Prostitute doesn't hold back in their debut, Attempted Martyr. For me, the harsh vocals and Noise elements aren't as abrasive as what's between the lines here. The band uses satire at maximum, and they embody the western Arab caricature, which in turn allows them complete artistic freedom in the writing, and it shows.
If the politics surrounding this album turns you off, I recommend reading the FADER interview with the band, it could shine some light on the nuance here. ... read more
As someone who is by no means an expert in this genre, I imagine it would be really difficult to manage the pacing of an ambient record. Here with Nepenthe, Julianna Barwick does so much with only 41 minutes. She paints movements across songs, while giving each track a world to live in. The vocal layering and instrumentation are nothing short of gorgeous.
Standout Tracks: Pyrrhic, Labrinthine, One Half
Some of the instrumentals were okay, but the songs don't develop into anything memorable, and Vince is just incredibly boring throughout. The lack of any real standouts (even one) really brings this album down for me.