Notable vinyl releases out this week - 27 October (2023)

As they set to work on their highly awaited sophomore album, Black Pumas broadened their palette to include a dazzling expanse of musical forms: heavenly hybrids of soul and symphonic pop, mind-bending excursions into jazz-funk and psychedelia, and starry-eyed love songs that feel dropped from the cosmos. The debut was nominated for seven Grammys and reached one million album equivalents. Chronicles Of A Diamond arrives as the fullest expression yet of their frenetic creativity and limitless vision.

25th Anniversary; remastered original album by Bob Ludwig, 4 previously unreleased/unheard "lost" songs, 70 min of unreleased live recordings

Taking its name from the campaign of the same name launched to prevent sexual assault in the UK, the material on forthcoming debut album Ask For Angela variously reflects on the band’s collective experience growing up in the South Wales Valleys, and explores the myriad lived experiences of young women. Exploring infighting within the feminist movement, the oppression of trans rights in the UK, violence against women, and other weighty but hugely important topics, the trio ultimately invite the listener to a place of safety and empowerment with their inclusive music.

Action Adventure is DJ Shadow's seventh solo LP, an inward-looking project, made for Shadow alone without any collaborators. DJ Shadow explains, "This album is about my relationship to music. My life as a collector and curator. All my records and tapes." There are 14 tracks, and all but one is instrumental. This, by definition, places it closer to Endtroducing and The Private Press in terms of personality and feel, but this is no throwback.

Duran Duran return with their new album Danse Macabre. The 13 song collection features: three brand new songs; haunting covers of songs by artists such as Billie Eilish, Talking Heads, The Rolling Stones and The Specials; and new versions of Duran Duran classics from their own catalog. It also includes a rare b-side and fan favorite: “Secret Oktober 31st”. Guest artists include producer, guitarist and composer Nile Rodgers, Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin and former band members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo. Exquisitely packaged with a fold-out poster, the record features images adapted from a collection of authentic vintage séance photos that band member Nick Rhodes sourced at auction.

While we patiently await new music, we can revel in versions that escaped the typical overthinking that occurs during the album process, instead reflecting the spontaneity and freedom of a touring artist. All tracks bar one (‘Thinking of Dub’) were initially released on short-run 7” singles for Echo’s early Japan tours, made only available to dedicated fans who attended the live shows.

Celebrating In Utero’s 30th, the 8LP Super Deluxe features 180-gram pressings of the album + 5 b-sides & bonus tracks newly remastered, 2 complete concerts from Los Angeles ’93 & Seattle ‘94 plus 6 bonus live songs from the tour – 72 total tracks – 53 unreleased tracks. Bonus items: an Angel-on-acrylic panel; 48-pg book with unreleased photos; new 20-pg fanzine; LA gig poster litho; 2 ticket stubs; replicas of the promo Angel mobile, 3 gig flyers, all-access tour laminate & 4 backstage passes.

Zig is the highly anticipated new album by Poppy on Sumerian Records. The album is at once tender and tough, filled with bold, electronic beats and deep metal rock riffs reminiscent of early '90s industrial. Recorded with producer Ali Payami and her longtime collaborative partner Simon Wilcox, the three of them made an album that is both from the heart and creatively significant.

Ragana is a duo whose members alternate duties on drums, guitar, and vocals to produce some of the most unique and affecting dark music in metal today. Written over the past few tumultuous years, Desolation's Flower is the band's most devastating effort to date, containing seven incantations of loss, rage, pain and hope.

A string of rapturously received EPs and singles made Sofia Kourtesis one of the fastest rising stars in the electronic world and beyond. She has already graced the cover of Mixmag, released a brilliantly energetic and moving Resident Advisor ‘RA Session’, appeared on ‘End of Year’ lists from the likes of The New York Times, Pitchfork, DJ Mag and Spotify (#6 Best Electronic Song) and played instant sell-out early shows at London’s Lafayette and Manchester’s YES as well as standout performances at Glastonbury, Green Man, Wide Awake and Primavera and tours supporting Caribou and Bicep.

The long-awaited LP features 10 intensely vulnerable and absorbing new tracks all delivered with fresh ambition and newfound purpose. Inspired by the long layoff and the cloud of uncertainty that blanketed the world (and music industry) these past few years, 152 stands among the most genuinely reflective and emotionally pure efforts of Taking Back Sunday’s illustrious career.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) Vinyl 21 Songs Including 5 previously unreleased songs from The Vault 1 of 4 Editions: Collectible album gatefold jacket with unique front and back cover art 2 Crystal Skies Blue vinyl discs 1 of 4 Editions: Collectible album sleeves including lyrics and never-before-seen photos for each version.

The American Analog Set have announced For Forever, their seventh album and first new music in 18 years.

The Gaslight Anthem have announced a new album! Titled History Books, the upcoming album from the American rock band is the long-awaited follow-up to 2014's Get Hurt, and is scheduled to be released in October this year, 2023, via their own label Rich Mahogany Recordings. The new song features a very special guest appearance from the legendary Bruce Springsteen and is the second single to be released from the upcoming album, following on from Positive Charge.

Whether we look for him or not, we all find God somewhere. It could be in nature. It could be in church. It could be in the metaverse. It differs for each and every one of us. In terms of where God might be, The Kills aren’t necessarily saying, but the duo (Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince) certainly sound like they’ve seen him. How else could you explain the primal call-and-response between Alison’s full body blues-soul vocal catharsis and Jamie’s swaggering, guillotine-smooth guitar transmissions on the duo’s sixth full-length offering, God Games?

Jenny from Thebes began it's life as many albums by The Mountain Goats do, with John Darnielle playing the piano until a lyric emerged. That lyric, "Jenny was a warrior / Jenny was a thief / Jenny hit the corner clinic begging for relief," became "Jenny III," a song which laid down a challenge he'd never taken up before: writing a sequel to one of his most beloved albums: All Hail West Texas. Recorded at Tulsa, Oklahoma's legendary The Church Studio with Grammy-winning producer/engineer Trina Shoemaker, Jenny from Thebes is a lush collection of showtunes, pushing Darnielle as a vocalist and The Mountain Goats as a band, broadening their sonic palette once again by leaning into influences like Godspell, Jim Steinman, and The Cars.

Because Hold, Jack Tatum's fifth album under the moniker Wild Nothing, was written in the aftermath of new parenthood during the pandemic, it was probably inevitable that it would be searching and existential music. But during the recording process, the artist known for synth-pop tastefulness used it as an opportunity to reach for a new sonic maximalism and wider set of influences.