September 4th has quickly become an mainly hectic one for music enthusiasts, with a recent slew of releases in the pop alternative indie and electronic realms.
The most prominent of these offerings are the Age of the Exhibitionist from Rebecca Black and The Fatal Flaw from Paris Paloma, two extremely varied records, which speak to just how extensive the new New Music Friday line-up has become.
Both of these records gained a top spot on the NPR Music weekly recommendations list. sharing the space with releases from Sharp Pins, 1-800-Mikey and Button Masher.
Rebecca Black’s Age of the Exhibitionist is another significant step in the singer’s journey from viral internet sensation to an artist with a recognizable modern pop identity. Released independently on 4 September, it has 12 tracks and an approximate duration of 38 minutes. The record is made under the influence of the surveillance state.
That premise allows him to delve into ideas of performance, surveillance and modern celebrity while playing with a sound rooted in plush pop, club music and darker electronic musics. The likes of ‘Hot Wet Delirious’, ‘Anaheim Star’, ‘Miss Delicious’ and ‘Pistol’ all contribute to creating the album character of being playful yet provocative.
As Apple Music, the album is inspired by sound of the time before the dominance of the smartphone, although it twists those inspirations into a contemporary style. For Black, the album release is another milestone in a career which has transformed itself quite a bit since the breakthrough success in her teens with “Friday”.
These days, she’s no longer defined by that runaway hit single. Age of the Exhibitionist shows her as a fully fledged pop star game to explore image, sound and self-presentation.
In stark contrast, Paris Paloma strikes out on a new trail with The Fatal Flaw, her second studio effort put out by Nettwerk on 04 September. The 12-track collection spans about 48 minutes and revolves around the theme of love.
Paloma’s definition of the CD is that it is ‘about love as art, love as under patriarchy, and love as a political and radical act’.
Even those songs that appear not to have any romantic subject matter are related to the larger theme of what happens when love is or isn’t there. This is what makes The Fatal Flaw a far more inward-looking and philosophically emotive record.
The new release was likened by NPR to be in the same musical world as Suki Waterhouse and Florence + The Machine, emphasizing the dramatic alternative pop sense of atmosphere.
That’s just two of many busy September 4th release days. The schedule saw a lot more action on the same day, with Ellie Goulding dropping I Know Too Much; Natalie Imbruglia releasing Algorithm; Adla returning with Prima; Angus & Julia Stone releasing Karaoke Bar; Mykki Blanco; Chat Pile; Dexys Midnight Runners, Liana Flores and many more.
The latest issue of NPR’s weekly New Music Friday included 5 albums, among those Sharp Pins’ Mod Mayday 23, 1-800-Mikey’s In Yun and Button Masher’s Super Button Masher.