darren Jordan Cunningham reaches his ninth album with a work that promises oblique rhythms and urban alienation.

Carly Rae Japsen – Day And Night (dance pop, art pop) – Rhythm and sophistication have always defined the Canadian pop star's output. Will her seventh album become a contemporary classic on par with "The Loveliest Time"?

Anthrax – Cursum Perficio (thrash metal) – We close our weekly roundup with the New Yorkers' return after ten years. Will it be a lackluster release, or will it confirm the theory held by many that Anthrax are the thrash metal pioneers who've aged best?

Ride the wave of great music

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