Filthy Friends - Emerald Valley

The first album from Filthy Friends - the band (don’t call them a supergroup) featuring both Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker and R.E.M.’s Peter Buck among others - saw a fascinating meeting of minds. On follow-up ‘Emerald Valley’, they connect in a way far beyond the confines of a star-studded one-off. Peter’s signature jangly guitars collide with Corin’s despair and worry over climate change (“don’t give up the earth this time,” she urges on ‘Pipeline’) harmoniously, while single ‘Last Chance County’ channels full-on punk grit, transmitting this anger most forcefully. On this showing, Filthy Friends are here to stay in their own right, and they’ve got a hell of a message for you.