New Music Friday: 1/17/20

Steven McCash is back to cover the week in new music releases on a new edition of New Music Friday!

Share This Post

Titans fever has taken over Nashville and all of Tennessee this week to no surprise. Everyone is counting down the minutes to kickoff of the AFC Championship game. While you’re counting along with everyone, why not enjoy some new music that is out this week? From a hip-hop emcee gone too soon to a pop princess to a bluesy rocker about to explode, this week’s new selections has something for everyone. 

Mac Miller Circles

By the time of his untimely death in September of 2018, Mac Miller had grown into one of the more thoughtful rappers on the scene. An accidental overdose left his family, friends, and a legion of fans heartbroken and asking why. Circles, the first posthumous album from Miller, aims to answer some of those questions. 

Producer Jon Brion who has worked with Kanye West, Fiona Apple and worked with Miller on 2018s Swimming, signed on to produce Circles. The album was completed based off of conversations the two had while working together on Swimming. The title track, Circles, shows Miller self-reflecting on aspects of himself that he doesn’t feel like changing or feels need to be changed. 

Mac Miller left this world far too early at the age of 27, leaving behind a fan base that hung to every word he said in his songs. Hopefully Circles can help put to rest some of the pain they still hold from his passing. You can donate to the Mac Miller Legacy Fund and help support youth from underserved communities HERE.

Halsey Manic

There can’t be a more fitting name for an album like Halsey’s newest one than Manic. The album explores so many genres from K-Pop, country, rock and even some Lilith Fair like folk. Manic is an extremely autobiographical record that finds Halsey searching for her own peace of mind. Unfortunately, listeners will have to wait for the follow-up to see if she ever finds it. 

The personal conversation that is Manic finds Halsey searching for her voice and herself so she can be a voice for her entire generation. During “Evening With Halsey” at the Grammy Museum last September, Halsey discussed how those personal conversations helped in the making of the album. “It’s part of the reason I’ve been using a lot of Ashley talk in this album, because it does feel very much like a look behind the curtain in a way. A curtain I never intended to put up but it’s just kind of there, because I was young and scared of showing—I didn’t know who I was deeply so it was irresponsible for me to tell the whole world, ‘This is who I am!’ And the world is like, ‘You’re 21, no it’s not.’ I’m going to be 25 in a couple of days, which is terrifying because I still feel 19.”

Halsey brings her (Manic) World Tour to Nashville on July 24. @Halsey

Algiers There Is No Year

This just in – the world is in shambles. We are all turning, looking for a hero to save us from it. We all want to be told everything is going to be ok. Algiers There Is No Year is not that hero. What it is is the album we all need right now – a straight forward in the face album that tells you over and over again how bad things are. 

This ferocious collection of 11 songs is a very righteous and politically charged album. Frontman Franklin James Fischer is not afraid of talking any subject no matter how controversial. On the outstanding “We Can’t Be Found” Fischer describes how society watches others from a distance and just waits for someone to tumble in order to feed off of their vulnerability and weakness. The Atlanta based trio delivered two of the most revered albums of the last decade and are starting the new one where they left off. Algiers will be at the Empty Bottle in Chicago on April 3rd. @AlgiersMusic

Marcus King El Dorado

What if I told you you could listen to the best album of 2020 and it’s not even February yet? Well, my friends I believe I can deliver on this despite not knowing how the rest of the year is going to sound. Nashville based Marcus King along the production help of The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach have given the world an ambitious debut solo album rich with soul, country and rock undertones. 

At the ripe old age of 23, King has been making music for over a decade while releasing three albums with his Marcus King Band. El Dorado introduces the South Carolina natives voice to a much wider audience along with his guitar skills reminiscent of Duane Allman. The standout song on El Dorado is “Beautiful Stranger” a beautiful track remindful of Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” if only Otis Redding was singing it. 

Despite only being a month in to the new year, El Dorado sits atop the leader board for album of the year in 2020. You can catch Marcus King in Nashville Friday, January 17th at Grimey’s, March 21st in Birmingham opening for Chris Stapleton and June 13th on the Farm at Bonnaroo. @realmarcusking1 @Marcuskingband

Please check some of the other great albums out this week listed below

  • Little Big Town Nightfall
  • Bombay Bicycle Club Everything Else has Gone Wrong
  • A Girl Called Eddy Been Around
  • Anti-Flag 20/20 Vision
  • G. Love and Special Sauce The Juice
  • Mr. Elevator Goodbye, Blue Sky

Steven McCash is the Music Columnist for SoBros Network. He is the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music, in addition to the occasional live show review. Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75

Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore