Helmet, Left
To say that Helmet has a new album in 2023 is effectively to say that the band’s lead singer/guitarist Page Hamilton has a new album, since he’s the only original member who’s remained a stalwart of the band since its original inception. Still, this is the first studio album by Helmet since 2016’s Dead to the World, which in and of itself makes it something to celebrate, and new singles like “Holiday,” “Gun Fluf,” and “Big Shot” definitely show that the band continues to rock very, very hard while also being unafraid to include melodies in the mix. — Will Harris
Cat Power, Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert
Chan Marshall is no stranger to covers records, having tackled three previous albums of other artists’ material in her own inimitable style. (Most refreshingly, she’s never afraid to alter the material at its most cellular level, sometimes lopping off familiar refrains and changing melodies wholesale.) For her latest, however, she’s done something that’s bold even for her: recreating the setlist of one of Bob Dylan’s most famous (and oft-bootlegged) live performances song-by-song. Recorded live last year, her performance takes what could have been a cheap nostalgia trip and turns it into something, rich, surprising and strange. — Andrew Barker
New Order, Substance 1987
Substance has gotten its 21st-century upgrade. The compilation of songs from 1980-1987 is the group's best-selling release to date, and has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. This new remastered collection includes a double vinyl album, double CD with B-sides, double cassette and an expanded 4CD collection. The 4CD version includes the original 2CD set remastered with two additional CDs, including an unreleased concert, Live from Irvine Meadows, California, 12th September 1987, where the band played the entire album in order. The Substance 1987 remaster will also be available on 2LP - blue/red colored vinyl (retail exclusive) and double cassette (New Order Store exclusive). — Amy Hughes
Bush, Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023
The last time Bush released a best-of, they weren’t even a band anymore, having called it a day in 2002. But given that they reunited in 2010 and have released five new studio albums since then, it’s actually not the worst idea in the world for them to release a greatest-hits collection that encompasses their entire career. (For instance, we’re guessing that if we asked the members of the Q readership to raise their hand if they knew that Bush had released five studio albums since 2010, maybe 20% would do so.) In addition to serving as a nice sampler of what they’ve been up to for the last little while, the album also features a new single, “Nowhere to Go But Everywhere,” which handily confirms that they still sound just as solid now as they did almost three decades ago, when they released their debut album, Sixteen Stone. Suddenly feeling old? Trust us, we get it. You’d better go relax and listen to that new single. — W.H.
