Cosmic Waves Volume 1 is sort of a compilation. That “sort of” categorization is due to a rarely applied (if done before) concept - a musical dialogue between Angel Olsen and five other artists/bands chosen by her. Side A features the label’s artists while Side B finds Olsen covering songs from their respective catalogs.
It took the band six years to create and complete this album, but it was definitely worth the wait. Joined on half the songs here by guitarist Callum Shortal and guests, ORB bring in a bag-full of new musical tricks that goes beyond their signature sound dominated by one of the key psych rock inventions - the fuzz box.
From the early start, Mui Zyu aka Eva Liu showed that she has an excellent knack for combining electronic instrumentation with soft velvety vocals, bringing along lyrics that actually have something intriguing to say. She further strengthens the ties that bind these elements here, without overburdening her music.
Beth Gibbons seems to have that slow-evolving, meticulous songwriting and arranging process, scrutinizing every note, every word placed in the lyrics. For some artists, such a process makes no difference in the final result, but with Gibbons, as evidenced here, the results are no less than mesmerizing.
Combining folk music sensibilities with a form of drone metal and thick lyricism that asks the listener to give their music and lyrics deep thought,.Big|Brave’s musical line was already fully developed and A Chaos of Flowers, their latest effort, takes that lineage a step further, confirming that big bravery contained in the band's name.
To play something that people often define as “straightforward” pop pock of any kind is actually not that straightforward at all. If you add certain not so straightforward elements in there, no matter how small, you have to throw in a wrench at points to make it work. That is exactly what Sheer Mag do on their third album, Playing Favorites.
Verity Den, like most of the current artists working in the indie rock mode have their inspirations that range from the best of shoegaze and dream-pop, spiced with a good dose of Yo La Tengo. Yet, what is not so often the case, the trio have re-modeled and re-shaped their inspirations into a defined, individual sound.
Throughout their career, Spiritualized has transformed psychedelic rock. They’ve taken seemingly small steps in re-shaping the standard formulas and they’ve taken big leaps into the unknown. At that, their best albums usually include both. That’s exactly what was happening on their fifth album Amazing Grace, newly reissues last month.
Safe To Run captured Esther Rose’s potential, both as a songwriter and performer. Maybe it was just a natural progression, but she seems to have reached her full musical maturity. It’s expressed in the fact that when she writes her songs she’s able to envision them in a number of versions, with almost each one being the right one.
Darling aka Charlotte Kouklia is a member of Rose Mercie, and has already released two solo singles, various CD-R releases, and one widely distributed full-length of her own. It took her a few years or so to share another solo effort, but judging by the nine tracks (and a voice recording) on La Porte, it was quite worth the wait.
Marnie Stern's name remained stuck in the minds of modern rock fans. With a mention of Stern comes her always incredible guitar technique, never showing off, but always played with purpose. She’s back with another incredible offering, aptly titled The Comeback Kid, pushing forward without sacrificing her musical sense.
Their second album Wings of Love (2020) already showed signs of an excellent individual sound, something that is in full force on their latest, Sitting Pretty. It is quite an apt title, as Peter Kegler, who was the leading songwriter on their previous efforts, now gives more limelight to Marley Lix-Jones, both with songwriting and vocals.
Irreversible Entanglements are grounded in jazz, or if you want a more precise categorization, spiritual jazz, but this quintet has something that can also be labeled as an experimental post-punk mentality and approach to spiritual jazz. What they have brought to Protect Your Light is the musical experience they gained.
