

Nathaniel Rateliff has loved and lost. It really shows on his first solo album since 2013, going back to his roots after a successful stint with his Night Sweats. Serving as a tribute to late friend and collaborator Richard Swift, this is not your average “look, I’m divorced now” bearded dude folk record.
Plus: new tracks by Nap Eyes, The Men, Lucinda Williams, Spanish Love Songs, U.S. Girls, Tame Impala, Tennis Music, Lala Lala, Nadia Reid, Anna Burch, Molly Burch, Miss Tess, Anna Ash, Waxahatchee, Billie Eilish, Jozef van Wissem, William Prince, Logan Ledger, Jonathan Wilson, and Khruangbin + Leon Bridges.
As we approach 2018’s twilight and the first few publications start posting their best of the year lists, we decide to keep focusing on brand new music for a few more weeks. This week, we highlight State Champion’s new LP, ‘Send Flowers’. We’ll let the Silver Jews’ David Berman (we miss you, come back) make the introductions: “If Bob Dylan was funny, if Tom Waits was relevant, Ryan might not be peerless at what he does best, which is writing large gregarious circles around his pitiful colleagues in the field. He’s the best lyricist who’s not a rapper going.”
Plus: new tracks by Superchunk, Richard Dawson & Rhodri Davies’ Hen Ogledd, Action Bronson, Altın Gün, Jacco Gardner, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Girlpool, Mercury Rev with Margo Price, Carson McHone, Craig Brown Band, Rhett Miller, Robert Ellis, Raoul Vignal, Eiko Ishibashi, Liela Moss, Nadine Khouri, Pearls Before Swine, and Jozef Van Wissem.