5 new releases we love: Ramshackle West Coast funk, throwback Latin pop, and more
Chika, “No Squares”
[Empire, April 10]
When Alabama native Chika called out Kanye West in a “Jesus Walks”-laced viral freestyle more than a year ago, it rang like a warning shot announcing the arrival of something sharp and fearless. Her first single, “No Squares,” is the soul-thumping delivery upon that promise, bringing a fierce flow and sincerity that sets her apart from the incoming fray. In a song about rising to her potential and bringing her tried-and-true inner circle along for the ride, there is a tenacity about Chika that both pulls you in and makes you root for her. “No Squares” is more than a (woefully short) banger, but the manifesto of an artist who is more than ready to shake the table with her depth and honesty. Just be ready to bop your shoulders in the process. The only thing that improves upon this formal introduction is the song’s video, which captures what looks like a genuine celebration in Chika’s honor. Come for the much-deserved party, stay for the baby goats. [Shannon Miller]
Inter Arma, Sulphur English
[Relapse, April 12]
Like most metal bands that have gotten a little attention outside of metal circles, Inter Arma has a softer side—a taste for the occasional piano interlude or delicate acoustic passage or dusty Americana detour. But you won’t hear much of that on the Richmond genre alchemists’ fourth LP, maybe their most bludgeoning collection of songs yet. Sulphur English churns from one sledgehammer assault to the next, locking into a titanic, extended groove on radio-unfriendly tracks like the seven-minutes-in-hell rager “Citadel.” Truthfully, the sonic variety is a little missed: Far from craven sops to a hypothetical crossover crowd, the more melodic moments on past triumphs Sky Burial and Paradise Gallows helped stave off any numbing effect—the hard hitters hit even harder when broken up with the odd breather. That being said, these monster jams still have enough personality to keep monotony at bay, much of it courtesy of the rhythm section, providing even the most savage stretches with an almost tribal heartbeat. And there are a couple eyes in Inter Arma’s doom-sludge-death storm, including eerie centerpiece “Stillness,” which slows the nonstop ferocity to a magnificent desert crawl worthy of Neurosis. [A.A. Dowd]