Another Look: More Recent Releases You Don’t Want to Miss

Amid the flow of outstanding releases from Nashville musicians, the Scene’s music writers have seven new recommendations for you. Add them to your streaming queue, pick ’em up from your favorite local record store or put them on your wish list for Bandcamp Friday. The promotion in which Bandcamp waives its cut of sales for a 24-hour period returns May 5, and many of our picks are available there to buy directly from the artists.

Jamiah, Superstar Vol. 1 (Jam Express)

In spite of technical difficulties, R&B singer-songwriter extraordinaire Jamiah dominated her Record Store Day set at The Groove. That’s the kind of energy that’s fueled her work for a long time, and it drives her newest EP, a danceable collection called Superstar Vol. 1. The three songs focus on confidence in a way that’s a credit to a rising star. “Good on Me” brushes off haters, “Dreaming” is one side of a conversation with someone you wish shared your belief in yourself, and “Money” centers on aspiring to the professional success you believe in your heart you’re capable of. STEPHEN TRAGESER

Find Superstar Vol. 1 on your favorite streaming service, and follow Jamiah on Instagram for updates.

Jaimee Harris, Boomerang Town (Folk ’n’ Roll/Thirty Tigers)

The doleful tone of singer-songwriter Jaimee Harris’ Boomerang Town might put you in mind of a slightly more Americana-ized Mary Chapin Carpenter, or maybe Gretchen Peters in a particularly dark mood. Like those exponents of modern singer-songwriterdom, Harris has a knack for dramatizing the struggles of everyday people, and she’s unsparing about the dangerous aspects of her own bad habits. The arrangements are generic-plus in the classic Americana manner, but the album peaks with the nuanced folk rock of “On the Surface,” which contains this striking lyric: “I fought the bottle with the sword / But won the battle with the Lord.” Boomerang Town is notable for its measured tone, and Harris’ deft handling of familiar material proves musical and verbal templates usually work for a reason. EDD HURT

ZG Smith, Nighttime Animal (Tone Tree)

After more than a decade fronting successful roots duo Smooth Hound Smith, ZG Smith takes a solo turn with Nighttime Animal, a catchy six-song EP that invites repeated listenings. With backing from keyboardist Josh Blaylock, steel player Blake Reams, bassist Taylor Thompson and co-producer and drummer Jonathan Smalt, the record finds the singer-songwriter-guitarist moving in a funkier and more psychedelic direction. The EP moves at a groovy, unhurried pace, giving it a kind of trippy, tropical-island vibe. R&B singer-songwriter Devon Gilfillian adds soaring backing vocals to the gospel-flavored “Hooks,” and Antibalas’ trombonist Ray Mason takes a memorable solo on the old-school-R&B-inspired “Let Me Back In.” But it is Smith’s soulful and assured vocal performances that steal the show throughout this impressive debut. DARYL SANDERS

Find Nighttime Animal on your favorite streaming service and Smith's website, and follow Smith on Instagram for updates.

BEZ, Trap Sabbath (Leaving for Memphis)

It’s hard to hear when Georgia-born MC Brandon Evans, aka BEZ, has time to breathe during the first half of his new LP Trap Sabbath. It feels like he’s going into battle against anyone who’d play him for a fool or doubt his dedication, and he maintains the onslaught while barely seeming to break a sweat. But where the record really takes off is at the midpoint, when he brings in fellow rappers Odd Moon and 2dolla for “On Scrill,” a dark, resolute and athletic track that amplifies the philosophical perspective that underscores the whole album. STEPHEN TRAGESER

Find Trap Sabbath on your favorite streaming service or order it on vinyl via BEZ's website.

Molly Martin, Mary (self-released)

Molly Martin’s debut album Mary shares the most intimate parts of her life and the turmoil of being caught between different versions of yourself. Even the title holds this weight: “Mary” is Martin’s birth name, one she doesn’t use but that is inherently part of her identity. In a mere 25 minutes, the album covers topics from infatuation to sobriety to sexual assault. Martin’s commanding vocals, introspective lyrics and brazen attitude are infectious in a way that recalls many great rock albums, especially Lucy Dacus’ Historian. The two records share many collaborators, so the similarities — including their greatness — are no coincidence. HANNAH CRON

Find Mary on your favorite streaming service via this handy link and follow Martin on Instagram for updates.

Barricaded Suspects, Terminal Growth (Closet Landscapes Records)

Much like the 1983 hardcore comp that inspired their band name, Barricaded Suspects lay down full-tilt aggression on every track of their new album. Of the 21 saw-toothed anthems on Terminal Growth, only one exceeds two minutes. In many ways, their sound parallels the late-’90s thrashcore of Talk Is Poison, No Parade or Tennessee’s own Deathreat. Yet these Suspects seem to eschew the uncurbed tube-amp heaviness of those bands, bringing the gaunt, buzzing snarl of early Bostonians like The F.U.’s and Jerry’s Kids, or perhaps even Wire. With rare live shows and only their demo tape and three EPs released since 2014, Barricaded Suspects are hardly prolific. But the group’s first full-length has proven one of the most radiantly deranged local punk LPs of the year. P.J. KINZER

Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection, Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection 2 (Full Time Hobby)

Part of the Coin Collection project’s purpose is giving Spencer Cullum space to explore a pastoral psych-folk-prog mode and exercise his skills outside the world of pedal steel, the instrument for which he’s best known. But each of the thoughtful songs plays to the strength of his musical friends (aka his “Coins”). Who better than Rich Ruth to collaborate with on the kosmische gem “The Three Magnets,” or Erin Rae on the elegiac “Betwixt and Between,” or Caitlin Rose on the wry “That Same Day Departure”? If you’ll pardon the pun, they all shine here. STEPHEN TRAGESER