I don’t update this often, but I feel inspired today. You know the drill.
Drowse – Light Mirror
Dreamy reverb-laden music in 2019? Sure, adds up. It’s become a norm for indie projects to use that resource to add some kick to lo-fi songs. But Drowse, the musical vehicle fronted by Kyle Bates, takes that quirk to a whole new level.
With songs so spacey that you can barely tell what’s going on, he pulls you into a world of incredible depth and overwhelming doubt. The few lyrics you can grasp, they’re just amazing. In the midst of “Betty”, a dark crescendo of distortion ensues, while Bates whispers “Know that I found love, she’s an artist too; she faces the world openly, shining through just like you”.
89/100
The Verlaines – Dunedin Spleen
Graeme Downes is mostly unknown in the mainstream post-punk community. For every 1000th Interpol fan, you get a handful of Verlaines enthusiasts. Unless you’ve had the luck of running into a label called Flying Nun, your knowledge of the New Zealand post-punk scene is probably zero, so I get that you could be confused by how I’ll talk of this record.
Downes, an academic and musicologist, once again proves that behind what could be considered a simple rock song, there’s craft, thoughtfulness, challenge and might. You don’t need to be a musician to tell these songs have something “off”. Are they off-key? No. Are they on-key? I guess they are! It’s hard to tell with Downes’ experienced song crafting and knowledge of theory. Tempo changes, key changes, a slight switch of inflection in the voice, a forceful cry and a poignant set of lyrics. Is this an album for the ages? I don’t think so. Will it make an impression? Oh yeah, it will. Maybe not as much as The Verlaines’ 2012 release Untimely Meditation, but it’ll get there.
72/100
Art Of Fighting – Luna Low
There’s a point in an artist’s career that they realize where their strengths are. Whether that’s melody, beats, harmony or performance, you be the judge. What Art Of Fighting do in Luna Low is take all the elements of what makes them great and amp it up by a thousand. Now, that doesn’t mean they’ve peaked. But it’s pretty damn high for a band that had no releases for twelve fucking years. And it’s not like they are My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive, bands whose acclaimed comebacks have mostly been influenced by well deserved hype and press. These guys didn’t have a massive crowd to appeal to as preparations for a new album rose from the ashes. All they had was untold stories and a whole lot of experience.
It’s not a record where you’ll be jumping around the room singing the along, I’ll give you that. What I can assure you is that it will resonate. Ollie Browne’s gentle croon, accompanied by nearly perfect performances from the band, make Luna Low one not to miss.
75/100
The National – I Am Easy To Find
What could I say that’s not been said by every goddamn reviewer and fan? Nothing, really. Might not reach the post-punk peaks of High Violet, the ambitious storytelling of Trouble Will Find Me and Sleep Well Beast, but it’s a record able to convey similar feelings and add some needed expansion and collaboration to a band that risked falling into the same old patterns.
77/100
Brutus – Nest
Oh dear…what a surprise this was. No way I can even explain the raw strength and desire within each composition. While I’m not a massive fan of hardcore or alternative metal, Nest checks every box on the list of things I just fucking love of harsh music.
Stefanie Mannaerts’ earthshattering lustiness and durability, on double duty as drummer and singer, followed by a just as pitch perfect bass and guitar lineup, is truly a revelation for rock and metal genres overall. Might be the best album of the year.
Do not miss gems like “War” and “Cemetery”.
92/100
Cage The Elephant – Social Cues
I remember listening to “Shake Me Down” for the first time, alongside the video. Hadn’t heard such a perfectly paced indie hit in ages. Seeing them perform live in 2012 only enforced that view. And as the years went on, they seemed to get stuck in the same formula. You know…one or two pop-infused hits and the rest were harsher or resembled the old school vibe they desperately wanted to hold on to. Difference is they had nothing to lose. It’s crazy how expectation, ego and the business itself influence a group with so much talent to just…crumble under its own weight, I guess.
Could be an unfair assessment to make, but I believe Cage The Elephant did not live up to anyone’s goal with Social Cues. Besides the inclusion of more prominent synth leads and a guest appearance from Beck, you’re not missing out by skipping this one.
45/100
Okay, this is the part where I start getting tired of writing and tend to shorten each review EVEN MORE. So instead of boring you with details, I’ll give you a rundown with scores so you don’t waste time.
Violet Cold – Kosmik // 95/100 (nearly a masterpiece, if you ask me)
Catacombe – Scintilla // 62/100
Bruce Hornsby – Absolute Zero // 69/100
The Leisure Society – Arrivals And Departures // 73/100
These New Puritans – Inside The Rose // 76/100
Latitudes – Part Island // 84/100
The Cinematic Orchestra – To Believe // 80/100
Daniel Land – The Dream Of The Red Sails // 70/100
Common Loon – Common Loon // 68/100
Some honorable mentions, with no scores.
Heurt – Arsdag // https://heurtheadache.bandcamp.com/releases
Fox Food label compilation // https://foxfoodrecords.bandcamp.com/album/somethings-there-but-youre-not-sure-what
Coach Phillips – Never Is Enough // https://dentapes.bandcamp.com/album/never-is-enough
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensamble – Here Be Dragons // https://tkde.bandcamp.com/album/here-be-dragons
Yawners – Just Calm Down // https://yawners.bandcamp.com/album/just-calm-down
Butterfly In The Snowfall – ST // https://musicforastrid.bandcamp.com/album/butterfly-in-the-snowfall
Seahorses – If We Have Ghosts // https://seahorses.bandcamp.com/album/if-we-have-ghosts
The Elevator Anthem 