Some really, really good releases out this week:

  • Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers Listen
  • Kevin Morby - This is a Photograph Listen
  • Florence + the Machine - Dance Fever Listen
  • Mallrat - Butterfly Blue Listen
  • TOPS - Empty Seats EP Listen
  • The Smile - A Light for Attracting Attention Listen

The top two are record-of-the-year contenders for me, so far…

Kendrick’s release floored me in terms of the topics he addressed and the complexity of the whole album. A multiple pass listen – I’ve gone through twice and the second time was just as rewarding, with new layers unveiled.

And Kevin Morby’s new record is probably his best to date. He’s progressing past the Dylan emulation and really coming into his own as a songwriter.

Let me know if I missed anything this week!