If It's Too Loud...

A solid week, given that it's the Thanksgiving holiday in the States... Artist : The Staves + yMusic Album : The Way is Read Quick Description : Hauntingly beautiful modern folk. Why You Should Listen : You like the idea of a combination of gorgeous strings and harmonic vocals. Overall Thoughts : I was into the previous Staves album because it felt like a strange modern folk record. Adding yMusic to the mix here gives The Staves some considerable attention-grabbing instrumentation to go with their already-haunting vocals. This is great in a way the Bjork or Sufjan records kind of aren’t, in that the weirdness is enhancing the experience as opposed to being the centerpiece, and the whole package feels a lot more modern and interesting as a result. I want to spend a lot more time with this, but this is absolutely the listen of the week for me. Recommendation : A must listen. Artist : Bjork Album : Utopia Quick Description : Latest from the Icelandic legend. Why You S...

Some blog favorites have releases this week, and there's yet another situation where there's not a bad album in the bunch. Why waste any more time? Lady Lamb the Beekeeper - After : Lady Lamb's previous album, Ripely Pine , was a top 10 album for both Ken and I a couple years ago, so to say this album was long-awaited would be an understatement. What I didn't expect is to like this one even more than Ripely Pine . The album is still left of center, to be sure, but the music itself has shifted toward a more accessible tone without sacrificing what makes it great. The first two songs alone really won me over, but it's the whole album, and the continued maturity growth of the songwriting that's ultimately going to make it continue being an album I listen to repeatedly. Far and away the album of the week, it will probably be discussed a few more times before this year is out at the very least. Purity Ring - Another Eternity : The indie electropop entry of t...