New Music – Page 9 – New Zealand Net Radio

Album of the Week: Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Vance Joy has produced album after album of sweet singer-songwriter material (this is his third). The Melbourian says this album was both born from a romantic relationship and life in lockdown. It is a personal album but filled with fascinating tracks, both classic soft pop numbers like “Don’t Fade” but also more experimental tracks like “Wavelength”, a collaboration with Dirty Projectors’ Dave Longstreth.

Album of the Week: Angel Olsen – Big Time

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Angel Olsen has produced a run of fantastic albums and this is no exception. With a classic mid-century sound (with strong country hints on the first half) and produced during a period of dealing with the loss of her parents and coming out, this is another superlative effort. AllMusic described how it wrangles “complex, overwhelming emotions with a broad palette that’s commanded by its lyrics and tormented vocal performances”.

Album of the Week: Emeli Sandé – Let’s Say For Instance

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

We don’t want to diminish the undoubted achievement of the big release this week (Harry Styles’ Harry’s House) but this is one of a spate of releases earlier in the month that deserves highlighting. Emili comes back in style with another range of beautiful songs, well produced and blessed with her gorgeous voice, made for classy R&B. Oh – and love the fragment of Elgar at the end of “Family”!

Album of the Week: Florence & The Machine – Dance Fever

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

This album is another tour de force from Florence Welch, a masterpiece of performance and songwriting, a talent for “rock-pop anthems that bristle with a kind of modern classicism” according to The Times. Can’t wait to explore its tracklist this week.

Album of the Week: Arcade Fire – WE

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

A plethora of really great releases this week made choosing this week’s Album of the Week pretty challenging – we’ll have to enjoy some of the others over the next few weeks. Arcade Fire are really on form with this release, with Pitchfork echoing the critical consensus as the band “pivots back to a more melodic, sincere, and effortful style, attempting once again to find a genuine connection”.

Album of the Week: Hatchie – Giving The World Away

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

We first enjoyed Hatchie’s talented dream-pop on her 2018 EP Sugar and Spice and her new release advances her talent without losing her special style. Heather Phare wrote in AllMusic that “The singer/songwriter’s second album introduces more mature songwriting and touches of acid house and trip-hop to her ultra-catchy dream pop.” We look forward to checking out the talented Brisbanian’s album this week.

Album of the Week: Jewel – Freewheelin’ Woman

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm

I loved Jewel’s early albums back in the 1990s, a talented woman who made beautiful melodic modern folk. She has had an interesting journey since then including having millions of dollars stolen by her by her mother. She is back in style here in a “bright cheerful bit of self-empowerment” according to AllMusic. We look forward to featuring it this week!

Album of the Week: Omar Apollo – Ivory

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Omar Apollo has been releasing music for a couple of years, but this album should be his breakthrough. The Apple Music Up Next artist has an incredible voice, crooning his way through a diverse album, a “collection of gorgeous, sultry songs that content with the angst of feeling like you’re the only person who is truly awake and alive in an otherwise sleepy world” (NME‘s pretty portentious review!). We look forward to listening to these silky numbers this week.

Album of the Week: Maren Morris – Humble Quest

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm Monday to Friday. Listen in @tunein at https://tunein.com/radio/New-Zealand-Net-Radio-s305138/

Maren Morris is adept at blending pop and country elements, her ultimate example being the now-classic single “The Middle”. Her third album has met with acclaim, a solid set of songs exploring her life in a relatable way. She reflects on some tough times (postnatal depression, the loss of her collaborator Busbee and COVID19 isolation) but pleasingly doesn’t let these overwhelm the album. AllMusic described it as “openhearted and reflective”. We look forward to exploring the album this week.

Album of the Week: Yumi Zouma – Present Tense

Great to have two Kiwi albums in a row in our Album of the Week slot. This week one of our long term favs return. Yumi Zouma have expanded their sound by adding some new instrumentation, while still keeping with their chill melodic sound. We’ve been playing a couple of the singles which are really solid for a while (“Where the Light Used to Lay” and Ïn the Eyes of Our Love”) but each track is a little treasure.