3 Fresh Albums to Explore Over the Long Labor Day Weekend

August finished strong. Here are three new records that should be in your rotation.

Steve Gunn - Other You

There’s an extensive list of albums by east coast musicians traveling to sunny Southern California for new inspiration, and the latest is the sixth album by guitar virtuoso Steve Gunn.

After starting in Kurt Vile’s supporting band The Violators, the Brooklyn-based Gunn has had a steady solo career, full of psychedelic jazz rooted in folk. His six-string work has always been his strong suit, but on his newest, Other You, Gunn has put it all together to craft his best effort as a singer-songwriter.

Recorded in Los Angeles with veteran producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Cass McCombs, Beck, among many others) staffing the boards, Gunn sounds completely reinvigorated after taking a pandemic break from his usual torrid touring schedule. Songs like “Fulton,” “Circuit Rider,” and “Protection” take what Gunn has always been best at and infuses these traits with warmth behind a hazy lens.

Gunn’s support on the record is impeccable, with longtime collaborator Justin Tripp joining to also co-produce. At the same time, Juliana Barwick lends her signature choral loops to the gorgeous “Good Wind,” and the always reliable experimental harpist Mary Lattimore shows up on the delicate dream of “Sugar Kiss.”

Other You is available now on Matador.

Sierra Ferrell - Long Time Coming

Though Sierra Ferrell explores traditional American music on her sterling debut album, Long Time Coming, her story is of modern times.

Born and raised in West Virginia, Ferrell set out as a busker working her way between New Orleans and Seattle. In addition to playing standards, Ferrell mixed in original songs that have ended up with millions of YouTube views.

Now based out of Nashville, Ferrell is ready for the big time on Long Time Coming. As it weaves between throwback country, bluegrass, waltzes, and even some singing hand saw on the New Orleans jazz of “The Sea,” the album is a showcase for the many talents of Ferrell. Immediately noticeable are her vocals, which stand above the music in a Dolly Parton fashion but feature Ferrell’s signature West Virginia drawl.

Joining her on the record are Nashville staple Jerry Douglas of Alison Krauss and Union Station, bassist Dennis Crouch, and favorite bluegrass whiz kid Billy Strings on the bouncing “Bells of Every Chapel.”

While traditional American music is the focus, Ferrell blends in some mariachi work on “Far Away Across the Sea” and embraces tango on “Why’d You Do It” with accordion accents. It’s enough to make you wonder where Ferrell will go on her next outing, but the options are endless.

Long Time Coming is available now on Rounder.

The Beach Boys - Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971

I could have written an entire piece on this new box set exploring this overlooked period in The Beach Boys’ history, but I’ll spare you.

After years of their catalog being a complete mess full of bizarre compilations and bootlegs, The Beach Boys have steadily been releasing deep-dive explorations of all of their albums for nearly ten years. Feel Flows finds the sessions for Sunflower and Surf’s Up, which is also my favorite era of the band. After years of delays, the set is here, clocking in at six and a half hours of studio goodness. Sure, backing tracks and a cappella takes are a treasure trove for diehards who want to karaoke in their kitchen, but here are the highlights.

The new remasters of each album are fantastic, with each sounding the best they have on digital or CD format (the old vinyl versions still sound great). If you’re interested in a deeper dive into Sunflower, here’s an article I wrote last year to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. As for Surf’s Up, the record isn’t as flawless as its predecessor, but the b-side of the record is phenomenal. Whether it’s the trippy synth jazz of Carl Wilson’s “Feel Flows” or brother Brian’s opus of “A Day In The Life Of A Tree,” “‘Til I Die,” and the closing title track which may be the band’s best song, Surf’s Up has some unbelievable highs.

Besides the albums themselves, the true gems are Dennis Wilson’s songs cut from the records. As he moved out from behind the drums into a leading songwriter for the band, this period was among his most fruitful. While “Forever” is his signature song from Sunflower, there is an embarrassment of riches in this box. Here, we have the UK single “Sound of Free” and its b-side, “Lady,” as well as “4th of July,” “San Miguel,” and “Barbara,” all of which would have made the albums from this era more appealing. Seriously, how are “Take A Load Off Your Feet” and “Student Demonstration Time,” one of the worst songs in the catalog, on Surf’s Up instead of any of Dennis Wilson’s offerings.

The Feel Flows box even has a great unreleased Mike Love song in “Big Sur,” which almost makes him tolerable until you watch his segment from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf’s Up Sessions 1969-1971 is available now on Capitol Records.

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