New Release Tuesday

It's not just Super Tuesday across the nation in the Presidential race (go and vote, wouldja?), but also in the world of music as a number of releases drop from some of my favorite artists.

My favorite thing about the new Hot Chip record is that Joe Goddard is finally getting his due. His highly recognizable baritone vocal has never been more present than on Made In The Dark, whether he's singing the refrain of "Ready For The Floor," or trading jabs and throws with Alexis Taylor on "Wrestlers." It is almost as if their ability to trade verses and choruses is like a good Linkin Park - not that Linkin Park should ever be side by side with the words good, great, or any other positive connotation. The album is definitely not 2006's breakthrough The Warning, as the production on the R&B/soul induced effort harkins back to their debut album, Coming On Strong. The band seems to be trying to find a balance between what made their first two albums great, and I'm sure they will find that in time. Until then, we can enjoy the amazing sequence of songs that lay in the middle of the record, from the laid back title track, to the guitars vs. beats of "One Pure Thought," to the rave-up that is "Hold On," to "Wrestlers."

Stream: Made In The Dark [Here] // [Buy Here]

On their fifth album, Lucky, famed Brooklyn trio Nada Surf continue their mature sounds they have been honing on since 2002's lauded Let Go. The album features typical Nada fare (first single "Whose Authority,") while branching out with tons of string arrangements, most notably on the politically motivated "The Fox." For more of my musings on the record, check out my review of the album over on the Stranded main page.

Stream: Lucky [Here] // [Buy Here]