Tim Hecker - No Highs
70

END OF THE YEAR CATCH UP

You can really tell that Hecker has become a master of creating ambient atmospheres. Even at this albums lowest points there's still a tangible, breathing atmosphere that you can rest in. Sadly the bulk of the middle just doesn't do much with it and doddles more than I'd prefer. Still at it's best, this record makes you want to hear more of what this man has to offer. Tracks like Anxiety punctuate the its main idea through several variations of what anxiety is like and ... read more

Creeper - Sanguivore
50

I can see the appeal for this record especially for Ghost fans, but yeah there's something at the core of this that is just not for me.

Silent Planet - SUPERBLOOM
40

Squeaky clean slopcore

Björk & ROSALÍA - Oral
80

imagine giving head to this

Midnight Session - Empty Homes in Blue Light
60

I've had that opener in my rotations for weeks now
Thanks for linking this to me @SnowyFighter
A very pleasant listen for sure, hope to see the upwards trajectory.

The Smile - Wall of Eyes
85

You can tell who loves A Moon Shaped Pool and who doesn't lmao
PTA music video is goated

John Coltrane - Africa/Brass
90

I wrote a review for this but it got deleted
Basically.
By the 60’s Coltrane was becoming the John Coltrane that is revered today.
This record is so tight and compact in its mix, each player fits their part like a puzzle piece and the ensemble that was put together is among his best.
Adding larger sections of woodwind or brass instrumentation really elevates certain moments whether for building tension, punctuating a build up or climax, or adding a sense of uncanniness. Though I love how ... read more

Standstill - Standstill
70

Just some really solid post hardcore that boasts some wonderful Spanish vocal work. The only downside here is a real lack of adventure to be found in the instrumentals, for what it is it's quite fun and enjoyable and there are some moments of differentiation, but these are mostly found in interludes. The guitar lines themselves are not the most interesting so on repeat listens I can see this record straining my attention span more than it did on the first ride, but it's still worth checking out ... read more

John Coltrane - Coltrane
80

Coltrane and Jones were an unmatched musical duo, McCoy's piano does provide a fantastic point of counterbalance as well
Can't help but love this.

Kristin Hayter - SAVED!
75

“HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING” articulated a period of my time as a Mormon better than anything I’ve ever seen, read or heard before. The choice of key in the piano and in her voice immediately brought me back to that time in my life, it is performed and written in the exact same manner as those hymns I heard every Sunday for years on end except given a much more somber tone. She screams...convulses, just beneath the beauty held in sorrow. I couldn’t help but to make the ... read more

Sampha - Lahai
85

Exquisite beauty!

I love how few if any songs develop into some climax and instead they float along with soothing comfort, jittery drums & these synth tones/beats that push in and out at the oddest times. The first half stands among some of the best material of the year with some misses in the middle, but the final 4 tracks manage to bring things back into a cohesive end. Sampha has the voice of an angel with soft bass hits that make feel like I'm floating on a cloud as the production ... read more

BADBADNOTGOOD & Charlotte Day Wilson - Sleeper
90

The boys are back and crafting some mesmerizing shit

John Coltrane - Giant Steps
80

Proof that my taste and openness to music has matured over time. Never understood what people got out of this when I first heard it years ago and now I find the first half to be some of the most electric playing that I've heard on any jazz album!

Charles Mingus - Tijuana Moods
85

What a fine wine of an album, just five tracks that all contain there own unique DNA that still feels so distinctly Mingus in its approach. Some of my favorite bass playing I've heard from Charles, Ysabels Table Dance shakes the ground with how moving of a song it is.
So much good shit here!

Oneohtrix Point Never - Again
85

Combines the instincts of an abstract artist with the approach of a film composer, mixing in nostalgic forms of passionate taste from bygone eras in an attempt to reconnect with a past self. Prog induced electronica being only part of this records grand ambition only further cements how lovely it is to hear the personal touch across every second of the LP. Crafting a picture of life that just like Daniel's own perspective on memory, the record loses a firm sense of linearity in both structure ... read more

Sufjan Stevens - Javelin
85

EDIT: okay so this thing has really opened itself up to me with more and more listens and the emotions are really starting to resonate. I love some of the tracks I didn’t before. Still keeping the original review up cause I think it provides a good insight into my relationship with the artist. (75-85)

Still I enjoyed my time with Javelin, it is singer songwriter Sufjan Stevens 10th studio album and it is not afraid to remind you of this fact. If you've listened to enough of Sufjan's ... read more

Leprous - Aphelion
85

Alright I admit it, I was wrong about these guys....this is the best creative outcome for them.

Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit
80

Feels good, getting some grimy new metal music in my diet for the year.

青葉市子 [Ichiko Aoba] - Space Orphans
90

that last minute was just....nothing but sun kissed smiles all around

青葉市子 [Ichiko Aoba] - meringue doll
85

Love to see Ichiko embracing a grander & more in your face style of mixing. Feels like a natural next step forward after the waves of serenity that sprung out of the Dawn of Adan, embracing a more panoramic scale provides a fun new element for her to play around with, but I can only hope this doesn't become the records crutch. I could easily see this leading to less room for adventure in the soundscape, but we'll see. As of now both singles have presented their own identities with ... read more

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June Playlist