Get Reviews of Albums by the Civil Wars, Norma Jean and Blondes in This Week's New Release Roundup

BY Matthew RitchiePublished Aug 6, 2013

Winston Churchill once said, "Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary." Chances are he wasn't talking about music reviews, but we here at Exclaim! think it's necessary to help our fellow human being discover the best in new music, which is why we've put together another edition of our weekly New Release Roundup. We've taken a hard look at some of this week's newest LPs, but if you think there's something we missed, check out our Recently Reviewed section for reviews on even more new releases.

Grammy-award winning Nashville folk duo the Civil Wars join the likes of ABBA and Fleetwood Mac before them with their hauntingly powerful, self-titled breakup album. But if this truly is the end of the musical partnership between Joy Williams and John Paul White, how does their second LP stack up as the band's swansong? Read on to find out.

Next, long-suffering metal/hardcore outfit Norma Jean score an Exclaim! Mark of Excellence for the ragged, feedback-drenched chords of their fifth studio album, Wrongdoers, while New York City dance duo Blondes provide ample breathing space on the hypnotic Swisher.

Tame Impala-vetted rockers Pond perfect their psychedelic sound by mixing Sabbath-sized riffs with Krautrock grooves on their newest LP, Hobo Rocket, while American shoegaze veterans Medicine return to the spotlight with the remarkably cohesive To the Happy Few.

Last but not least, West coast rhyme-slinger Madchild delivers his most confident and grammatically flawless work to date with the Stephen King-inspired concept album, Lawn Mower Man. But is the underground MC's newest LP accessible enough to cut American rappers down to size? Click through to know.

Hear some of our favourite tracks from these albums and many more in our Rdio Genre Playlists:

Folk & Country
Metal
Dance & Electronic
Pop & Rock
Hip-Hop

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