THE CHARLATANS UK – SOME FRIENDLY (EXPANDED EDITION)
Some Friendly is one of those albums that helped define an era, and usher in another British invasion in the ’90s. This reissue of the Charlatans‘ debut gets a bright new shine, pairing those baggy‑scene classics with extra tracks that flesh out just how hungry and inventive they were.
Tim Burgess’s vocals still sparkle with a youthful cool. The songs seem like they could resonate with Gen Z’s laidback sensibilities, with the band’s blend of psychedelic grooves and indie swagger holding up beautifully.
Stream • Beggars Banquet • Connect: @thecharlatans
FLEA – HONORA
“I’ve made sh**ty records and I still put them out because failure is important.” That Neil Young quote inspired Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ resident bass player, Flea, pull the trigger to record and release his new jazz record, Honora. Inspired by the vibrant LA jazz scene (featured players Thundercat and Kamasi Washington), Flea challenged himself to play to trumpet every day for two years and then make a record. The result is a loose, funky, and down tempo record that feels like walking into a jam session at 2am (best shown in “Traffic Lights” with a Thom Yorke [Radiohead] cameo). There’s a slow builder “A Plea” which is nearly eight minutes and finds Flea shouting in a moment of overcome honesty. A highlight for me (which highlight’s Flea‘s trumpet skills) is his cover of Frank Ocean‘s “Thinkin Bout You” with added strings and guitar that swells like the ocean.
QUEEN – QUEEN II COLLECTOR’S EDITION
Queen II has always been the sound of a band discovering just how massive their imagination could be, and this Collector’s Edition pushes that theatrical brilliance right to the forefront. It’s Queen at their most fantastical (half fairytale, half hard‑rock opera) and hearing it in this lovingly restored form is a reminder of just how ahead of their time they truly were. The heavy sounds come through with Brian May and Roger Taylor on as Executive Producers and they give you not just the album, but the sessions versions, and the backing tracks, and live at the BBC, and live at the Rainbow (in Vinyl and CD – whew).
THE TWILIGHT SAD – IT’S THE LONG GOODBYE
Scottish rockers, The Twilight Sad, return after seven years with another emotional tidal wave, and It’s the Long Goodbye might be their most devastatingly gorgeous record yet. They’ve always excelled at the slow‑burn and this album leans all the way into it with towering synths, bruised vocals, and darkly churning melodies.
The quest to find a thread of light in the darkness came from personal tragedy. Songs written in a haze after frontman, James Graham lost his mother to dementia, became a father, and having to cancel a tour with the Cure due to the mental strain of both. There’s a sense of reckoning woven throughout, the sound of a band taking stock of the world and their place in it. It’s heavy, but satisfying as the band rallies through each song with a relentless drive.
Stream • Rock Action • Connect: @thetwilightsad
