Juno Recommends Rock / Indie / Folk / Metal / Punk / 50s / 60s August 2019

Review: Reykjavik-based noise quartet, Sigur Ros - translated to Victory Rose - sublime 1999 album Agaetis Byrjun turns 20 this year and to commemorate the legendary band have assembled two luxury box sets featuring all matter of demos, rarities and live recordings. There is also the option to just rebask in the limelight of A Good Beginning (Agaetis Byrjun) repress that's worth it alone for album opener "Svefn-g-englar" - a breathy 10-minute swoon through the ether of sweet harmony. Travel the rest of the album until you get to "Avalon" - one of the deepest classical requiems you can hope to hear. A sonic fortress of bizarre digital noises, weird drones, wispy vocals and breathtakingly radiant percussion, Agaetis Byrjun is a masterpiece of revolutionary proportions.

Review: As the story goes, Will Dorey's Skinshape project grew out of a love for "old music and the way it sounded". And while his discography suggests he's only been releasing music for some six years there's no denying the raw, dusty and retroactive fidelity of his recordings. Mixed entirely by Dorey, the Englishman's embrace of yesteryear takes in a particular blend of psychedelic rock and folk that meets with touches of jazz, soul and classical, with a range of subtle echoes, dub delays and reverberations added to the mix. Take "Penny In A Well" and "Hurry & Enjoy" for example, two of the shorter tracks on the LP but flying examples of Dorey's creative versatility. Kick back and enjoy!

Review: The Soft Cavalry have arrived, a new project of husband & wife duo Steve Clarke and Rachel Goswell. Their debut, self-titled album has been described as falling somewhere between Pink Floyd, Talk Talk and R.E.M. To put it another way; slow motion stoner surf rock meets subtle shades of folk and washed-out Shoegaze. Dancier and straight-laced drums primed with disco energy also find their way into tracks like "Bulletproof". The album finds its unique space in seemingly being able to create a new study into cosmic folkology; perfectly weighted with atmospheres that drift across and through the album's many dimensions.