Don’t Miss New Albums From Larkin Poe, Benjamin Booker, Mogwai & More

Larkin Poe issued a new album, Bloom, via the sibling duo’s Tricki-Woo Records. Guitarist Rebecca Lovell and steel guitarist Megan Lovell co-produced Bloom, which was largely co-written by Rebecca, Megan and Rebecca’s husband Tyler Bryant. Bloom follows Larkin Poe’s Grammy-winning 2022 album, Blood Harmony, which nabbed the award for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

“Bloom is about finding oneself amidst the noise of the world,” Rebecca said of the 11-track LP.

Megan added that Bloom is “about wholeheartedly embracing the flaws and idiosyncrasies that make us real. In one way or another, pretty much all of the songs on this album are about finding yourself, knowing yourself, and separating the truth of who you are from societal expectations.”

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Benjamin Booker returns with his first new album in seven years, LOWER, out now on his new Fire Next Time Records label. The New Orleans-based artist co-produced LOWER with underground hip-hop mastermind Kenny Segal (Armand Hammer, billy woods). The record marks Booker’s first studio effort since 2017’s Witness. Booker credited the new sound on LOWER to his collaboration with Segal.

“I wanted to get to this sound, but I didn’t know how,” Booker said. “At some point I decided I’m going to find it or die trying. Kenny was the missing piece I needed–he fills in all of my gaps. I don’t know what I’ll do next, but if I can imagine it, I can do it now.”

Mogwai’s 11th studio album, The Bad Fire, was released today via Temporary Residence Ltd./Rock Action. The Scottish post-punk band worked with acclaimed producer John Congleton on The Bad Fire, which is the first album from Mogwai since 2021’s As The Love Continues. Congleton joined Mogwai during recording sessions held in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The band members dealt with “tough personal moments” in the wake of the release of As The Love Continues. Pulling from those experiences, the new album’s title is a Scottish phrase meaning hell. The band issued the statement below regarding The Bad Fire:

“After the high of putting out As The Love Continues, the following years were personally hard for us. We’ve dealt with a lot of loss and in Barry’s case a serious family illness with one his daughters. Getting back together to write and record this record felt like a refuge and with John Congleton we feel that we’ve made something special. We often hear from people that our music has helped them get through hard times in their lives and for once I think it applies to us as well.”

Eusexua is the third album from FKA twigs, released today through Young/Atlantic Records. The album is FKA twigs’ first since 2019’s Magdalene. Among the contributors to Eusexua is FKA twigs’ frequent collaborator, producer Koreless. On social media, FKW twigs described making of Eusexua, stating:

EUSEXUA has been my practice for the years that it has been in creation. it is my opus and truly feels like a pin at the centre of the core of my artist. EUSEXUA was birthed in chicken scratch, written on the back of my hand in a toilet at a rave in prague, ‘this room of fools WE MAKE SOMETHING TOGETHER’ and we do. we rave, we sweat, we kiss, we make love to the booming thud of culture.
EUSEXUA is a practice
EUSEXUA is a state of being
EUSEXUA is the pinnacle of human experience

flipturn are back with their second album, Burnout Days, issued today through Dualtone Records. The Florida-based five-piece made their debut with 2022’s Shadowglow. With their 12-track sophomore effort, flipturn wrote songs in a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. The band then decamped with producer Chad Copelin to record at Sonic Ranch near El Paso, Texas.

“We wanted to create an immersive world,” said guitarist/synthesizer player Mitch Fountain. “We were really intentional with the sounds we wanted for each song, and we paid attention to every single detail.”

Vermont-born, London-based singer-songwriter Sam Amidon took a new approach on his latest album, Salt River, which he released today through River Lea Recordings. The 10-track effort consists of Amidon’s arrangements of songs from such divergent sources as a traditional Appalachian ballad to a Lou Reed solo composition. Amidon worked closely with saxophonist and producer Sam Gendel. Percussionist Philippe Melanson joined the sessions that were held at Gendel’s home studio in Los Angeles.

“This album is a campfire, but the campfire is around Sam Gendel’s synthesizer,” said Amidon. “Or maybe it’s a journey through the corridors of my memory, if my memory was transplanted into Sam and Phil’s dreams.”

Teddy Swims (Jaten Dimsdale) released a new album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), via Warner Records. I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) follows Teddy Swims’ breakout debut LP, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1). That record introduced the hit singles “Lose Control” and “The Door” and led to a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. The album sees guest turns from Muni Long, Coco Jones and GloRilla as well as Grammy-nominated R&B artist Givēon, who appears on the latest Part 2 single, “Are You Even Real.”