Luther Dickinson and Datrian Johnson, photo by Camilla Calnan

Every Friday, Relix surveys the wealth of new music released over the past seven days and selects dozens of standouts for the Relix Staff Picks playlist. Read on for the highlights from this week’s batch.

Luther Dickinson was transformed by his time with Phil Lesh. The Grateful Dead wasn’t a meaningful part of the North Mississippi Allstars frontman’s musical identity like the rich and gritty blues rock of his Mississippi roots, until a 2013 invitation to join Phil & Friends helped him hear the music in a new way. “I honestly hadn’t spent much time with the Dead’s music growing up, but when Phil invited Cody and I to play with him, we jumped at the opportunity,” Dickinson shared with Relix. “The more we performed together, the more I realized how many great old blues songs the Dead had played in their time, which led to the Dead Blues concept.”

On Dead Blues, Vol. 1, Dickinson embraces the spirit of innovation and homage that he picked up from Lesh’s artistic philosophy in a collection of covers from the Grateful Dead’s catalog, reworked to reflect his own background in Delta blues, funk, Southern rock and more. Alongside storied soul singer Datrian Johnson, the guitarist and vocalist put a fresh spin on songs from the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bo Diddley and Willie Dixon, featuring contributions from guests like Cody Dickinson, The Hold Steady’s Steve Selvidge, Ray Ray Holloman and Grahame Lesh, who lends his talents to a treatment of “Sitting on Top of the World.”

“Phil changed my life,” Dickinson reflected with the album’s premiere. “He welcomed me into his crew, taught me his repertoire, shared his improvisational approaches, and introduced me to a whole new community of musicians. This record reflects Phil’s wild musical spirit and approach to re-interpretation.”

The Barr Brothers have returned with their fourth studio album, Let It Hiss. Andrew and Brad Barr’s first release since 2017’s Queens of the Breakers is a record of the long process of vulnerability and personal transformation that allowed them to create together again. While their songwriting has always been nuanced and impactful, their revival is exceptionally striking in its insight and candor; one standout, “English Harbour,” alludes to their renewal in a reflection on moments made divine as they pass into memory and the pull of old attachments, featuring contributions from Jim James and Arc Iris’ Jocie Adams. The album’s title references both an intentionally rough mix and the brothers’ decision to embrace honesty above all else.

Chick Corea died in 2021, but he lives on through his lifetime of legendary recordings and indelible influence. Today, Candid Records and Chick Corea Productions have honored that legacy with Forever Yours: The Farewell Performance, a live album recorded in Oct. 2020, just four months before his passing. In two solo piano concerts, the NEA Jazz Master pored over his repertoire, sweeping boldly and lyrically from unforgettable originals like “Armando’s Rhumba” to a mini-recital of his celebrated Children’s Songs. Beyond his own discography, Corea included reinvented and reverent treatments of some of his favorite songs, including works by Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Mozart, Bill Evans, Duke Ellington and a moving cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed.”

Elsewhere in the mix are selections from Deadbeat, Tame Impala’s first album since 2020’s The Slow Rush, and All Systems are Lying, Soulwax’s first album since 2018’s Essential; somehow, as the psych-pop icon Kevin Parker steers into lush dance production, and the electronic and dance-punk duo of David and Stephen Dewaele return to their rock roots, their styles have converged on these complimentary projects. The Dream Syndicate shared a new view of their neo-psychedelia roots with a generous deluxe reissue of 1984’s Medicine Show, featuring studio outtakes and live recordings. Chrissie Hynde has rallied a dream team of collaborators for Duets Special, which pairs The Pretenders’ vocalist with talents like Rufus Wainwright, Lucinda Williams, Cat Power and Dan Auerbach.

In memory of D’Angelo, who passed on Tuesday, there’s “Another Life” from Black Messiah, the shadowy, symphonic fusion of rock, funk, soul-jazz and more that remains a revelation more than a decade after its release.

This week’s batch of Relix Staff Picks also includes new music from Allison Brown & Steve Martin, Holly Golightly, Animal Collective, Colter Wall, Orchestra Gold and bar italia, among many other gems. Tune in here.