New Releases from The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, Willow, Jacob Collier and More!

It's a good week for new music!

Jacob Collier [Tape Op #151] released Something Heavy, an EP with three versions of "Something Heavy." It straddles the world between a Coldplay ballad and early 2000's Sting, is beautifully recorded, and as usual, is a top notch song with a great arrangement.

Willow released petal rock black. The album has collaborations from Kamasi Washington, George Clinton, and Tune-Yards {Tape Op #88]. The deep jazz elements in the vocal melodies, modern production elements like fuzzed out beats, creative processing, shifting meters, and a wide-ranging pool of influences and references, make petal rock black a joyful and adventurous listen.

The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis [Tape Op #163] dropped Deface the Currency, and it's another top to bottom pleasure. There are touches of '80s era Pat Metheny, Bass Desires with John Scofield and Bill Frisell, but they have made it their own, and I am glad to see fans that may not be as familiar with these aforementioned influences digging great playing and writing.

Mumford & Sons released the Aaron Dessner [#141] produced and Bella Blasko [#150] engineered Prizefighter, Moby [#73] dropped Future Quiet, and Mirah gave us Dedication, which was mixed by frequent Tape Op contributor Eli Crews [#88], and features Hand Habits' Meg Duffy [#158] on guitar.