Tastes Like New Music Friday: February 25, 2022

It doesn’t matter if you were an emo kid, an 80s kid, a metal kid, a punk-rawker or an alt-rocker; there’s something out today that’ll bring back all those retro feelings.

Tears For Fears are back for the first time in 17 years with The Tipping Point. Perfect timing because we’ll be releasing our Tears for Fears album and song rankings next week. It’s almost like we planned that (we did.) So far it’s getting some excellent reviews–although we’ll hold off anointing it as an album of the year candidate until Pitchfork and Rolling Stone weigh in.

It’s been 35 years since The Smiths broke up and Johnny Marr has finally released his fourth full length album (half of which already came out). His Fever Dreams, Pts. 1-4 drops today, you may have already heard his two EPs (Fever Dreams Pt. 1 and 2) last year.

Want more retro goodness with a slightly louder volume? Scorpions also have a new one out. Rock Believer is the venerable metal band’s 19th studio album and first since 2015. Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs have been rocking together since 1979, an impressive run together. They’re joined by a new drummer, Mikkey Dee, who replaces James Kottak. Critics so far don’t seem to be paying much attention to this one.

Also out today, more 80s! Soft Cell’s *Happiness Not Included is their first album in 20 years. If you’re an alt-rocker from the 90s, Superchunk has a new album today as well. It’s titled Wild Loneliness and critics like it.

For you 90s kids, Dashboard Confessional is back with All the Truth That I Can Tell and Avril Lavigne drops her seventh full-length studio album, Love Sux. Yes, Machine Gun Kelly does make an appearance, how did you know? Does the album sux? Critics are mixed.

One of the more interesting releases this week has to be CMAT’s If My Wife New I’d Be Dead. Artist Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson released singles over the past two years teasing her interesting mix of pop, country and her own Irish heritage. (Ed. Note: apparently CMAT’S album has been delayed until March 4th. Check back next week!)

Finally, Pittsburgh band String Machine is getting some buzz. Their maximalist indie pop debut Hallelujah Hell Yeah is out today.

 More releases

Timewave Zero – Blood Incantation
Angel in Realtime – Gang of Youths
Feeding the Machine – Binker & Moses
Squeeze – SASAMI
Pray For Me I Don’t Fit In – Melt Yourself Down
If My Wife New I’d Be Dead – CMAT

Singles

Regina Spektor is back! Here’s the debut single from her upcoming 8th album and first since 2016. Home, Before and After will be out on June 24th.

Coheed and Cambria have a new one from their upcoming album Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind. It’s out in May.

It’s the guy from Cursive’s first single from his upcoming solo album which has an impressive roster of guests.

Bonnie Raitt’s latest single from her upcoming self-produced album. It comes out in April.

THE FOO FIGHTERS

Reviews haven’t been kind for the Foo Fighters new horror movie–that’s right, horror movie–Studio 666.