Tuesday, April 13, 2021

First Listen: New Releases for 9 April 2021

Artist: Departure Lounge
Album: Transmeridian
Quick Thoughts:
Songs of Note: "Australia," "Mr. Friendly"

Artist: Claire Rousay
Album: A Softer Focus
Quick Thoughts: Claire Rousay has produced some interesting music for a few years now, and (with the understanding that her more esoteric field recordings-style has some limited appeal), this could be a real breakthrough. This album is a gorgeous mix of often-sparse electronics that feel like they exist in real time, and it makes for a super interesting listen. A lot of buzz aorund this one, and rightly so.
Songs of Note: "Peak Chroma"

Artist: Emily Kinney
Album: The Supporting Character
Quick Thoughts: We're Emily Kinney fans here, both of her singing and her acting. This album has some of her most accessible moments yet, such as with "When the Midnight Fireworks Start," and yet it still retains the sort of charm we've come to enjoy from her albums. Great for longtime fans and for newcomers alike.
Songs of Note: "Genetic Makeup," "When the Midnight Fireworks Start"

Artist: PONY
Album: TV Baby
Quick Thoughts: A debut album I've been waiting impatiently for, this is a nice slice of indie rock with hints of pop-punk sprinkled throughout. PONY is not forging any new ground here, but they are providing solid musicianship and super catchy songs along the way anyway. It's going to be difficult not to be charmed by this one from the start.
Songs of Note: "Chokecherry," "Couch," "My Room"

Artist: Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi
Album: They're Calling Me Home
Quick Thoughts: Rhiannon Giddens continues to excel at wonderful interpretations of folk and the musical canon. A second collaboration with Francesco Turrisi, this is just an absolutely wonderful listen and should be a required inclusion in your weekly rotation.
Songs of Note: "Avalon," "Waterbound"

Artist: Assertion
Album: Intermission
Quick Thoughts: Featuring the guy who was in both Foo Fighters and Sunny Day Real Estate, this actually sounds a lot like what you'd expect those two bands to sound like combined. It's anthemic, loud post-rock with an emo feel, and it really worked for me. Really one you need to hear to understand fully.
Songs of Note: "Down in the Depths," "Defeated," "Deeper in the Shallow," "Supervised Suffering"

Artist: Yoshinori Hayashi
Album: Pulse of Defiance
Quick Thoughts: Ken sent this one over to me and it was very unexpected. I was pretty into acid house and the like for a while, and this really gave me the same vibes as when people on IRC tried to get me to take ecstacy and go to a rave. This is probably more complicated than your typical house music from decades past, but it's still a great listen on a whole.
Songs of Note: "Twilight," "Flow"

Artist: Sarah Cicero
Album: Cold Immaculate Opposite
Quick Thoughts: I wanted to highlight this EP because it was really my favorite listen of the week. These two songs in particular, "Atticus" and "Indifferent," just got trapped in my head right after hearing them, and I don't want this to get overlooked in a busy week. Put simply, Sarah Cicero is absolutely someone to watch.
Songs of Note: "Atticus," "Indifferent"

Of note:

* Bill MacKay and Nathan Bowles - Keys
* The Pink Stones - Introducing... The Pink Stones
* The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - Dance Songs for Hard Times
* The Blips - The Blips
* Sufjan Stevens - Meditations
* Frances - Wonder
* Small Black - Cheap Dreams

EPs:

* Elaquent - Bedtime Stories II
* Skullcrusher - Storm in Summer
* Samantha Crain - I Guess We Live Here Now * Sorry - Twixtustwain EP
* HÆLOS - Somnum
* Francis of Delirium - Wading EP
* Andy Bell with Pye Corner Audio - The Indica Gallery EP
* Evan Greer - Spotify is Surveillance

* Boyfriend Machine - The Youth Stalk the Garden at Night

Live albums/Compilations:

* Doe - Sincerely, Doe: Live at the Lexington
* Camp Cope - triple j - Live at the Wireless
* The Orb - Abolition of the Royal Familia (Guillotine Mixes)
* Future Funk Squad - Reunified Forms
* Sorry - Home Demo/ns vol I
* Sorry - Home Demo/ns vol II

Also out:

* Tunic - Exhaling
* Cheap Trick - In Another World
* Peggy Seeger - First Farewell
* Parker Millsap - Be Here Instead

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