Stay Gold
First Aid Kit | Columbia Records
Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit has a very peculiar way of crafting classical sounding American country tunes despite calling Scandinavia home. The third studio album from Johanna and Klara Söderberg, Stay Gold, out this week, continues their nod to tradition born out of influences that include Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, June Carter and Johnny Cash. Released on vinyl in a limited gold edition, the record is perfect for the turntable with its robust open range sound and dusty harmonies.
Lazaretto
Jack White | Third Man Records
The details surrounding Lazaretto—the new release from former White Stripes and Raconteurs’ front man Jack White on his own record label—are pretty ridiculous. This guy is clearly a super-nerd when it comes to vinyl engineering. First of all, side two’s “Just One Drink” will play either an acoustic intro or an electric one depending on where the needle is dropped. On top of that there are two hidden tracks that reveal themselves only when cranking up the rotation to either 78 or 45 RPMS from the requisite 33. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a hologram etched right into side A. Oh yeah, the blues rock on the album is pretty incredible, too.Nausea
Craft Spells | Captured Tracks
Lo-fi always sounds better on vinyl; and Seattle’s dream rock outfit Craft Spells knows it. The warming sounds of the album’s lead single, “Breaking the Angle Against the Tide” find a rich home in the grooves of its 12” LP Nausea out on June 10. With rumbling drums and lucid vocals, Craft Spells turns in a follow-up to 2011’s Idle Labor that extends the band’s foray into sunny musical impressionism despite its rainy surroundings on the shores of the Puget Sound.
