What a week it has been, am I right? Thankfully it’s pay day for a lot of us and to quote the much maligned Pied Piper of R&B Robert Kelly “it’s the freaking weekend baby, I’m about to have me some fun.” So, whether your weekend plans include watching the Pro Bowl or the Royal Rumble or hitting up Bed, Bath & Beyond if you have enough time, make sure you take the time to check out the new albums out this weekend and push play.
Lola Marsh Someday Tomorrow Maybe
Yael Shoshana Cohen and Gil Landau are probably not a duo you’re familiar with, but the two along with their five piece touring band are sure to be names said in more households as 2020 rolls on. Lola Marsh, the Tel Aviv based pop band’s sophomore album Someday Tomorrow Maybe picks up where their debut left off by delivering beautiful instrumentals from Landau that are paired perfectly with Cohen’s piercing vocals. Current single “Hold On” centers on the difficulties with being unable to say goodbye to someone or even something.
Lola Marsh’s music is richly filled with deep, touching lyrics and captivating guitar melodies. Cohen and Landau were both forced to serve in the Israeli army at 18. Being raised in one of the worlds most politically charged areas it is a wonder that the bands music has shaped into the way it has. With influences ranging from Nina Simone to Elvis and LCD Soundsystem, Lola Marsh is hoping to make a big splash in the States with Someday Tomorrow Maybe. You can catch Lola Marsh February 8 at Rough Trade in New York. @Lola_Marsh_Band
Tauren Wells Citizen of Heaven
At some point in every band’s life comes the question that can’t be ignored, when is the lead singer going solo? It has happened with countless rock bands from Genesis to The Police to No Doubt. It even happens with boy bands. JT and MJ did okay for themselves after going out on their own. It appears it happens in the genre of christian music too. Tauren Wells, the former front man for pop rock band Royal Tailor, has stepped out on his own is back with his sophomore album Citizen of Heaven. The five-time Grammy nominee delivers an album complete with an upbeat style of pop-rock complimented by some contemporary Christian style songs and features from the likes of Kirk Franklin and Rascal Flatts. There’s everything from pop, country, R&B, rock and contemporary christian on Citizen of Heaven that helps bring a sense of unity to the album.
The empowering message in Wells’ newest release is that no matter how different we are wether it be race, nationality or culture we are all unified through Christ and each of us is a citizen of heaven. Wells is on tour with Toby Mac and will be in St. Louis on March 14. @taurenwells
The Black Lips Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart
There are some bands that have their own defining sound that results in them not being pigeonholed in to a specific genre. Atlanta based The Black Lips is one of those bands as their sound has morphed from soul to pop to rock to punk to now on their ninth album Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart country. There are countless influences heard on the album including Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Willie Nelson and even the Butthole Surfers. The songwriting on the new album might arguably be the best part of it.
From the anguish felt in “Gentleman” to the narrative of conscious change in “Live Fast, Die Slow” the songwriting on Sing In A World That’s Falling Apart is some of the strongest from a band 20 years into their career. The group of outlaws from Georgia stayed true to their original formula for success on this album and the cult following they have accrued over the years will surely be happy with the new outing. @TheBlackLips
Colony House Leave What’s Lost Behind
Ever since their 2017 hit record Only The Lonely was released the only thing the members of Colony House were asked is when the next album was coming out. The wait is over and fans of the bands first album will be extremely pleased with its sound. The Nashville based quartet reconnected with Ben Shive who produced their 2014 debut When I Was Younger.
Colony House took the naive sense of recording the first album and mixed it with the touring of the last few years while they grew as a band to bring the sound of the new album to fruition. Lead singer Caleb Chapman drew inspiration from his family history to help shape the new album. Caleb and his brother, bandmate Will Chapman are the sons of contemporary Christian musician Steven Curtis Chapman and are joined by Scott Mills on guitar and bassist Parke Cottrell.
Colony House is set to start a new tour that will take them all over the US. It all starts with a very unique experience in Nashville on January 25. The band is taking over Cannery Row by playing all three venues. They’re playing their first album at The High Watt at 6:00 followed by second album Only The Lonely at 8 and wrapping up at 10:00 in Cannery Ballroom with new release Leave What’s Lost Behind. @ColonyHouse
Check out these other amazing albums out this week too:
- Pet Shop Boys Hotspot
- Whitney Peyton Alpha
- Wolf Parade Thin Mind
- The Avener Heaven
- The Wood Brothers Kingdom In My Mind
- Annihilator Ballistic, Sadistic
- Breaking Benjamin Aurora
- Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Presto
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
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