EFTERKLANG, MUMFORD & SONS, THE SOFT PACK

With fall and the corresponding build up to Christmas shopping now in full swing, we’re finally getting a plethora of new releases every week. This round is no different, featuring several awesome new records, including the latest from Mumford & Sons, a new effort from 4AD’s Efferklang and Wild Honey Pie favorites The Soft Pack, Frightened Rabbit and Melody’s Echo Chamber.

EFTERKLANG – PIRAMIDA

Apples – Efterklang // Buy

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Danish electro-rock outfit, Efterklang (@efterklang), stun on their newest effort, not only providing a fascinating backstory to the recording, but creating music that stacks up to the process behind it. The band found inspiration during a trip recording field sounds in an abandoned Russian mining settlement near the north pole. Using some of those strange and ghostly tracks on the record allowed the band to create an incredibly accessable work of beauty. It’s absolutely worth a listen.

MUMFORD & SONS – BABEL

Having taken the world by storm with their first record, Sigh No More, and proven to skeptics that people still do, in fact, buy music, the brits of Mumford & Sons are finally releasing a follow up. While we may still recommend The Avett Brothers last effort over this, Babel certainly has moments that will leave even the most cold-hearted elitest tapping and singing along — at a certain point, it’s just too nice to hate.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT – STATE HOSPITAL EP

We only put EP’s on this list when we’re really excited about them, and we’re more than really excited about the newest from Frightened Rabbit (@frabbits). With five tracks of the rollicking, sing-a-long worthy rock that the band specializes in, State Hospital is the kind of EP that get’s played over and over and over.

THE SOFT PACK – STRAPPED

We have a well-known weakness for garage rock here at The Wild Honey Pie, so the release of a new The Soft Pack (@thesoftpack) album is greeted with more than a little excitement. Having already proven their dominance in the realm of fuzzy guitars, the band has branched off into more experimental  pursuits, including adding sax solos and being inspired by Roman Polanski movies. Granted, there are still a good deal of fuzzy guitars too.

MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER – S/T LP

We’ve already talked pleanty about how much we dig the twee sounds of this debut record. Check out Mal Foster’s kick ass review here.