2016 pt. 21

Alex Cameron - Jumping the Shark

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\

My favorites of these vignettes about failures are the most apparent ones: the drunkest/ugliest girl and dumbest/richest guy at the bar who consciously leave their kid in the car and are all outta cash-n-credit respectively, the washed up bout-to-be ex-TV host who's got his lawyer staying up at the Ritz to fight back against his replacement ("some fat fuck crying with a song about di-o-beet-us"), the guy whose new life on The Internet procures him receptionists and business cards and the appellation known as "The Man". Elsewhere jobs are lost/parent's homes are moved back into, business needs taking care of, vitals enter vials -- and gluing it all together is a baritone sleaze that straddles sincere+satirical to a T and elementary keyb-beats with contorted bits all the way. Which on the whole screams blunter+scummier Stephin Merritt aesthetically and now-n-again a harebrained Bruce Springsteen circa 'Tunnel of Love' anthemically. But doing alot with a little, composed+concise anecdotes, dipping into a bit-o-drama and good ol repetition; it reads more like Newman-meets-Eno. Neither of whom I'd bet could pen a tune about making it on the world wide web this aching and accurate. 8/10

Crying - Beyond the Fleeting Gales

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

The band that'll make you do anything but unless perhaps out of glee, Crying oft-straddle the line between cock rock and unreasonably cutesy in a cluttered-yet-dazzling display of synth-pop prog-punk. So big+bright+bubbly, so blaring and busy bouncin', that honeyed murmurs and muffled zeal gets the job done for vox; so technical and towering that it balances out the candy while somehow enhancing it as well. Helps when through all the volume and virtuosity they never touch thrasonical, and throwing in some slow ones for breathers is restorative too -- truly helps however that they specialize in righteous rollercoaster stadium-rock rushes and crush with stardust on cue. 7.5/10

Eluvium - False Readings On

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Appropriate for kicking off a New England December and as an epic elect for the final high-rec of the year, this airy-n-acute ambi-synth-string odyssey seamlessly slo-mo soars through snowfall, church, the opera, heaven incarnate, fuzz flurries, full-blown hypno-abysses, the profoundly life-affirming intermixed with the profoundly heavyhearted. Which at an hourandthensome should scream sluggish -- if only it wasn't all so sweeping and stately, so sublime and spacious as to spur stretch-out sit-backs despite its relatively stationary comportment. Having a 17-minute finale that's well worth the wait and ups the ante on world-consuming is quite the booster, too. 8/10

PartyNextDoor - PartyNextDoor 3

Honestly did have semi-high hopes after the comatose kickoff "High Hopes" -- shameful singing and a definite dragger sure, but its spacey slo-mo spookiness and sink drips and random Blackstreet borrow hinted at striking soundscapes to come. Plus its position as opener disclosed audacity -- so when the followup promptly croaked out "Send a message to my Instagram / You's a vegan but you goin' ham", it was at least a swift gesture to cut back on the optimism a bit. And after an hour more of said shameful singing+definite dragging continuing on as mainstays and prosaic portrayals of the same ol same ol tired themes ("girl" this, "baby" that, fucking this, taking that, come see me in Toronto, etc.) and truly struggling to tolerate the somnolence, optimism had just about vanished and I actually began to be appreciative of Drake's 'Views'. ~*~meh~*~

Ben Seretan - Bowl of Plums

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Just so happened that my introductory listen was on the gray-n-hazy morning after Election Day -- and despite personally possessing no particular political affiliation nor detecting any surety on the subject from Seretan, revved up mantras like "you came and took my blues away" and "I'm getting out" couldn't help but resonate, a legitimate "I'm so happy I could cry" went and turned sardonic, his synthesis of serene+sensitive folkie and trebly guitar mangler expressing a felicitous fusion of pensiveness for the past and warranted turbulence-bursts. But his aforementioned could-cry delight and shameless squeakiness scores one for purity, hope, and built-up combustions: his blues actually DID get taken away, he thanks his lucky stars for his family loud-n-proud, he quivers with flowers and pianos over visions of you on the water, "Cottonwood Tree" is a true-blue indie-slop classic in 2016. And just when you thought it was gettin' too pretty: "Put a cigarette out in the eye of bad vibes", from the one entitled "Blood in the Muzzle". 7.5/10

Britney Spears - Glory

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Rarely does Glory not occupy the bedroom, and Britney's certainly got the gizmos -- blindfolds, curtains, cameras, allegorical apple pie, a better mattress -- which at nine albums deep she's seasoned at selling, albeit still somewhat generically. So if/when the easy cheesy pop and club-hype boom-drops and strident sensual swagger start to feel shallow, bask in the beats: particularly the 'do-do-do's/clacking for the privy back room and dreamy sparkle robot moans/pressing power-chord stabs for come hither invites. Or just enjoy the hell outta that easy pop and acknowledge that straddling steamy-n-silly alongside some bangin' production brings out the diva that dwells in her. Or let the casual "that was fun" as conclusion remind ya this really ain't no thang for a diva. Or just bite the bullet and report to the pole for some full circle workin' and twerkin'. 7.5/10

Various Artists - Erelitha (Staycore Records compilation)

*******HIGHEST RECS*******

Electro label's assemblage of who's-that producers wherein they each lay down a track while imagining "the lightest light" -- which, for this rambunctious roster, doesn't equal gettin' full-time soft+airy; instead just coating all with lush luminosity and clarion everythang. Each club-caterer works in their own distinct touches, but as a compiled crew the vibe is quite unanimous: chipper and complex, catchy and dance-floor ready, hybridizing the heavy and atmospheric with the sharp and high-pitched. And it's not without aggressive peculiarities that cut through the pretty and serve as propulsive pump-ups -- chipmunk garble, prolonged sirens, gunshots+girl screams; and in Toxe's justly-titled "Bite", a chained demon's dander. 7.5/10

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Peter Broderick - Partners ~*~meh~*~

Katie Dey - Flood Network 5.5/10

Elucid - Save Yourself 7/10

Equiknoxx - Bird Sound Power 6/10

Factory Floor - 2525 5.5/10

French Montana - MC4 6/10

Guts Club - Shit Bug 7/10

Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch 7/10

Nicolas Jaar - Sirens 6/10

Ka - Honor Killed the Samurai 7/10

Metallica - Hardwired...to Self-Destruct 6.5/10
Kacey Musgraves - A Very Kacey Christmas 6/10

Numenorean - Home 7/10

Dawn Richard - Redemption 5/10

Slow Club - One Day All of This Won't Matter Anymore 5/10

Street Sects - End Position 6.5/10

Ulcerate - Shrines of Paralysis 6/10

YPY - Zurhyrethm 5.5/10