A.A.L. (Against All Logic) - 2012-2017
*******HIGHEST RECS*******
Covert compilation under covert alias of household-name electro-man Nicolas Jaar, which left unexposed perhaps coulda comfortably sunk into the colossal online sea of anonymous house music. Lotsa leets will groan about old-hat singing samples and approachability I'm sure, but hard to deny that this goes deep or how fun the dang thang is. Paramount is the balance struck between expertly and sketchy -- its soulful funk and warmth met with dusty lumps and the weird, a vivid timbre mixture and legitimate swagger weaved with offhandedness and static. True to style it'll lag fairly far from the finish of its hour-plus runtime; but right it's a compilation, take in small doses and skip around to what really tickles your fancy. Top Tickler for me has gotta be the invincible piano trance and gospel chops of "Some Kind of Game" a mere ten minutes in, also momentous is the one right before it which echoes something that kinda sounds like "I feel awesome". And so will you. 8.5/10
Between the Buried and Me - Automata I
First half of divided full-length issued independently months before part two -- less for aesthetic reasons and more cuz it would prove more palatable than yet another enormous prog-pill to swallow methinks. Hence it reading like an extensive EP instead of concluding on a cliffhanger I spose. As is often the case for highfalutin concepts in the extreme metal sphere, the one here is basically invisible; and that's likely for the best. Raspy vox goin' ragged and persevering gaudy awk mitigated by boosting the urgent gruff a bit and the fact that these guys have seemingly been touring+recording complicated-ass music 350 days a year for like 15 years now. Going through the motions maybe, but those are still some instrumentally impressive motions. Momentous Moment Within Motions: premiere guitar hook on "Blot", which is both intriguing and abominable. 6/10
Camp Cope - How to Socialise and Make Friends
Admired this mostly for them decidedly doubling down on the barebones+loopy trio config, and hey if the tune is middling Maq can always just start wailing. What I miss most, other than a shortage of middling tunes, is the wit-n-minutia. This sees a spike in spite and sulk that presently resonates hard but often they're too stiff or subdued to really sell it -- instrumentally, anyway. For voxer/songwriter Georgia, it can seem like an exercise in rawly hamming it up validated by a couple pressing matters and a dedication for dad; which tends to drift freely from riveting to redundant. In this case let's call bass that saving grace. 7/10
Lucy Dacus - Historian
Dacus+crew's superficial downfall is imparting the sound of customary-n-cautious indie singer/songwriter -- seldom not slow too, which can make it wane. Lucy's grace and modesty as a voxer however are harder to challenge. Hers is a steady down to earth divinity that's downplayed enough to make ya proud in the rare instances that she breaks out and just belts it. Matters that stick don't hurt neither: being creative without calling yourself a creator, riots, spit, grandma turning into dust, acknowledging that you'll turn into dust while sucking on a ginger root, etc. 6.5/10
Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic
*******HIGHEST RECS*******
///BRAV-FUCKING-O\\\
For being built around an eminent Copenhagen church's pipe organ this is epic+eerie as it deserves to be. Five colossal compositions, the last three of which hinder the momentum of the first two and just may be better for it; cuz on the whole boy what a bewitching and dizzying blend-up of the blissful and the beastly. While accompanying drown-worthy droners are able to go heavy and feathery and dread-inducing dronier, it is ex-Electra Hausswolff's flying-colors vocal-accord with all of the above that makes it. From serene seraph to rabid howler-n-hisser to guttural anguish to falling down a pit. Makes one wonder why ya'd ever mutter. 8/10
SOB x RBE - Gangin'
Initially it's electrifying hip-hop for those sick of the same ol languid auto-tuned gurgles and oh so saturated trap sound -- vigorous youth-group dynamic that's hard-n-haughty yet convincingly pensive, coherent no-bullshit flows with melodic sangin' chops that don't go overboard, distinct beats and a throwback quality that don't ditto and maintain modernity. But tone, tempo, tude, themes; monotony city. 6.5/10
Turnstile - Time & Space
Akin to tourmate Angel Du$t's mergence of friendly-pit hardcore with boyish pop sensibilities and 90s rock, only Turnstile don't really take the complete leap. Still chiefly tied to an ol stock mosh-n-shout, their cleans are hit or miss, interloping touches are sorta tacked on: block clackin' and rapid-fire piano bit here, cute lil handclaps and elevator music morsel there. But a pithy jamboree with an approach I appreciate? Indeed. 7/10
Andrew W.K. - You're Not Alone
///REA-FUCKING-SSURANCE\\\
How can ya not have a soft spot for this white-denim-clad wonder. Gone from bloodied puker to authorized motivational speaker and has managed to redefine partying in his image. He emits so much earnestness, goes huge ceaselessly+unabashedly, pulsates with reassurance and victory and positivity -- all crucial and lovable traits but that don't mean it won't make you go blech. Going the protracted route has consistently turned up the dial on corn and exorbitance, but generally this is impressively epic nonetheless. Grandeur and energy and crescendos can't help but engulf, yet nothin' really has me hummin' afterward. Plus, that creeping feeling of a church service or children's TV show. Plus, is it wrong to desire a debut's brevity? Plus, am I a hopeless grouch if I prefer to skip minute-long pep talks? 6/10
Wendy's - webeefin? [EP]
///FAST-FUCKING-FOOD\\\
In which a wise-ass fast-food Twitter account deploys a vanilla shorty mixtape to taunt its fellow corporate competition; welcome to 2018. Nothin' but semi-novel self-promotion trying to rope in the youth's dolla bills with teh trap musics, that seems obvious -- yet some YouTube reactionaries call it fire because, erm, you can hear words or something? Outside of its existence in general there's a few chuckles to be had: calling out clowns-as-mascots and busted ice cream machines and slack drive-thrus, pronouncing "principal" "prince-uh-pal", "4 For $4" an actual promotion turned into a rather crafty hook. But it's basically bitchin' bout Twitter beef with feeble beats and even feebler burger puns galore; all while asking "what's more childish than Twitter beef?". Good question but I think we mighta found it. Also disappointing that she does not once boast about their baked potato, a menu gem if you ask me. ~*~meh~*~
Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar
*******HIGHEST RECS*******
Muffled roughness and a bit-o-silly always provides a fair chunk of their charm, resounding here however is how soulful they are when they wanna be. And while the songwriting ain't quite consummate or spirited as it could be, their 3-way vocal chemistry+variety and blip-n-buzz and toylike melodic thumper insistence secure exceptional emanations. Perhaps in defense of stirring emotions or soundplay over solidity goes the line "I didn't work this damn hard to stay where I belong"; right before taunting ya with a barrage of buggy 'na na na's. 7.5/10
