Last Week's Listens: José González and Gojira

Over the past week,  I've found myself listening repeatedly to two new singles from two very different--but equally impressive--artists, José González and Gojira.

González, the Argentinian-Swedish indie folk musician, returned with his first new single in several years, (and his first in Spanish), "El Invento".

González describes "El Invento" as a song he wrote around the birth of his daughter, and one which asks the questions, "...who we are, where we're going, and why?"

Like much of his music, the song is pastoral and introspective, with González' skillfully-plucked acoustic guitar playing to delicately spoken vocals.  It's a very poignant and pretty tune that fits right in with much of the artist's previous catalog.  His music always feels calming and complex at the same time.

For me, it brought back memories of seeing him perform live in Chicago back in 2007, and recalling the gentle command he had as a solo performer (You can read my concert review here).

Watch the video for "El Invento" below:

And then...

On the polar opposite side of the musical spectrum, we have the explosive, flying whale-of-a-single from French metal masters, Gojira, called "Born For One Thing".

Gojira have rightfully earned a reputation for effortlessly blending elements of technical, death and thrash metal into a heavy groove.  Having seen them live in 2019, I can attest that Gojira is a band that somehow sounds even heavier and more dialed-in in concert.  

The new single, "Born For One Thing", which dropped last week, has been met with much enthusiasm from fans new and old.  It finds the band picking up where they left off with 2016's crossover success story, Magma.  While some dyed-in-the-wool fans from the band's early days may have feared Magma was veering into mainstream territory, there's no denying the latest single finds the band still in their prime.  

"Born For One Thing" starts with that trademark Gojira build-up before crashing down into intense riffs with surgical precision.  Brothers Joe and Mario Duplantier have an inherent way of clicking together on guitar and drums, respectively, like conjoined twins sharing one musical brain.

Even if metal isn't your thing, I recommend giving Gojira a listen, as they remain one of the tightest, heaviest and most consistent bands in the genre today.

Gojira's forthcoming album, Fortitude, will be released on April 30th, 2021.  Listen to "Born for One Thing" below:

Nine Inch Nails In Tune With 'Ghosts'

Nine Inch Nails released a brand new album this week.

Ghosts I - IV, the follow-up to 2007's Year Zero, is a 36 track set of instrumental arrangements composed and recorded last fall after the band declared its freedom from At nearly 2 hours, the collection finds Nine Inch Nails exploring sounds previously uncharted by the band.

According to Trent Reznor, via the band's official website:

"I've been considering and wanting to
make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn't have made
sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a
very visual perspective - dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound
and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I'm very pleased with the result and
the ability to present it directly to you without interference. I hope you enjoy
the first four volumes of Ghosts."

"This music arrived unexpectedly as the result of an experiment. The
rules were as follows: 10 weeks, no clear agenda, no overthinking, everything
driven by impulse. Whatever happens during that time gets released as...
something."

"The end
result is a wildly varied body of music that we're able to present to the world
in ways the confines of a major record label would never have allowed - from a
100% DRM-free, high-quality download, to the most luxurious physical package
we've ever created. More volumes of Ghosts are likely to appear in the
future."

Right now, you can download Ghosts I for free, or download the whole collection for a mere $5.

Additionally, Ghosts I-IV is now available for pre-order as a double disc set for $10, which includes a free mp3 album download. A deluxe version boxed set is also available for pre-order. You can preview the album first on the NIN website. For detailed purchasing options, head on over to the order page.

Portishead Announce New Album

Portishead, one of my favorite U.K. trip-hop groups, has announced that they will release a new album on April 14th of this year.

The record, which will be titled THIRD, is not only the third studio effort from the band but also their first album in 10 years.

According to Portishead.co.uk the release will drop in the midst of a three month European tour. The only U.S. date set at this time is for April 26th's Coachella Festival. Portishead is scheduled to headline night two of the three day festival.