Aesop Rock - Integrated Tech Solutions
NR

Buzzy and exciting hip hop. The rap has great vivd storytelling aided by an animated and engaging delivery - e.g. vocals on 'Aggressive Steven'. The way the fuzzy electronics created such catchy and hard beats made a solid soundscape for the album. This is somehow made more addictive with subtle glitchy sounds - e.g. 'Mindful Solutionism'.

ANOHNI and the Johnsons - My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross
NR

A smooth 60's soul sound pairs with epic vocals for a powerful and moving album. It's a patient album. This makes the crescendos on tracks like 'Rest' all the more rewarding and the gentleness of tracks like 'There Wasn't Enough' memorable. Very rich sound with a moody guitar flavouring (added twangs and licks in the grooves - e.g. 'It Must Change'). I particularly enjoyed 'It Must Change', 'There Wasn't Enough', and 'Why Am I Alive Now?'.

George Clanton - Ooh Rap I Ya
NR

This album has the excitement and sound of finding an album of beautiful forgotten one hit wonders. It has an 80's larger than life rich pop sound - e.g. the stunning chorus of 'I Been Young'. It feels so starry, magical, and expansive. This is elevated by the very vapourware sounding washed out synths and reverb soaked electronics - making it feel like a nostalgic memory (e.g. into on 'You Hold The Key and I Found It'). Listening for the first time feels like fondly reminiscing for the 100th ... read more

Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE
NR

The punky sing along chorusses contrast with more introspective and reflective lyrics and warm instrumental builds. The fuzzy loudness makes this album inescapable. It is energetic and raw. It makes for an album with good depth.

Laufey - Bewitched
NR

Golden fairytale traditional pop music. It's gentle and beautiful songwriting is completely captivating due to it's heartfelt delivery. Such as tender album! I liked the subtle variation in instrumentals as it kept a cohesion through the album whilst keeping it interesting - Bossa Nova, orchestral, etc. I particularly enjoyed 'Second Best', 'Haunted', 'California and Me', and 'Promise'.

Irreversible Entanglements - Protect Your Light
NR

This busy jazz pairs with rich spoken word to create a dense and detailed album. It is well varied - from the squawking saxophone and tumbling drums in 'Soundness', to the crashing chaos of the 2nd half of 'Protect Your Light', and the serenity of the opening of 'Sunshine'. I particularly enjoyed 'Protect Your Light', 'Our Land Back', and 'Sunshine'.

Philip Selway, Elysian Collective & Chris Vatalaro - Live at Evolution Studios
NR

The new instrumentation adds plenty of pretty details to the already beautiful tracks. It maintains a warm open and from the heart sound - now emphasised by emotive strings.The lushness added to the interesting changes (e.g. halfway through 'The Heart Of It All - Live') adds excitement and power to the music. A very lovely listen! I particularly enjoyed 'The Heart Of It All - Live'.

King Krule - Space Heavy
NR

Dreary spaced out psychedelic music. I loved the jazzy bursts, they make the returns to the songs more spacious. The reverb pairs with the emotional vocals for a melancholic yet warm atmosphere. The unsteady and dizzy atmospheres are cozy. Great gloomy nighttime music.

Glasser - Crux
NR

Very Björk-y art pop. With vocal manipulations accompanying pitter-patter beats (e.g. 'Knave'). It makes for an otherworldly yet cozy listen. This is helped by sweet vocals. I loved how melodic the album is! I particularly enjoyed 'A Guide', 'Vine', 'Clipt', and 'Undrunk'.

Lonnie Holley - Oh Me Oh My
NR

This smooth and epic album is very powerful and moving. It is very personal and open, making for intense emotional music. This its highlighted in his raw voice. It also has unique grooves in the songs like the Moondog-esque beginning to 'Better Get That Crop In Soon' with added twangy guitars and creeping ambience. So many interesting blends in here. I particularly enjoyed 'I Am A Part Of The Mother', 'Mount Megis', and 'Better Get That Crop In Soon'.

Lankum - False Lankum
NR

These slow and dark folk songs create an ominous atmosphere. This was emphasised by the abrupt changes in songs - add of ominous drumming in 'Netta Perseus'. I liked the contrast of instruments as you had a lot of beautiful folk instruments and then noisy moments like the end of the album. An immersive album that feels somehow ancient and brand new. I particularly enjoyed 'Master Crowley's' and 'Netta Perseus'.

billy woods & Kenny Segal - Maps
NR

Understated excellent rap. The lyrics are so engaging and inventive. The whole project feels so direct. The jazzy beats add a fullness to the music without it feeling cluttered. I particularly enjoyed 'Kenwood Speakers','Soft Landing', 'Soundcheck (feat. Quelle Chris)', 'Bad Dreams Are Only Dreams', 'Babylon By Bus (feat. ShrapKnel)', 'Hangman', and 'Baby Steps (feat. E L U C I D, Benjamin Booker)'.

Lost Girls - Selvutsletter
NR

This art pop is packed with very interesting rhythms. It creates warm songs driven by slightly off kilter beats (e.g. 'Re-entering the City'). The light and soft vocals effectively draw you in. It has a minimal sound, often opening up space in the music (e.g. B section in 'Re-enterinig the City'). I particularly enjoyed 'With the Other Hand'.

New Age Doom - Remix the Universe
NR

These remixes preserve the psychedelic thick dub sound of the original project, but add new qualities to each track. Although the album felt like a cohesive and fairly seamless experience, there were many styles explored with the remix artists having a lot of freedom. The project is hypnotic, groovy and wonderfully hypnotic. I particularly enjoyed 'Holy Wings - Righteous Love Mix' and 'Fly in the World - Dub Love version'.

Armand Hammer - We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
NR

Formless and free flowing hip hop. One way it achieves this is through the constant push and pull between between the beats and the rapping. I love how the beats never seem to settle, it adds a unique cloudy and confusing quality to the project. This makes the atmosphere engagingly surreal. I loved the I particularly enjoyed 'Landlines', 'Empire BLVD', and 'Supermooned'.

Aho Ssan - Rhizomes
NR

Very grey atmospheric music. It effortlessly builds a grey cityscape around you with its deep electronics and moody features. The ambience is lead by emotion and it almost begins to feel like a dream as the album's consistent world is explored further on each track. I particularly enjoyed 'Cold Summer Part I (feat. Blackhaine)'.

Kofi Flexxx - Flowers In The Dark
NR

This album has a very interesting blend of genres. The project is constantly driven by rich jazz grooves and lifted by something light and less earthy (e.g. flute in 'Fire'). This contrast makes for very full sounding music - exploring both sides in parallel. The eclectic variation in features allows for more experimentation by pulling from many genres - e.g. rap. Good stuff.

Loraine James - Gentle Confrontation
NR

Misty and sleepy electronics. It's fidgety IDM elements adds a mysterious atmosphere to it (e.g. drum clusters in 'Try For Me'). The overall album has a warm gentleness to it, with soft and held electronic tones guiding through most of the tracks ('I DM U'). I particularly enjoyed 'Gentle Confrontation', 'Déjà vu (feat. RiTchie)', 'I DM U', 'Try for Me (feat. Eden Samara)', and 'Tired of Me'.

Sprain - The Lamb as Effigy
NR

Exciting spiky post punky post rock. This is a behemoth of an album. With long and winding songs, a long run time, noisy and dissonant instrumentals, and an emotional intensity particularly well conveyed through the pained and unpredictable singing. It's darkness and noise makes this satisfyingly unsettling to listen to. Great under your skin music. The cacophony made by the instruments playing with texture rather than harmony makes for movingly beautiful crescendos - e.g. build in 'The ... read more

Depeche Mode - Memento Mori
NR

Moving dark synth pop. The beautiful and emotional writing is made more powerful by the band's stylish electronic soundscapes (rich and rumbling bass - e.g. 'People Are Good') and cinematic flourishes ('Speak To Me'). The melodies are memorable and seem to hang in the air - adding a moody feeling in line with the singer's delivery ('Soul With Me'). I particularly enjoyed 'Ghosts Again', 'Soul With Me', 'People Are Good', and 'Speak To Me'.

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