Your mom told you to never judge a book by its cover, but what about a CD? Though sometimes vague, album artwork can provide a much-needed glance into the album’s vibe, or at the very least can help steer you away from things you do not need to listen to ever, i.e. Nickelback.
To give you some visual inspiration, we scoured our music library and judged the shit out of last month’s covers. We know how the saying goes, but these March releases make us want to click play without even hearing the first track.
This album’s densely layered sound is reflected in its artwork that is, for lack of a better pun, a colorful mess.
Wild Throne: Blood Maker (Brutal Panda Records, 3/4/14)
Pioneer of the ’90s rock-poster revolution, artist Orion Landau pulled out all the stops for Blood Maker’s artwork, featuring a portrait of a white-eyed Gypsy goddess adorned with antlers and holding a moon scepter, falcon, and cobra.
Real Estate: Atlas (Domino, 3/4/14)
Paying homage to its East Coast roots, the cover art for Atlas captures a portion of New Jersey’s iconic Alexander’s Mural, created by artist Stefan Knapp.
Tycho: Awake (Ghostly International, 3/18/14)
Tycho, a.k.a. Scott Hansen, has designed under the alias ISO50 for years, so naturally he created this artwork himself. Simple, clean, and colorful.
Future Islands: Singles (Thrill Jockey, 3/25/14)
A cut-and-paste legless, headless woman floating mysteriously above the sea is a refreshing break from Future Islands’ past streak of abstract, painting-clad album covers.
Spirits and the Melchizedek Children: So Happy It’s Sad (Fallen Arrows, 3/4/14)
SATMC’s mystic monogram hovers transparently over a dry and barren desert floor.
Animals as Leaders: The Joy of Motion (Sumerian Records, 3/25/14)
This warm, blood-red cover is a work of spacey (Mars-inspired?) surrealism.
Honorable mention
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete: Chambers (Sonic Cathedral, 3/3/14)