Tennis, Lucius, You Won’t [week's Top Releases]

Love is in the air, and so is good music. This week’s releases are all a bit retro-inspired, some leaning more toward the psych-rock side of the spectrum (You Won’t, Field Music) and some on the lighter, poppier side (Islands, Tennis, Lucius). Whatever your flavour, this week’s top releases won’t disappoint — so instead of the cliché’ chocolates and flowers, get your sweetheart some sweet music for Valentine’s Day.

For those of you who are already familiar with You Won’t (@youwontmusic), there may be a feeling of déjà-vu surrounding the release of their album Skeptic Goodbye – that’s because it was originally a self-release by the band, but was picked up by Old Flame Records for re-release. We listened to it, we reviewed it, and we loved it. If you’ve already heard Skeptic Goodbye, get reacquainted, and if you haven’t, today’s the day to fall in love with this truly unique throwback album.

Plumb, the fourth LP from UK-based Field Music (@fieldmusicmusic), covers all its bases, employing everything from down tempo, melodic type sounds to more experimental effects. This combination conjures up an album that can be likened to a mash-up Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys. Not to mention, if you just so happen to find yourself in Barcelona this summer, they (along with a ridiculous number of really really amazing bands) will be performing at the Primavera Sound Festival.

It’s been a couple of years since Islands (@nickfromislands) have released an album, and this one is quite a change from their typical sound. Each of their previous releases had a psychedelically funky pop/rock sound with a humorous twist. A Sleep & A Forgetting, however, has thrown all of that out of the window and replaced it with a stripped down, soulful, piano laden foundation and raw vocals. The main inspiration for the album was front man Nick Diamonds’ breakup and subsequent move from New York to Los Angeles. On Anti’s website, he says “[t]his album is far more personal than any I’ve made before… [A Sleep & A Forgetting] deals with loss, with memory and forgetting and with dreaming. I started writing it on Valentine’s Day and it’s coming out on Valentine’s Day.”

Full album stream (thank you Islands!) below.

Young And Old is the follow up to Tennis’ (@tennisinc) 2011 release, Cape Dory. The overall sound is consistent — a fresh take on a classic pop sound. Young And Old, though, is definitely a bit more polished than its predecessor, which could be attributed to The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney, who produced the album. Soft vocal harmonies pair effortlessly with decidedly motown-influenced instrumentation, making Young And Old an enjoyably easy listen. If you’re looking to catch Tennis live, they’ll be throwing their album release party this week in Denver, CO, followed by a nationwide tour that lasts through May.

Driven by their instrumentally simplistic tracks and shining, emotive vocal strength at the forefront, this debut EP from Brooklyn-based Lucius (@ilovelucius) already has some serious steam behind it. Comparisons to Feist, and a production team including Tony Berg (Phantom Planet, Aimee Mann, Beck) and Dan Molad (Elizabeth & The Catapult, Luke Temple/Here We Go Magic) are just the icing on the sugary sweet sounds these ladies make. Those of you in the New York area can check them out this Friday at Bowery Ballroom for their EP Release party with Other Lives and Wim.