This week Today’s Top Tune offers up Yellow Days, a new voice from an old soul, plus new work from Baltimore’s Future Islands. We seek out the rumbling deep voice of Sean Rowe. Twenty years since its last album, Ride finally has new songs to share. And the late Chuck Berry leaves us with a brand new album.
Monday, April 3
Yellow Days: Gap in the Clouds from Harmless Melodies EP
Listening to George van den Broek, aka Yellow Days, it’s hard to believe that he’s only 18 years old. He’s got a brooding voice and a knack for warbly production. He calls “Gap in the Clouds” a song about “the euphoria of feeling amazing after feeling low for so long.”
Tuesday, April 4
Future Islands: Ran from The Far Field
Future Islands drops its fifth studio album this Friday, plays Coachella the week after and then begin its tour in earnest. Last year, the band began writing songs in its native North Carolina and continued at its home base of Baltimore before road testing the songs under fake names around town. Help yourself to the song “Ran,” which is already sounding like a signature track.
Wednesday, April 5
Sean Rowe: Newton’s Cradle from New Lore
Beguiling baritone Sean Rowe has written an album’s worth of songs about loneliness and longing for connectedness. He touches our hearts with his storytelling while making our feet move at the same time on “Newton’s Cradle.”
Thursday, April 6
Ride: the title track from Home Is a Feeling
Ride reformed in 2014 for a headlining sold-out tour. Now after a 20 year break, the Shoegaze legend has recorded a new album that remains true to its dreamy form. “Home Is a Feeling” is the title track.
Friday, April 7
Chuck Berry: Big Boys from Chuck
Chuck Berry, who pioneered the lifestyle, attitude and music of rock, is known for a slew of timeless hits like “Johnnie B Goode” and “Maybelline.” He was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and has inspired countless musicians. Berry passed away last month at the age of 90. But he left us with a final album — the first in 40 years – that will be released in June. Written by Berry, “Big Boys” features Tom Morello and Nathaniel Rateliff on guitars.