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Hello there, and welcome to Guitar World Editors’ Picks – our 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 May, and put them under the microscope to wax lyrical on the playing, tones, and songwriting that have set our six-string senses a-tingling.
This month's guitar greatness spanned many generations of players. The Rolling Stones – unbelievably – are still rolling (as is their contemporary, Paul McCartney); Julian Lage has continued to cement himself as one of the smoothest, most virtuosic players not only in jazz, but in any genre; Tamikrest have emerged as one of the most exciting Tuareg rock acts in Africa; and the Warning have established themselves as the future of hard rock.
All of their thrilling new tunes and much more can be heard on our playlist below.
Michael Astley-Brown – Editor-in-Chief
When Alissa White-Gluz was announced as the new frontwoman for DragonForce, we weren’t sure what was going to happen to her own project, Blue Medusa, which features trailblazing shredders Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia. Thankfully, they’re not going anywhere, and new single Flying Monkey is one of the best blockbuster metal tracks we’ve heard in some time. The riffs are precision-engineered steel. The whiplash solos deliver mind-melting dexterity in the vein of classic-era Megadeth. And it’s catchy as hell, too.
Mexican rock juggernauts The Warning are all about swag. But even by their own standards, Ego is an outrageously slick piece of riffery. Sisters Villarreal Vélez tap into some serious grooves that smash nu metal, djent, and Spanish-language R&B vocal hooks into a supercollider. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the future of hard rock.
Nashville punk-by-way-of-whammy-dives Winona Fighter have been on my radar for a while now. They showcase what’s so great about today’s lack of genre boundaries by pulling guitar tricks from every alt-rock genre: the unbridled energy of punk, monolithic post-hardcore riffs, huge pop-punk choruses and, courtesy of lead guitarist Dan Fuson, melodic solos that could come straight from the ’80s rock charts. And Bombs Away is the most irresistible example of their magpie sound yet. Can’t. Get. That. Chorus. Hook. Out. Of. My. Head.
Jackson Maxwell – Operations Editor
An all-time highlight of my 9-ish years on the job so far – I think it might be the highlight, to be honest – came earlier this month, when I attended the Brooklyn launch event of the Rolling Stones' forthcoming 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues. It was hard not to be awestruck in the physical presence of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood – the larger-than-life ‘60s and ‘70s survivors, the guys who pretty much defined what it meant to be a “rock star”.
Simultaneously with the album's ritzy launch came the release of its first pair of singles, the better of which is the soaring In the Stars. It's got a big hook that the ever-ageless Jagger just nails, and finds Keef and Ronnie in fine form.
I mean, do I really have to explain what the two of them do? It's what they call “the ancient form of weaving” – rhythm and lead blending into one; blues, country, and rockabilly all seamlessly rolled together; the sort of overlapping riffs that have inspired millions of guitarists the world over. It's incredible that they're still this vital.
I'm a proud Garden State native, and a huge Bruce Springsteen fan (the two often go hand in hand), so when Jersey guy and Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon released two new solo singles – one of which is called Not Bad for New Jersey – I got some playful teasing from my colleagues: “Gee, you think Jackson'll like this??”
Yes, I do. The jangling riff, gutsy vocal delivery, and the fist-in-the-air chorus of its companion song, Better Before, will be music to the ears of any Springsteen aficionado, but his leads are a masterclass in stinging vibrato, pure guitar hero stuff.
Finally, I must commit the cardinal sin of highlighting a tune by a band one of my colleagues is also writing about.
Scroll down and you'll find that Janelle has much more eloquent things to say about Assikel, the sublime new album from Malian band Tamikrest, but I did pick out a highlight of my own. Closing track Adounia blends the band's droning tishoumaren guitar style (pioneered by the Tuareg people of the Sahara desert), with the sort of shining bluesy acoustic slide work you'd hear from the Stones in their golden era. It's stunning stuff.
Matt Owen – News Editor
I was very, very, very fortunate enough to sit down and interview Julian Lage a few weeks ago, and I’ll tell you this for free: it was one of the most surreal experiences I’ve had on the job. For the sake of #content, we asked Julian to improvise for two minutes – and what he played was simply breathtaking. I had a big smile on my face throughout.
Why tell you this? Well, a) that interview will be coming out soon, and b) Julian Lage has been featured in Joe Lovano's collaborative album with a slew of fellow jazz virtuosos, and it’s been essential listening for me. First Song is especially excellent, dripping with Lage’s silky solos, dynamic phrasing, and sublime melodies.
Away from jazz, I’ve been leaning big back into the folk/indie/rock world of Hovvdy, the Texas-based duo who’s gearing up to release their new album this year. Try Try Try catapulted its way up into my top five favorite Hovvdy tunes upon first listen. That galloping bass, cantering guitar riff, and breezy vibe make for a potent concoction, and that slinky acoustic guitar hook in the post-chorus is *chef’s kiss*. A superb example of keeping things stripped back while making a song sound huge.
There are a few other shoutouts I want to give – not least to Charli xcx’s Rock Music, which actually does kinda rock; and Mark Lettieri’s 9,000 Miles, which is an amazingly addictive left-field turn from the funk virtuoso – but I’ll reserve this final spot for Paul McCartney’s As You Lie There.
The legendary Beatle dropped his latest solo album on Friday (May 29) and with it we finally got an answer to that mystery chord that apparently inspired the whole album. It’s the very first chord of As You Lie There, and it’s certainly… interesting. If anyone could take that chord and build an album around it, you best believe Macca – one of the greatest songwriters to ever live – certainly could.
Janelle Borg – Staff Writer
I cannot start this month’s editors’ picks without giving a massive shout-out to Liv Thompson and Pauly Murray, who held down the low-end and six-string duties, respectively, during genre-blending British star Raye’s concert at the O2 Arena in London, and frankly, dazzled audiences (and me!) with their work.
Armed with her standout F-Bass BN5, and, in Murray’s case, a veritable buffet of guitars, the two truly showed how integral touring and session musicians are to big artists’ success.
Moving on to this month’s picks, apologies in advance for my never-ending rave about Tamikrest’s latest album, Assikel. I must admit I’m a little bit biased as I’m a big fan of tishoumaren, the genre better known as desert blues. However, I can confidently say that Assikel takes you on a veritable journey across eight tracks that explore the very depths of the untranslatable Tamasheq word assouf, which roughly translates to “the pain that is not physical.”
The cyclical guitar part in Iman Derhan Nasn puts the listener in a meditative trance that encapsulates the story conveyed in the lyrics – one of nostalgia, reflection, faith, hope, and resilience. The acoustic guitar-driven cycle continues, juxtaposed at times with wailing guitars that add an element of disquiet and eeriness to the track.
Next up on my list is the excellent Ibeyi – made up of French-Cuban twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz – and their latest track, Aset, off their upcoming album, Offering.
In typical Ibeyi fashion, the track harks back to their heritage, both musically and lyrically, while telling the story of Isis, the goddess who, in ancient Egyptian religion, resurrected Osiris. The guitar’s simplicity anchors the track as the artists traverse different languages, percussion, and synths, paired with a palette of traditional Caribbean rhythms and sounds.
May also marks the return of Gilla Band, who, in their typical experimental fashion, deliver a sonic tapestry that’s as left-field as ever (and definitely not for the faint of heart!).
Angular guitars battle it out with the synths, all while the bass tries to hold everything together. What this four-minute-something push-and-pull does is heighten the tension, culminating in an extended outro that wouldn’t be out of place at Berghain.
