I know that release dates don’t mean much these days, what with you kids and your intertubes and bittorrents. But today’s a big day for new albums, even if we ignore the 50 Cent/Kanye West/Kenny Chesney showcase showdown. Here’s some of the CDs or MP3 collections you can now legally acquire in the United States (listed in order of my personal priorities) as well as representative excerpts from a couple reviews.
Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Decay Sustain Release
“Mercifully brief” – Stylus
“Exciting” – Village Voice
The Go! Team – Proof of Youth
“Brisk” – Billboard
“Brash” – BBC
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
“Utopian” – Pitchfork
“Hallucinatory” – NY Times
Wiley – Playtime is Over
“Thrilling” – BBC
“Intricate” – Pitchfork
Film School – Hideout
“Wonderfully off-kilter” – NME
“Moody” – Spin
Hot Hot Heat – Happiness Ltd
“Soaring” – Canadian Press
“Expansive” – Entertainment Weekly