Through its twelve tracks and 39 minutes, ULTRAPOP offers nothing more than the absolute best. It’s a fantastic, futuristic, and forward-thinking emulsion of “what we know pop to be” and “what pop can be” from the heavy side of the aisle. It’s simultaneously grandiose, gruesome and glamorous while never evoking notions of elitism.
Carnage is contemplative. Lyrically it is the reflections of a prominent artist reacting to our suddenly changed lives. It soundtracks our failing world. Thoughts come and go and recurring themes build and connect from song to song. It would feel like a stream of consciousness record if it weren’t so refined.
Hanson sets his sights towards a sound inspired by locales both arid and vast. Songs move at a patient pace, often glacial and restrained, though always with the feeling that there’s always something up his sleeve. These are songs that evoke desolate environs; high deserts, each song a rest-stop at the edge of civilization.
Bodies of Water introduces a band that have a well-crafted vision of what they want to achieve and the ability to execute that vision almost immaculately. Margaret McCarthy’s brand of no holds barred songwriting is striking on so many levels and the way with words displayed on this record leaves quite an impression.
Silicone Prairie is the solo outlet for Kansas City artist Ian Teeple (of Warm Bodies and the Natural Man Band). Their first full-length release My Life on the Silicone Prairie is accidentally a perfect record for the lockdown era. Recorded at his home on 4-track over the last couple years, it would have been a solitary effort regardless.
Gulch and Sunami put out a split on Triple B Records. The pairing is the perfect summation of where hardcore is at in 2021. Those divisions that existed in the 90’s look really stupid in retrospect. It's all just glorified caveman music at the end of the day. All the different iterations on the genre are welcomed and even more so encouraged now.
While making their new album Plastic Flag while traveling around Europe in 2017, Cal Fish spent a lot of time listening to the 2004 Arthur Russell compilation Calling Out of Context, and a similar experimental spirit is alive in their record. Cal gathered loops from cassettes found on the streets and fused them with beats.
Melbourne quintet Spiritual Mafia boast members gathered from some of that city’s best underground outfits (Ausmuteants, EXEK). Alfresco is their debut album but it was a fractured journey with their members all based around the far reaches of Australia. Spiritual Mafia’s music constantly arrives at a confluence.
Growing up surrounded by Creole musicians, she might have been primed to follow in their footsteps. Renée Reed has broadened her palette, taking inspiration from a wide range of folk and popular musicians. Her self-titled debut album is a surprising, subtle joy to listen to, showcasing both her roots and a path forward.
There’s feckless Royals on the prowl again in the international scene, and for those of us terrified of the press, here comes Dry Cleaning to redeem us with a tram-rhythmed, chugging, pulsing, effortless groove-that-just-don’t-won’t-stop. Above all there’s Florence Shaw, whose cool, low Sprechstimme makes it all work.
Floatie operated in a constant state of unfinalized growth for the better part of their existence, becoming a sharper band, a better-every-time-you-see-them band. Voyage Out is the culmination of these pursuits, an excellent and cohesive collection of skittering “frog rock” enveloped by the quartet’s clever arrangements of balmy bass and twin guitars.
Brigid Dawson & The Mothers Network offer sanctuary from the trials of the greater storm; an analogous warmth, forthright honesty, & familiar newness, which lull one into a sense of comfort & calm amidst our swirling chaoses. Ballet Of Apes is that ice cold beverage on a scorching summer high noon; a retro-tomorrow frequency.
The band’s previous releases displayed a marked, modern J-pop influence, and that’s definitely present here as well. Overall, however, Ethernity highlights For Tracy Hyde’s heavier and more indie-minded instincts. The boost in volume not only underscores the anthemic nature of these songs—it offsets the saccharine hooks.
The bulk of music released under the Balloon Club banner has been softer and atmospheric, while Ghost Pop’s releases are largely first draft run-throughs of songs. Water Songs—the newest EP from Balloon Club, and Liu’s first on upstart Portland label Bud Tapes—makes an effort to wed those two divergent identities.
Love-Lore is a beautifully compact and unapologetic collection of an overwhelming variety of music. It merges high-brow with low through five tracks of incredibly measured and composed psychedelic freakouts with strings of quoted musical lines that cross artistic, commercial, and cultural boundaries.
Nightshift broadcasts to the world from Glasgow and this beautifully angular prism of an album comes to us via Trouble in Mind Records out of Chicago. This album has been a true musical companion for getting through this pandemic winter, an album that was created during the lockdowns where members recorded separately from afar.
