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
LA singer and guitarist, Annahstasia debuted weith Tether in a subtle chamber folk style backed by several collaborators, particularly multi-instrumentalists, Hailey Niswanger and Aaron Liao. The standout feature is certainly the vocals, reminiscent of Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman and Anohni of Antony and the Johnsons. The delicate vibrato colors the songs with a vulnerable quality, … Read more
Seasoned singer-songwriter and talented vocalist of the early 00s alt-country scene, Neko Case returned after 6 years with Neon Grey Midnight Green, written with guitarist Paul Rigby and supported by lavish arrangements courtesy of the Denver-based PlainsSong Chamber Orchestra. They style remains typically whimsical and reminiscent of the theatrical philharmonic pop of the 50s but … Read more
Late bloomer, Ryan Davis who already played in several folk-rock bands since the late 2000s finally made a splash as Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band – actually, a solo effort with several contributors – reviving the Silver Jews’ verbose ‘alt-country’, perhaps distinguished by a more pensive tone. The sophomore album follows suit with 7 … Read more
The fourth and long-awaited studio album of New-Zealands now middle-aged teenage sensation, Lorde. Virgin, almost entirely self produced alongside composer ‘Jim-e-Stack’ returns to the electronic palette and youthful existentialism of Melodrama (perhaps influenced by the success of her collaboration with Charli XCX on Girl, So Confusing) but this time the production and performances are bland. … 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
Welsh singer Cate Le Bon continued in the dreamy hypnagogic disco vein on Michelangelo’s Dying after 2022’s Pompeii – perhaps inspired by her namesake Simon le Bon of Duran Duran fame. The album was recorded in the Joshua Tree desert. The main limitation is that the cybernetic mutant pop has been done before and the … Read more