Take some time out, put on the headphones, drop the needle on the record, or queue up the latest releases on your phone.
Here’s four recently released albums that we’ve been playing at OUTinPerth HQ including new discs from Orville Peck, Beck, MNEK, and Romare. We promise we did not pick these artists because the first three rhyme.
Ride Lonesome
Beck
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This is Beck’s fifteenth solo album. He made his breakthrough with his third record, released in 1994. After a seven-year break, Beck is back with a new collection, Ride Lonesome.
While some of Beck’s records draw on influences from funk and hip hop, others are more focused on folk and Americana sounds, such as Sea Change (2002) and Morning Phase (2014). This new offering falls firmly into that category and is almost country in style.
The album sees Beck reuniting with many of the musicians who featured on his previous records, including Smokey Hormel, Joey Waronker, Justin Medal-Johnsen, Roger Joseph Manning Jr and Jason Falkner.
The opening title track instantly sounds like a classic. It evokes the laid-back country crossover hits that dominated the charts during the mid-1970s, complete with steel guitars, soft percussion and rich vocal harmonies.
Run Away continues the mood, while In The Night slows proceedings with moody strings and intricate acoustic guitar work. Failed Words is more intense, with piano taking centre stage instead of country guitars, while Beck shifts into a falsetto vocal delivery.
Bleed combines orchestral elements with guitars and piano, while Disappearing Act features Beck singing about looming skies and hearing voices. The rich sonic palette continues on For Your Love and Slow Canyon. On It Ends Right Here, the album takes a slightly psychedelic turn.
Falling Through My Hands, If You Don’t Know What Love Is and Beyond the Light bring the album to a close.
In less than 50 minutes, Beck takes listeners through 12 tracks of stunning beauty. It is a long way from boasting about having “two turntables and a microphone”, but the songwriting and musicianship remain just as compelling.
Orville Peck
Mule
★ ★ ★ ★
Orville Peck delivers his most cohesive work yet, a concept album chronicling his journey through addiction and recovery.
The record opens with a brief introduction featuring Emmylou Harris, Noah Cyrus and Allison Russell, before the storytelling is handed over to Peck. He makes a bold entrance with Big Ol’ House, a song about setting out to confront life’s challenges.
Already Gone will already be familiar to many listeners thanks to its catchy chorus. It is crisp, country and immediately memorable, while showcasing Peck’s distinctive baritone voice.
Whistling introduces Rehab Blues, a song that details the daily routine of a rehabilitation facility, the struggle of withdrawal, and the challenges of group counselling. Ring the Bell is a traditional country tune that explores casual hookups and sexual addiction. On Blue Skies, there is a strong sense of angst as Peck sings about leaving brighter days behind.
The Fall demonstrates why Peck possesses one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary country music. His vocal delivery harks back to the genre’s greats.
The next few tracks are solid country offerings, but the mood has shifted from despair towards optimism. Cowboy Heart is followed by The Breeze, The Grass, The Mourning Dove and Me and Too Little, Too Late.
By the time War of the Worlds arrives, the outlook is considerably brighter, with Peck singing that he is as happy as he can be. The closing track, and the album’s title song, Mule, brings the journey to a satisfying conclusion as Peck reflects on finally reaching the other side of recovery.
Bulldozer
MNEK
★ ★ ★ ★
It’s hard to believe this is only MNEK’s second album. The producer and songwriter has spent much of his career crafting hits for other artists, including Madonna, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa and Zara Larsson.
On Bulldozer, he delivers a soundtrack for the queer ballroom scene while exploring a range of important themes.
Reverse was the dance anthem that introduced listeners to this new era when it arrived a few months ago. It’s a song that makes you want to feel fierce, strike a pose and sissy that walk. Without wasting any time, the album launches into The Wall, a track about facing life’s constant challenges, while LADY!! celebrates embracing your feminine side.
Oh No! All The Boys features a huge chorus and reflects on past relationships.
Gargantuan!! tackles body image and self-esteem issues, themes that continue on Muscle Marys.. and Wanna Be Wanted, the latter a country-infused romp about craving connection and attention.
Lust4!! takes listeners back to the dancefloor while continuing the album’s narrative.
Cut-up samples feature throughout Dirty Little Secret!!, while World Doesn’t Have to Be Such a Scary Place!! is filled with disco influences. The closing track, California, begins as a laid-back, soulful and optimistic number before transforming into a hyper-pop celebration.
Oblivion
Romare
★ ★ ★ ★
British electronic artist Romare has released their fifth album, Oblivion. The project is the work of Archie Fairhurst, whose music has long been built around snippets, samples and beats. Romare’s productions are often slightly off-kilter, delivering unexpected sounds and textures. After beginning their career on the prestigious Ninja Tune label, they are now releasing music independently.
At first, these songs, many of which are built around vocal samples, can sound simple and repetitive. However, as the album unfolds, listeners are gradually drawn into Romare’s world.
Take Us sounds like the soundtrack to a psychedelic circus, while the beat-driven They Love It balances reverb-soaked electronic elements with a slow-building sense of tension. The Need incorporates elements of soul, while Breathe takes a more clinical and mechanical approach.
As the album progresses, the samples woven throughout the tracks help convey a broader message about technology, progress and humanity’s relationship with both.
While Oblivion is not as immediately danceable as some of Romare’s earlier work, it offers a deeper thematic focus. Beneath the hypnotic rhythms lies a thoughtful discussion about technology and our increasingly complex relationship with it.
