Dis Fig tossed every other release aside this week with her debut full-length, PURGE. Her blend of industrial electronic, tormented, strained vocals and orchestral composition combine in an absolutely gripping solo effort. Intense, harsh moments give way to quiet, creeping melodies, only to be launched back into an emotionally laden, chaotic, noise-filled soundscape. The ebb and flow of this album is pure perfection.

The banjo-wielding quartet of Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Allison Russell, and Leyla McCalla made selecting my favorite album a breeze this week, with Songs of Our Native Daughters. The album is absolutely phenomenal and brings four supremely talented musicians together, who pull inspiration from sources ranging from the 17th to 19th centuries in a musical exploration of struggle, resistance, and hope from a black female perspective. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has made the extensive ... read more

After her 2016 masterpiece, Stillness In Wonderland, Little Simz had a lot to live up to with her next full-length release. With GREY Area, she’s somehow managed to live up to my highest expectations. The phenomenal beats, strong writing, and relentless delivery easily make this my favorite hip-hop album of the year so far.

+ Sign is a thoughtful and infectious blend of r&b, pop, and neo-soul. Being a huge fan of his quick 2016 EP, Soon You’ll Understand, it’s wonderful to hear the positive and talented artist return with a proper full-length release.

Dakota deliver a thoughtful, melancholic debut effort on Here’s The 101 On How To Disappear. Highly relatable and honest observations are delivered through clever writing, all atop a pleasant medley of dream pop instrumentals.

The New York-born, New Orleans-based artist traverses various styles of Americana, while never straying far from her Haitian roots. The end result is a thoroughly enjoyable affair with wonderful writing to match.

Boy Harsher effortlessly merge a variety of styles of electronic music on Careful, crafting an engaging, synth-fueled, industrial-tinged, avant-garde pop masterpiece. Absolutely stellar work by the Northampton-based duo.

On her debut LP, Fantastic Planet, Lealani presents an out-of-this-world blend of avant-garde indie pop. Diverse and experimental electronic instrumentation pairs perfectly with her unique vocals and engaging lyrics. The only complaint I have about this album is that it’s only available on cassette. Looking at you, DOMEOFDOOM.

Charlene Soraia’s latest features strong vocals, conveying themes of isolation and introspection atop stripped-down, precise, guitar-based instrumentals. The resulting Where’s My Tribe is not only my undisputed top pick of the week but easily my favorite album of the month.

With Voices is a collaborative work between 8 vocalists and Dutch composer Rutger Zuydervelt, under his Machinefabriek moniker. Each collaborator was asked to improvise over the same 35-minute soundscape. Those improvisations then acted as the initial seed that each song sprung from. The end result is not only interesting in concept but excellent in execution.

On her introductory full-length, Nice To Meet U, Pi Ja Ma presents an airy and fun style of indie pop-rock by way of France. While it may be the middle of winter where I am, the warm musical palette and occasional surf vibe are more than welcome.

Dolphin Midwives seamlessly weaves organic and digital threads into a minimal yet emotionally rich psychedelic tapestry on Liminal Garden. The avant-garde composer and harpist had me in her grips by “Junglespell”, maintaining my full engagement throughout the duration of this minimal yet stunning release.

A solid bit of hip-hop. Solid, dark, east coast beats combine with quality flows that just breeze on by with each listen. Solid stuff from the New York-based duo.

Solo piano, cello, viola, and ambient electronics are intricately pieced together to create an absolutely beautiful, emotionally charged album that is singular in tone. Without question, this timeless album is easily one of the best of 2018.

A beautiful, melancholic expression through what she describes as “sleep rock.” The Chicago singer, songwriter, and producer combines some of the best elements of folk, shoegaze, and ambient electronic music, evoking emotion and a sense of nostalgia along the way.

Absolutely phenomenal. I can’t say enough great things about this record, which stands up as one of my favorite Polyvinyl releases to date.

Dark, experimental, and rife with tension. Top-notch compositions.

Kathryn Joseph‘s minimalistic, contemporary classical instrumentation pairs perfectly with her unique, haunting vocals. In addition to the way it sounds, the writing is also incredibly strong on From When I Wake the Want Is.

It’s impossible for me to say enough good things about Both. The Norwegian singer-songwriter’s honest and sharp wit slices clear across the entire project. The phenomenal lyrics are accompanied by minimal yet effective instrumentation, creating a unique style of contemporary r&b and art pop that serves as a high point in music for me in 2018. Simply stated, I love this album.

Ekin Fil’s Maps contains a textured yet sparse soundscape that inches along slowly, sometimes droning on into a sense of eternal solitude. Stellar stuff.