The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest (Saturday Edition)

All right folks, back to the Refrain as normal. I actually owe you two weeks so let's get down to brass tacks.

What's New In Music...

Last Friday was a huge day of releases and a lot of good music as well. Belly, not the rapper but the alt rock from the 90s, are back with Dove. Retro songster Leon Bridges released Good Thing. Shakey Graves is back with Can't Wake Up, and Frank Turner released Be More Kind. (No idea but I always confuse those two for no reason really and I find it hilariously they both released albums the same week) Indie rockers Lake Street Dive return with Free Yourself Up. Let's keep the Minnesotaish vibe going with Life is Good on the Open Road from americana folksy Trampled By Turtles. Singer songwriter time: Parker Millsap's got Other Arrangements and Damian Jurado with The Horizon Just Laughed. Electronica act The Glitch Mob released See Without Eyes. Metal band Dimmu Borgir had Eonian. The Temptations are back with All The Time. Christian music star Michael W. Smith released Lullaby. And finally wrapping up the week of May 4th, Yonatan Gat returns with Universalists.

This week is much shorter. Brit rockers Arctic Monkeys released Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Which felt like a change for the band's sound but I'm not a huge Arctic Monkeys fan so maybe I wasn't paying attention the last few albums. Beach House return with their beautiful zone out music on 7. Rapper Playboi Carti released Die Lit. Singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek released an eponymous album. And pop singer-songwriter Charlie Puth is back with Voicenotes.

Should I Bother?

• Arctic Monkeys: This is worth a listen as a fan or cursory listener.
• Beach House: If you need to just chill out, this is the album to throw on.
• Charlie Puth: Reminds me of Justin Timberlake and such
• Matt & Kim: their fun take on music and playful way with it is welcome to my ears anytime
• Shakey Graves: This has that indie rock vibe I like and I was really drawn into this album
• Lake Street Dive; They bring their boisterous sound back on this album and do it with style
• Belly: I've observed that if you were a fan of the band, this album is going to be a welcome delight.

Check out the Spotify list for other things I enjoyed from the last two weeks. I'm not joking that I've been enjoying a lot of albums from the last few weeks as you'll see. And happy listening!