I'm starting a new segment where I'll give my thoughts on a handful of releases from each new music Friday. I'll provide a short description of the album/artist, and include my own thoughts as I mention them. There's a lot of music I'd like to recommend from this past week, so let's get to it! Photay - OnismGenre: Electronic I was a little hesitant to give this project a chance, considering Photay is not a huge name in the electronic music scene, but I'm soooo glad I did. Fusing elements of glitch electronics, chill-wave, and jazz, Photay's Onism manages to consistently deliver a very upbeat, cheerful vibe. On "Off-Piste," Photay layers grand synths with flute passages which remind me of the artist Baths. "Inharmonious Slob" happily trots along, repeatedly returning to a bouncy instrumental refrain. "The Everyday Push," builds layers upon layers of various clicking and beeping electronics, creating tension that leads to a very crushing finish. Although the album is primarily instrumental, vocal appearances on cuts like "Aura" provide quite the treat. I'm loving the hell out of this, it's probably gonna be my electronic aoty. Everything Everything - A Fever DreamGenre: Synth-pop If you're familiar with Alt-J, all you have to do is blend Joe Newman's falsetto vocal style with colorful, bombastic synth-pop, and you have U.K.'s very own Everything Everything. I personally enjoyed their last album, although it was clearly front-heavy and a little long-winded. I'm enamored with the first half of A Fever Dream, but I'm not really feeling the longer, moodier tracks in the second half of the track-listing (although I do love the band's statement on the very brief "New Deep"). The first three tracks really display the band's songwriting talent. You've got these strong hooks over these very loud (but not overbearing) electronic beats. The vocal performance on "Night Of The Long Knives" is actually quite awe-inspiring, and once the beat drops, that shit BANGS. "Can't Do" and "Desire" are both feature these very sticky refrains that I love. I actually think Everything Everything open this album up better than their last album. As I mentioned, the latter half of the record didn't leave the greatest impression on me. There are a few highlights ("Ivory Tower," "New Deep") but it's just really disappointing to me. I'm just waiting for this band to put out a 10 because they have the potential to do so in my eyes. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard & Mild High Club - Sketches of Brunswick EastGenre: Jazz-Psych King Gizzard is one of the greats out there right now. They're always reinventing their direction as a band through each album, whether it be through a new concept or musical style. Their third album this year alone, Sketches of Brunswick East is a soothing jazz-psych collaboration with Mild High Club. It reminds me of their acoustic album Paper Mache because of its relaxed tone, but it's rather an album that drifts easily into the background. The gratifying bass lines and woodwind passages left the greatest impressions on me. Seriously, the bass on "The Spider And Me," "Rolling Stoned," and "Dusk To Dawn On Lygon Street" give me the goosers, they're so attention grabbing while being nice on the ears. Each of the three interludes are soothing in the same sense, but don't really have the memorability to keep me returning. What this album lacks is good songwriting, which only really comes through on the song "The Book." Sonically, however, this album is certainly something to behold. Elevator music, yay! Grizzly Bear - Painted RuinsGenre - Indie Rock
Grizzly Bear are a unique indie band in my opinion. Their talent shines through their beautiful vocal harmonies, and intricately performed, lavish instrumentals. They've been on a studio album silence for five years now, so of course I was hyped for this project. The biggest change on Painted Ruins is clearly the production style. Is definitely on a larger-than-life scale compared to their previous efforts. Considering the slightly lo-fi acoustic side of Grizzly Bear, this album is certainly quite an endeavor. "Wasted Acres" sets a great tone for the album, as it opens with woodwinds, strings, and Daniel Rossen's hauntingly beautiful voice. This track is noticeably juxtaposed to the most upbeat, almost bombastic song, "Mourning Sound," the lead single. I'm not sure what to make of this song. Part of me likes the tune itself, but it feels kind of lifeless as it's sung without much passion. "Four Cypresses" features heavily reverb-soaked guitars, building in instrumental intensity until it slowly fades out. Ed Droste's vocal performance on "Three Rings" is paired nicely with the soft synth keyboards and electric guitar passages. The album, however, really hit me at "Losing All Sense" and "Aquarian." These two tracks are more traditional in song structure that make more enjoyable, memorable moments in the context of the whole album. I'm impressed by the sonic landscapes on "Cut-out" and "Glass Hillside" as well. "Neighbors" is a much needed break in the track-listing. It's the most intimate song whilst being instantaneous and memorable - the haunting vocal melody, lyrics, and finger-picked guitars are really to behold. "Systole" is really one of the few lulls in the track-listing, and "Sky Took Hold" makes up lost ground to close an altogether enjoyable album. Check this album out if you're looking for an indie album with really grand, pristine production qualities. It's an impressive addition to the Grizzly Bear catalog.
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