Crucial Releases for March 28
A super week to end the month, with all six new albums mentioned below currently sitting in my top 40 records for 2025. Two of these stood out to be featured this week and I imagine both will be in the running for my favorite records of the year.
The first featured album is Patience, Moonbeam by Great Grandpa (Listen)
Great Grandpa is a alt folk/indie band from Seattle, Washington and I apparently had their other albums saved in my library, but I don't remember listening to them... maybe because this is their first album since 2019? Could be, I guess. Regardless, I'm happy to (re)discover them because this album is ridiculously good.
I've seen them described as the west coast's answer to Big Thief and I think that's pretty accurate. I also hear a little Alex G, Jeremy Enigk (from Sunny Day Real Estate), alt country, and emo. So yeah, pretty much right up my alley.
Apparently the band kind of drifted apart around 2021 due to life changes for almost every band member (and coming close to breaking up), but they eventually drifted back together to slowly and collaboratively write this new album. From their Bandcamp:
Perhaps most notable is how seamlessly all five members contributed to the creation of the album, showcasing their individual voices while still managing to create something cohesive and whole. While Pat was the main songwriter on Four of Arrows and wrote much of the bedrock for Patience, Moonbeam, the writing and recording process for this album saw a looser, more inclusive atmosphere overall, built on what the band calls an “open door policy.” What could suffer from a kitchen-sink approach instead comes together brilliantly, a testament to the band’s musical and spiritual connection.
Favorite tracks: "Never Rest", "Junior", "Emma", "Ladybug", "Doom", "Task"
The second featured album is Glory by Perfume Genius (Listen)
Perfume Genius is the brainchild of Mike Hadreas. His music spans bedroom pop, glam rock, piano ballads, singer-songwriter, folk and everything in between. The songs on Glory are simply beautiful and mostly restrained, compared to what I thought Perfume Genius sounded like...
I will admit I have not fully appreciated or spent much time with his previous work (7 total albums, 1 soundtrack, 1 remix album), outright dismissing some. Something along the way put Perfume Genius in some slot in my brain and I didn't really revisit his music until this week. Something similar happened to kindred spirt Angel Olsen years back, to the same result. Maybe I will learn a lesson one of these days?
Regardless of how I got here, I'm glad I gave Glory a listen, because this album is good enough to encourage me to check out the rest of his catalog as well.
Similar to Great Grandpa above, Hadreas took a more collaborative approach on this album and found success. From his Bandcamp page:
The record’s central conflict, says Hadreas, is the “back and forth between internal and external.” Promoting his string of beloved, increasingly ambitious albums during the past decade and a half—touring the world, dwelling in the public eye—clashed with his innate impulse toward isolation. For 'Glory,' he discovered a new songwriting process because he welcomed the dynamics of a group, leaving room in his compositions for his friends to flesh out the arrangements. As Hadreas says: “I’m more engaged with the band and the audience. I’m still on some wild tear, but there’s more access and it’s more collaborative, in a way that makes it better, but also scary—because it feels more vulnerable.”
Favorite tracks: "It's a Mirror", "No Front Teeth", "Me & Angel", "Left for Tomorrow", "Capezio", "In a Row"
Honorable Mentions
Big Dog by Bria Salmena (Listen)
Salmena, better known as the front woman for the post-punk band FRIGS, with her debut solo album. Commanding vocals, yet still vulnerable. The music blends indie rock, krautrock, and dark wave. Very solid debut!
Forever is a Feeling by Lucy Dacus (Listen)
Dacus' fifth full-length dives into the myriad of feelings and moments associated with romance to deliver another high quality album. Everything you'd expect from her as a Grammy winner.
Lost & Found by Free Range (Listen)
The second full-length from Sofia Jensen aka Free Range. Beautiful folk/alt-country songs, similar if you crossed Phoebe Bridgers and Wilco. Some real highlights on the album, so worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre.
Evenfall by Sam Akpro (Listen)
The debut full-length from this London-based artist. A very, very solid start for Akpro. Moody vibes that incorporates a lot of different genres into a satisfying sound. Will definitely be following him going forward.
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