Albums to Watch for in April 2018

April is here! Along with the warmer spring weather, there is a whole new batch of album releases to get excited for.

There are a lot of highly-anticipated albums coming out in the worlds of rock, rap and R&B this month. Newcomer Cardi B will be following up the success of her chart-topping debut singles with the release of her debut album. Janelle Monae is releasing a new album that is sure to be one of the biggest of the year. Both The Damned and A Perfect Circle will also be releasing their first new albums in more than a decade.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, loves new music. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of our top April releases. Here are nine that we think will be worth picking up.

1.       Cardi B, ‘Invasion of Privacy’: Last week, rapper Cardi B announced the surprise release of her debut album, ‘Invasion of Privacy.’ Originally supposed to come out this past October, the album was delayed due to her wanting the album to be perfect. With the wild success of singles like “Bartier Carti” and “Bodak Yellow,” the album is guaranteed to get a lot of attention upon its release. (4/6)

2.       Thirty Seconds to Mars, ‘America’: Following a five-year music hiatus, Thirty Seconds to Mars are back with the brand new album, ‘America.’ So far three singles have been released from the album: the highly political “Walk On Water,” the fairly neutral love song “Dangerous Night” and the A$AP Rocky collab “One Track Mind,” each of which pull away from the moody-yet-anthemic pop-punk the band has become known for. It’s a new, different direction, but it could work to find them a wider fanbase. (4/6)

3.       The Wonder Years, ‘Sister Cities’: Following much teasing in the early part of the year, pop-punk band The Wonder Years are finally releasing their sixth studio album, ‘Sister Cities,’ this month. Of the album, frontman Dan Campbell said it’s about “connectivity” and how people “impact one another.” It’s also said to be their heaviest album yet, so it will be interesting to hear where the album takes them. (4/6)

4.       The Damned, ‘Evil Spirits’: It’s been ten years, but veteran British punks The Damned are back with a brand new album, ‘Evil Spirits.’ The album is said to explore a wide range of influences while still managing to be as brutal and honest as ever. ‘Evil Spirits’ will also be the band’s first album with bassist Paul Gray in more than 35 years. (4/13)

5.       Harry Shearer, ‘Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing)’: Comedian Harry Shearer will be donning his Spinal Tap persona Derek Smalls for a debut solo album out this month. ‘Small Change’ will feature a host of guests that includes David Crosby, Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen, Dweezil Zappa, Paul Shaffer, Rick Wakeman, Steve Vai, Foo Fighters’ Tayler Hawkens, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and more. The album is said to be about the “life of a touring rocker – from backstage autograph sessions to groupie sex.” (4/13)

6.       A Perfect Circle, ‘Eat the Elephant’: Fourteen years in the making, A Perfect Circle is finally releasing a new album, ‘Eat the Elephant,’ this month. From the singles released thus far, the album will be filled with biting cultural critique. For example, “Disillusioned” uses a different dynamics within the song to convey his dissatisfaction with “instant gratification” culture. (4/20)

7.       Sting & Shaggy, ‘44/876’: While at first a collaboration between former Police frontman Sting and 1990s reggaeton singer Shaggy might seem odd, it actually makes a lot of sense. The Police have always had a slight ska influence and island feel. Full-on reggae is only the next logical step. On single “Don’t Make Me Wait” both singers’ voices meld really well. This could be a surprisingly good move to get both of their names back in the spotlight. (4/20)

8.       Willie Nelson, ‘Last Man Standing’: Willie Nelson has released an album almost every year since he got his start in 1962. He continues that streak this month with his 73^rd studio album, ‘Last Man Standing,’ set to come out a few days before his 85^th birthday. The album picks up where ‘God’s Problem Child’ leaves off, reflecting on his and his peers’ mortality. (4/27)

9.       Janelle Monae, ‘Dirty Computer’: R&B songstress Janelle Monae seems to be looking to make a statement with her upcoming third album, ‘Dirty Computer.’ In February, the singer debuted videos for two bold new songs, “Make Me Feel” and “Django Jane”. With the kind of press the singles have gotten, Monae is gearing up to shake up the music industry this year, so watch out. (4/27)

A lot of highly-anticipated albums are slated for release this April. Fans of rock, R&B, rap and country will all have something to look forward to this month. Check out some of our top picks for this month’s must-hear albums and let us know which ones you’re looking forward to.

---

Find music new and old at Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop. We have thousands of titles to choose from in a wide variety of genres ranging from rock, pop, R&B and hip-hop to classical, dance, comedy and so much more. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.