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my review
There is an old adage about albums "growing on you" or "warranting repeated listens". In my experience this is very true of Tramp. Brutally honest and self-analytical, it sounds best when you are on your own late at night. I'm reminded of that old discussion about “who sings better in the dark?” The answer, at the moment, is Sharon van Etten.
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my review
I can't see many fans being disappointed with this as they have updated and added new dimensions to their sound, whilst still managing to sound like themselves. James Graham's lyrics are still intriguing and his vocal delivery totally works within these arrangements. The voice isn't lost within multiple noise guitars, instead it soars above a wall of synths. Impressive from start to finish, they can certainly consider this a success.
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A change a direction, some would say even a re-invention for Mark Lanegan. That distinctive bassy voice of his sounds great as usual, though this time around the musical emphasis is on keyboards and synths, which is a surprise, but it works.
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my review
Ultimately The Wishes of the Dead works as both a fine collection of contemporary songs and a homage to legendary folk guitarists. The fact that it may make post-rock fans check out the recordings of Blind Willie Johnson or the Rev Gary Davis is an added bonus.
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A huge return to form for the Tindersticks, this is their best album since the mid-90s. 'The Something Rain' manages to sound like classic Tindersticks whilst adding little extra things here and there. Almost worth it for the 9-minute story song 'Chocolate' on it's own.
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my review (the 405)
There are no radical departures from earlier Windy & Carl releases, but after eight albums and nearly 20 years into their musical adventure, this is as impressive as any of their releases. For fans of shoegaze, drone-rock and ambient guitar music, this is definitely worth investigating.
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my review (the 405)
'Where It Hits You' is his fifth studio album and is a slice of luscious Americana, not unlike some of the work of Lambchop, in that it is rooted within country music yet it uses such a wide range of sounds and influences that it ends up being something distinct.
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Rumours of a change in direction are a bit unfounded although the mock-metal opening track is a bit surprising, this album carries on where their debut left off, it's still essentially a mix of noise guitars and sugary vocals. The difference lies not in the metal influences, but in darker pop songs such 'End of the Line' which show a depth of emotion that their flashy image often masks.
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Much more of a coherent band recording than the Cloud Nothings debut, in fact this is somewhere between pop-punk and post-hardcore, and the songs are longer and more developed this time around. This evokes classic Dischord releases and was recorded by Steve Albini, even if the band insist he "played Scrabble on Facebook the whole time" he was in the studio!
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A delicate collection of short songs, which deals with some pretty heavy subject matter. It is one thing to set out to write about depression and dysfunction, but Perfume Genius manages to tell his tales with an eye for detail which not only brings you further into the experience, it also rewards repeated listens. It's early days for me with this album, but I expect I will be exploring it more in the coming weeks.
Other honourable mentions this month go to the EPs from Fucked Up, which is on Spotify and Burial, which isn't.
Other non-Spotify albums worth a listen are
Young Magic (my review is here), Minimal Wave Tapes Vol 2 (my review is on the 405)
Lambchop's Mr.M and the long awaited new album from the Dirty Three.
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