Records of the Week: Eminem Arrives and There’s No One Else

Eminem is coming. And there’s no one to beat. Marshall Bruce Mathers III will monopolize this week’s New Music Friday: “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)”, the rapper’s new album, is undoubtedly the most anticipated and biggest release. The album arrives four years after “Music to Be Murdered By – Side B” and was preceded by the hit “Houdini”, which climbed the world charts. But Eminem’s isn’t the only album to listen to this week: from Clairo to Cigarettes After Sex, here are our suggestions.

Eminem – “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grace)”

“The Death of Slim Shady” is Eminem’s twelfth studio album and comes four years after his previous album “Music to Be Murdered By” ( read the review here ). The first single from the new album is “Houdini”, the second “Tobey”, which features Big Sean and BabyTron. The first is a symbolic piece. This song, in fact, sees the rapper recall his old slogans such as the iconic “Guess Who’s Back?” by Shady from the 2002 song “Without Me”.

The single samples The Steve Miller Band’s 1982 chart-topping hit “Abracadabra” and is introduced with a skit from manager Paul Rosenberg, a technique he’s used in the past, telling him, “I heard the album, good luck, you’re on your own.” The accompanying music video features Em as the superhero Rapboy battling an evil alter ego, Slim Shady, with cameos from Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, and several other nods to “Without Me,” specifically the iconic clip.

Travis – “LA Times”

“LA Times” is not only the new album from Travis, but it also represents an incredible milestone that comes twenty-five years after the release of their 1999 hit album “The Man Who”, a record certified nine times platinum, only in the UK, and which somehow, for depth and emotion, connects to the latest release scheduled for publication on July 12th. The ten songs that make up “LA Times” reflect the desire of their creator, Fran Healy, to try to make sense of the road travelled up to this point, a feeling that is also reflected in the splendid cover photograph of the album. On the cover we see four figures immersed in vast environments, this time surrounded by the concrete and glitz of downtown Los Angeles, at night. A band, born at the Glasgow School of Art in the 90s, capable of inspiring groups such as Coldplay, who now, once again, seeks new coordinates between past, present and future.

Claire – “Charm”

“A collection of warm, ’70s-inspired grooves that move easily between jazz, psychedelic folk and soul”: this is how Clairo introduces her new album, “Charm”. The album is the third in the career of the 25-year-old singer-songwriter from Atlanta, what would once have been called “the album of maturity”: it comes five years after her debut with “Immunity”, which made Claire Cottrill one of the brightest stars of bedroom indie pop, and three years after “Sling”, the result of a collaboration with Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift’s team. At 25, Clairo wants to find her own path: she produced the album herself, independently, working together with Leon Michels, who previously worked alongside Norah Jones. The album was recorded live on analog tape. Watch out, it could be one of the revelations of the season.

Cigarettes After Sex – “X’s”

Now considered a cult group, Cigarettes After Sex return five years after “Cry” with a new album, which crystallizes the sound of the band from El Paso, Texas. Greg Gonzalez (vocals, guitar), Randall Miller (bass) and Jacob Tomsky (drums) focus on slow-dance ballads, inspired a bit by the ’70s and a bit by the ’80s, accompanied by surreal lyrics, which seem to be the transcription of dreamlike dreams. The album was preceded by the singles “Tejano blue”, “Dark vacay” and “Baby blue movie”.