The kids are coming up from behind.
Mac Demarco further stripped his sound back on the melancholic folk-pop home recordings of Guitar, a series of lazy, relaxed meditations, reminiscent (as always) of John Lennon, barely 30 minutes in length. The shy delivery works best on the cute Shining and the solemn lament Home, where the melodies are given space to breathe. Terror, … Read more
Brixton’s Black Country, New Road – originally a Slint-type organism with a backing team of classical musicians – had shifted towards Orchestral and theatrical suites on the live album, Bush Hall, after the departure of lead vocalist and songwriter Isaac Wood. Forever Howlong signals the complete break from the band’s post-punk origins. Instead, it indulges … Read more
UK Octet Caroline fuse chamber-folk (a la Grizzly Bear) with slowcore and post-rock. The sophomore LP Caroline 2, self-produced by members of the band, is simultaneously more experimental than ita predecessor and more melodic. Each track is built around a mournful melody, immersed in cascades of instrumentation from bluegrass strings to dissonant horns to synthesiser … Read more
Wisconsin’s Bon Iver, ostensibly the project of solo singer-songwriter, Justin Vernon released their fifth studio album SABLE, fABLE, split between the earnest acoustic ballads on the first half and blue-eyed soul on the second half. The lyrics, which are largely romantic and optimistic, form a 180 with the heartbroken and tragic bard of the debut … Read more
Alex G, the project of lo-fi singer-songwriter Alexander Giannascoli, a consistent source of inventive melodic concoctions, released his major-label debut, Headlights,co-produced by Unknown Mortal Orchestra bass guitarist Jacob Portrait, following up one of his strongest records, God Save The Animals in 2022. The album opts for a more sedate and moody sound but also with … Read more