Hello there, and a very warm welcome to Guitar World editors’ picks – our new-and-improved, comprehensive monthly guide to the guitar tracks that have captured the attentions of our editors over the past four weeks or so.
With the aid of our Spotify playlist below, we’ve rounded up all our favorite new releases from the month of March, and put them under the microscope to wax lyrical on the playing, tones, and songwriting that have set our six-string senses a-tingling.
Without further ado, let’s hand things over to our EIC MAB to kick things off…
Michael Astley-Brown – Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com
First, we need to talk about Beyoncé. Whatever your musical affiliation, Cowboy Carter is a goddamn masterpiece, and features some sensational guitar talent including Gary Clark Jr, Justus West, and recent recipient of a signature Telecaster, Raphael Saadiq. Saadiq lends his skills to my personal standout, Bodyguard, a breezy, yacht rock-indebted strummer which rides into the sunset with a gnarly Whammy’d solo that’s all hooks.
St. Vincent has also been dominating my playlists. We’ve got an interview coming, but in the meantime, I’ve been reveling in the diversity of All Born Screaming, from its neo-Nirvana bombast (Flea) to QOTSA riff blasts (Broken Man) and esoteric pop à la Prince (Big Time Nothing). But the standout guitar moment might just be the ripping solo on So Many Planets, a chromatic legato workout that sounds like a buzzing bee… in space, obviously.
It’s been a big month for guitar-forward pop in general, actually, with new releases from Tora Daa and Emily Krueger, and more emo-tinged direction from Japanese metal stalwarts Band-Maid with new single Bestie, a co-write with Incubus guitarist (and Avicii Wake Me Up collaborator) Mike Einziger. But just before you go thinking they’ve gone soft on you, lead guitarist Kanami Tōno burns through some blistering alternate-picking runs that must rank among her personal best(ie).
My heavier picks of the month are the bouncing wonk-chug of Chicago psych outfit REZN, who are signed to the reliably excellent tastemakers Sargent House. And shoutout to GW scribe Phil Weller for recommending Finnish progsters Wheel my way. Guitarist James Lascelles recently told us why nothing can replicate the chunk of a good Les Paul, even in baritone tunings, and serpentine, Tool-esque rocker Porcelain is proof that sometimes the classics simply can’t be beaten, no matter the context.
Damian Fanelli – Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World magazine
Like any good (and increasingly rare) Byrds fan, I went to see Roger McGuinn, Chris Hillman and Marty Stuart – twice – when they toured together in 2018 (backed by Stuart’s band, His Fabulous Superlatives).
Although the tour was a tribute to the Byrds’ 1968 country/rock classic, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, which turned 50 that year, McGuinn & Co. padded the set with other country-leaning tunes from the band’s catalog. Among them was Mr. Spaceman, which appeared on 1966’s Fifth Dimension.
When I saw their Albany, New York, show on September 18, 2018, Stuart’s Telecaster – famously once owned by the Byrds’ Clarence White – was mixed so freakin’ loud (especially during Mr. Spaceman) that I felt like I was at a Yo La Tengo show in Hoboken, circa 2002 (you know, the one where I thought my head was gonna fall off).
Not that I was complaining, because all that juicy, Apple Watch-alarming volume let Stuart’s B-bender brilliance wash over the audience in an almost nasty, “There’s no escaping this guitar solo, Albanyites!” way.
Anyway, even though it took them six years to do it (BTW, what’s up with that?), McGuinn, Stuart and the gang finally released a live album from the tour – Sweetheart of the Rodeo 50th Anniversary (Live) – this past Record Store Day, April 20. I don’t know if the album’s performance of Mr. Spaceman is from the Albany show, but I’m just glad it’s finally out there. As McGuinn shouts after Stuart’s solo, “Yeah!”
Meanwhile, a little something called The Light Up Waltz showed up in my “New releases for you” pile over on Spotify a couple of weeks ago. That’s the new album by Minor Moon, a Chicago band fronted (and masterminded) by Sam Cantor.
I was immediately drawn to the topsy-turvy guitars (possibly and/or partially played by Chet Zenor), most of which benefit from some sort of fake-rotary Uni-Vibe situation, which definitely support the band’s claims of playing “knotty country rock”. The catchiest knotty country-rocker of the bunch is probably I Could See It Coming, the off-kilter solo for which blends overdrive, vibe and maybe some phase shifter, resulting in a hard-to-pin-down, ’70s L.A. session-pro vibe.
And it’d be weird to leave out Evolve, the new single from Phish, a track that heralds the coming of the band’s 16th studio album, also called Evolve, due in July. It’s about as enjoyable as anything “song Phish” (as opposed to “jam Phish”) have put out over the past 20 years. In fact, with its simple chord structure, it brings to mind songs like Crowd Control from 2004’s Undermind. Here’s hoping Evolve (the album) is as twisty and labyrinthian as its 20-year-old predecessor.
Jackson Maxwell – Associate Editor
I certainly haven’t the world’s most diverse taste, but my favorites from this, the month where temperatures warm and trees blossom, are truly all over the place.
First, I wanna talk about Kings of Leon. I have sentimental reasons for liking them as much as I do (they opened for Radiohead at the first show I ever went to), but I’ve always found a lot of nuance in their steamrolling twin-guitar approach. Whether crafting parts for supermarket PA perennials or cowbell-aided bar brawl-starters, the Followills have never quite taken a straight path from A to B, and that’s led to more fascinating riffs and unpredictable but melodically moving solos than people annoyed by their ubiquity give them credit for.
Nothing To Do – the new single from the band’s forthcoming LP, Can We Please Have Fun – charges out of the gate almost at a Ramones pace, but is far from an empty “back to the basics rock ‘n’ roll” cliche. Matthew Followill, ever a disciple of The Edge, perfectly blends the band’s weird and stadium instincts with a warbly solo packed with funky single-note stabs and fire-alarm arpeggios.
LA rockers Milly, meanwhile, released one of my April headphone perennials, Drip From The Fountain. Need a grunge or shoegaze fix? Look no further. On the back of a Siamese Dream-sized wall of guitars, the chorus of this song absolutely slams.
On a much more subdued note, I’ve been preaching the gospel of North Carolina-based singer/songwriter Jake Xerxes Fussell to anyone who’ll listen for years. He channels the American songbook into a vision that’s wholly unique, and his new single, Going to Georgia, is the best song called Going to Georgia to come out in over thirty years. In all seriousness, just listen to how perfectly Fussell’s driving acoustic fingerpicking pairs with texture master Blake Mills’ funky fills. Sublime stuff.
Finally, if you’re looking to start your summer playlist early, Mei Semones’ Kabutomushi, the title track of the Brooklyn guitarist’s new EP, is worth a listen. With a none-cooler jazz sensibility, a bossa nova gait, and immaculate string arrangements, Kabutomushi will lower anyone’s stress levels.
Matt Parker – Features Editor
Traditionally, April is the month in which I pick up all my spring-iest tunes. We’re talking colorful melodies, lush tones and earworm hooks. Not so in 2024. Perhaps it’s just been a late spring, or maybe it’s the way the planets have aligned (or that eclipse?), but the most exciting stuff I’ve heard this month seems to be coming directly from, er… the dark, gaping mouth of hell.
Kentucky’s vicious hardcore exports Knocked Loose have felt like a band on the precipice of much bigger things for a while now, but Don’t Reach for Me is the track that looks like it will send them hurtling over the edge. It opens with a mechanical riff so crushingly heavy that it will give you the bends – and yet it still swings and breathes in a way that evidences the group’s bouncing hardcore punk underpinning.
More than that, it’s not a mindless thug of a track. The arrangement is intricate, dynamic and unpredictable, full of clever tonal and rhythmic hooks – from the monstrous groove of that chorus line, to the clever use of siren-like wails, unsettling delays, and stomping post-chorus riffs. And, yet, despite its complexity, guitarists Isaac Hale and Nicko Calderon somehow never get in the way of that yell-along chorus.
It feels like a genuine step forward in terms of heavy playing – a band that is re-shaping a metal landscape that has been dominated by the mechanical post-djent approach for the last 10 years. I’m not bad-mouthing that movement, it’s just time for a refresh – and Knocked Loose are very ready to oblige.
Elsewhere, on the hardcore front, New Jersey’s GEL only released their debut album a scant year ago but are already back with the sub-three-minute Mirage. It goes big and guitarist Maddi Nave has a brief but superbly effective whammy solo that sees them knock seven shades out of the vibrato – and leaves me seriously questioning my hardtail tendencies.
Meanwhile, former Emma Ruth Rundle collaborators Thou have returned with the excellently-titled I Feel Nothing when You Cry – the first taster of their new album, Umbilical. It is bitter on the mouth. The one-time sludge group has seriously upped the pace and given their black metal tendencies a newly-serrated edge, as a result.
Finishing on a lighter note, mk.gee’s performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live caught many guitarist’s ears for his remarkable tone – ably explained by Rhett Shull – and I was no exception. It feels like someone crossing the rubber bridge mutes with the shimmering indie landscape in a truly unique and affecting way and feels like another ‘moment’ of change.
Spring seems to have hit differently then, but there are still green shoots, all over.
Matt Owen – Senior Staff Writer
I was admittedly quite late to the party, but upon finally hearing Cub – the 2022 debut album from Wunderhorse – last year, the British indie rock upstarts quickly became one of my favorite new guitar acts of recent times. Their energy was fresh and off the rails, and permeated through 11 songs that brought a neat spin to gung-ho guitar rock.
They returned with a new single, Midas, which has probably already cemented its place on my 2024 Spotify Wrapped. It’s loose yet tight, littered with gritty guitar and a one-word chorus hook that has become something of a daily affirmation.
My indie ear this month has elsewhere been occupied by the new album from Hovvdy – particularly the noodle-heavy A Little, which blissfully balances between lap steel country and wistful acoustics – and Laufey, whose sheer musicality never ceases to astound me. The only thing that matches her vocals are the crafted extended chord progressions she weaves together – expertly showcased in Bored – which continue to be a fruitful source of inspiration when it comes to my own playing and writing.
Imogen and the Knife, another up-and-coming UK act that made its way onto my radar, also launched a soft reboot of sorts with Mother of God, introducing a grittier, fuzzier sound that paves the way for some exciting future material.
February and March were quite blues/jazz-heavy months for me: I rinsed Black Country Communion, went down the Al Di Meola rabbit hole, and even saw Joe Bonamassa live. I developed some solo fatigue on that front (hence the chosen highlights), but I still had time for Joanne Shaw Taylor, who returned with the supremely soulful Devil in Me.
Of course, I’d be remiss not to give mention to David Gilmour and Mötley Crüe. The former announced his first solo album in nine years (which features a new producer tearing up the rulebook) with The Piper’s Call, while Crüe embarked on a new chapter with their first single to feature John 5.
Janelle Borg – Staff Writer
April has been my first month with GW, so I'm excited to add my picks to this monthly track roundup. To kick things off, I have to start with a track I just discovered this morning – Sababa 5's Ashkamoni. This group fuses Mediterranean folk, groove-based rhythms, and psych-funk, creating a truly compelling sound that ticks off all my boxes. In this particular track, the guitar and synth weave together like intricate lace, exchanging solos that made my morning espresso taste even better.
Speaking of Mediterranean sounds, the next two tracks come by way of Malta, my home country. Alt-rock band Brodu mix jazz-infused, indie-rock guitars and an addictive guitar riff reminiscent of classic '90s rap in their track Kusksu Clan [feat. Peklektru]. Indie-pop quartet Oxygyn paint an ethereal image through shimmering guitar chords in their song Waste and make a strong case for why less is more.
On the opposite end of the minimalist-maximalist spectrum are Los Bitchos and La Bomba. Guitarist Serra Petale shines with a seriously catchy guitar hook in this guitar-driven, feel-good track.
This month also saw ultimate mood-makers Khruangbin release their fourth album A LA SALA. My standout track is Juegos y Nubes, which sees guitarist Mark Speer subtly experiment with multiple genres in the span of just a couple minutes, while retaining the staple Khruangbin guitar sound.
We wrap up with some good ol’ post-punk. Canadian band METZ make their return with their fifth album, Up On Gravity Hill, which, in true METZ fashion, packs a punch. In the track Superior Mirage, Alex Edkins creates tension with a repetitive riff that rings throughout the track.
On the other side of the pond, South London's Goat Girl return with ride around. The track leverages its grungy guitar part to create a dark and hypnotic mood that paints an intriguing picture of what we can expect from their forthcoming album Below the Waste.
