This Land by Gary Clark Jr.
This Land was Gary Clarke Jr.’s third studio album and it debuted at #6 on the US charts
I first heard Gary Clark Jr. when he featured at the 2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival. I then tracked down his debut album and have followed his career ever since. I love his playing and singing as well as the different genres of music that turn up in his repertoire despite being considered a bluesman. This Land was his third top ten album in the US and it won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. The title track was released as the lead single (with an accompanying music video) and the song would win Grammy Awards for both Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance.
Favourite track: “Gotta Get Into Something”, which for some reason reminds me of The Clash…
Untitled by Rammstein
Rammstein’s seventh studio album was released untitled, a practice I have never understood
This album was released a decade after its predecessor and despite the long interval it went to number one in ten countries. It achieved critical acclaim as well as commercial success and was supported by the release of three singles. I have been a fan of the band since first hearing their work on the soundtrack to David Lynch’s Lost Highway.I continue to purchase their albums as soon as they are released. Although I like some better than others, they never disappoint.
Favourite track: The single “Auslander”
Signs by Tedeschi Trucks Band
Signs is the fourth studio album released by the Tedeschi Trucks Band
Another album from this fantastic band that have often been described as blues and roots. Husband and wife, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, merged their two bands together creating an amazing group of talented musicians. Sadly one of those musicians, Kofi Burbridge, died on the day of the album’s release. This is another act I discovered via the Crossroads Guitar Festival and consider them one of my favourite musical acts this century!
Favourite track: The magnificent “Shame”
Encore by The Specials
Encore is the eighth studio album for The Specials and their first for more than 20 years
Terry Hall returned to the Specials and this is his first recording with the band since 1981. I heard one song from this thanks to another of those free compact discs that comes with a music magazine. They sounded like the Specials of old so I purchased the album. It is an absolute cracker if you are a fan of the band like I am. I was very pleasantly surprised by how good this is.
Favourite track: “Blam Blam Fever” a cover of a song originally recorded by The Valentines (not to be confused with the Australian band of the same name)
Fear Inoculum by Tool
Returning after a 13 year gap in releases, Tool released their fifth studio album in 2019
Fear Inoculum absolutely blew me away from the first listen. I could hear influences from all their previous work in this album, whilst also being its own unique beast. The majority of the tracks are more than ten minutes long, which in their hands, is a good thing. It has now been more than four years since its release and I still listen to it regularly. Brilliant stuff.
Favourite track: A really difficult ask but I decided on “Culling Voices”
The Slabthrower 