Review: When it comes to plugging in mega stacks of amplified prog-rock, Vancouver-area band Black Mountain deliver a retro-futuristic sound that's as large as any Godzilla soundtrack. With Destroyer presenting a fifth LP on Bloomington label Jagjaguwar, Black Mountain go someway in delivering a bold cross reference of only the best and most legendary points of 60s, 70s and 90s rock n roll regalia. With keys and piano mixed with guitars, distortion and vocoders giving the band a futuristic, krautrock (Deutsche elektronik musik) edge, British psychedelic and raw but atmospheric arrangements give the band their own undeniable identity. With songs passing the bottle from slow dancing rock, flashy hair metal, to synthy guitars and cosmic arpeggios, the best metal of today is still way up there, on Black Mountain.
Review: The evolution of Justin Vernon from the broken-hearted, falsetto-voiced troubadour who emerged from his cabin to deliver his debut eight years ago to the here and now may seem downright implausible, yet the facts of the matter are this - '22, A Million' is proof positive that he is one of the most multi-faceted and enigmatic and inscrutable artists we have at our disposal, still capable of delivering heart-rending beauty in song form yet also of marrying it to wilful abstraction in a way that not only offers emotional resonance yet reflects and refracts its surrounding era to offer succour and salvation. Sing it from the rooftops, this is little short of a complicated modern masterpiece.
Review: Justin Vernon's voice has always been the people's main attraction to Bon Iver, and the fact his pseudonym even exists is certainly no coincidence. As fragile and heartbroken as it is forthright and experienced, when you're wearing a shredded heart on sleeve and confessing to all your deepest insecurities using a pen name can help immensely. Album number four perhaps proves this more than any of its predecessors. While the three previous chapters have all made his thoughts, feelings, insecurities and fears clear, this one takes honesty to new heights. Combining the frail electronics that have gradually slipped their way into his back catalogue with the acoustics of his earliest, rocket-to-fame efforts, it's a culmination of all that's been in the truest sense. Perhaps even more intimate than the breathtakingly personal "For Emma, Forever Ago", "i,i" is a striking work to say the least.
Review: Indie singer-songwriter and folk experimentalist Bon Iver follows up his 2024 EP 'SABLE', expanding upon the EP's concept with a full-length in 11 tracks. Diving into themes of memory, longing and transformation, the record feels like a deciduous psychic regrowth, processed and refined from an initial uncontrolled burl of raw feeling and expression. Layering experimental sounds and organic textures, it hints at Iver's change in direction kept steady ever since 2016's Jagjaguwar debut 22, A Million. The style was continued and redeveloped on 2019's fourth album, i,i, and now returns in its fullest resplendency, with modern symbolic bricolage of effulgent soundscapes and querulous singing. This is the latest in a string of records that cements Justin Vernon stature as an artist and not a mere musician: increasingly, we hear the work of someone clawing back greater and greater shares of aesthetic control.
Review: It has been some five-plus years since the last full Bon Iver album but the wait has been well worth it. This one follows the introspective SABLE, a sparse, vulnerable EP born from isolation and inner turmoil. Where that was shadow, this is light-a lush, radiant celebration of love, connection and emotional rebirth. Written at April Base in Wisconsin with collaborators like Jim-E Stack and Danielle Haim, the album leans into clarity and intimacy and gets rid of the signature dense abstraction for more honest and heartfelt pop. The vocals are delivered with openness and purpose as they explore desire, hope and devotion. While still acknowledging lingering shadows, this full-length is a story of growth that isn't about fairytale endings, but about the lessons love teaches.
Review: Bonny Light Horseman's upcoming double album, Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, heralds a significant milestone in their musical journey. The album is a poignant ode to the complexities of human experience, exploring themes of love, loss, hope, and community. Recorded at Levis Corner House, an iconic Irish pub suggested by Anais Mitchell, the album captures the essence of imperfection as a badge of honor. The trio's immediate connection to the pub's sense of community and family infused the recording process with a profound sense of authenticity. Accompanying the album announcement is the release of 'I Know You Know' and the band's first-ever music video, directed by Kimberly Stuckwisch. Bonny Light Horseman's core trio - Anais Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman - bring a wealth of experience and talent to the project. Individually celebrated in their own right, their collective synergy elevates the album to new heights of emotional depth and vulnerability. Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free promises to be a raw and unvarnished offering, showcasing the band's ability to navigate the complexities of the human condition with grace and authenticity.
Review: Your Day Will Come is the debut album from Chanel Beads (Shane Lavers), a fresh face and breakout force in the realm of contemporary, dreamy avant-garde music. The New York musician's first LP here follows up 2022 singles 'Ef' and 'True Altruism', and hears him fleshing out his distinctly catatonic and silken sound, achieved by his patented method of layering acoustic and synthetic instruments. A veritable traversal of the fantasy in sound, the album was born of Lavers' experience of lockdown in 2020, during which time the musician found himself reexamining his relationship to music and artistry, in a bid to find his authenticity. A recollection of an early childhood experience of loss followed, an experience which informs on the album's psychic-stylistic meanderings, which span every facet of electronic to punk to dream pop to pysch-funk to neoclassical folk.
Review: Some 36 years after making an instant impact with their fuzzy debut album, alt rock originals Dinosaur Jr. are still going strong. Sweep It Into Space, the band's first studio album since 2016, is testament to their continued mastery of an art form that they helped to define and refine. All the usual staples of their sound are present and correct - think punchy, tom-heavy drums, alternately scuzzy and attractive guitars and J Masics' instantly identifiable vocals - alongside a seemingly new-found love of indie-pop melancholy and wistful musical arrangements (the latter almost certainly influenced by producer Kurt Vile). In other words, it's a grown-up Dinosaur Jr. album that ticks all of the right boxes.
Review: Indie and alternative rock have changed a lot since the mighty Jr. first hit us with grizzly riffs and Gen X tones. Nevertheless, this is a band that helped change the face of the Western guitar scene back in the late-1980s, and their influence and impact is still felt today. The whole reason the sound of this three piece is so familiar is it helped pave the way for much that has come since.
Sweep It Into Space might be the best reminder of that. Originally pegged for release last year, with Kurt Vile involved, sadly he fell ill and was unable to offer his talent, leaving the original Dinosaur Jr. lineup to do their thing. And do their thing they did. It's lo-fi but powerful, romantic but broken, high-energy but cool, gritty rock music for streets, skateparks and late-night bars and bonfires, and we never want it to end.
Review: When Dinosaur Jr. reunited, more than 20 years after their formation and notorious split, there was concern they might just be rehashing their old hits for nostalgia's sake. However, their 2007 album Beyond decisively dispelled such fears with a powerful Marshall-driven response. Recapturing thepower of their early classicsiDinosaur, You're Living All Over Me, and BugiBeyond reaffirmed their place in rock history, delighting longtime fans and gaining new listeners. Following Beyond came Farm, the original trio's 9th studio album, solidifying that Dinosaur Jr. could still deliver electrifying, timeless rock music. Farm delves into their hallmark elements: soaring, distorted guitars, catchy hooks, and rich melodies. Some tracks evoke the grandeur of 70s guitar epics, while others are perfect for a peaceful retreat with Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Memorable tracks like the nearly seven-minute 'Plans' offer a delightful rock experience, while 'I Don't Wanna Go There' combines bold guitar leads with straightforward delivery reminiscent of James Gang or Humble Pie. This edition of Farm includes four tracks never before pressed to vinyl: 'Houses', 'Whenever You're Ready' (a cover of The Zombies), 'Creepies' (Instrumental), and 'Show'. Recorded at J Mascis' Bisquiteen studio in Amherst, Massachusetts and produced by Mascis himself, Farm encapsulates the dynamic and unique energy of one of America's premier rock bands.
The Burden (I Turned Nothing Into Something) (feat Angel Bat Dawid) (3:11)
The Same Stars (feat Joe Minter & Open Mike Eagle) (4:46)
Kings In The Jungle, Slaves In The Field (4:45)
Strength Of A Song (with Alabaster DePlume) (2:57)
What's Going On? (with Isaac Brock) (3:24)
Fear (2:15)
I Looked Over My Shoulder (with Billy Woods) (2:54)
Did I Do Enough? (with Jesca Hoop) (5:43)
That's Not Art, That's Not Music (3:38)
Those Stars Are Still Shining (with Saul Williams) (0:56)
A Change Is Gonna Come (4:33)
Review: Tonky is a collection of found sounds and intimate storytelling reflecting his life of survival and invention. The album's title comes from a childhood nickname given to Holley when he lived near a honky tonk. Opening with the nine-minute 'Seeds,' the song builds from a sparse sound into a complex symphony, blending chants, keys, strings and Holley's raw voice. The track explores themes of hard labour, violence and the failure of home and Tonky is an album of abundance that shows Holley's mastery in combining personal narrative with expansive sound, all while featuring contributions from various talented artists.
The Same Stars (feat Joe Minter & Open Mike Eagle)
Kings In The Jungle, Slaves In The Field
Strength Of A Song (feat Alabaster De Plume)
What's Going On? (feat Isaac Brock)
Fear
I Looked Over My Shoulder (feat Billy Woods)
Did I Do Enough? (feat Jesca Hoop)
That's Not Art, That's Not Music
Those Stars Are Still Shining (feat Saul Williams)
A Change Is Gonna Come
Review: Lonnie Holley crafts music that is immersive and expansive, rich in both sound and storytelling and that's the case once more on this new long player. If finds Holley craft a symphony of sounds that stitch together effortlessly, each moment feeling like a discovery. The album's opening track, 'Seeds,' sets the tone with its nine-minute journey weaving sparse sounds, chants and Holley's powerful voice to explore themes of survival, pain and the failure of home while 'The Same Stars' (feat Joe Minter & Open Mike Eagle) brings more yearning and lyrical depth. Tonky is an album that invites you to listen closely and reflect deeply.
Review: Romance with a capital 'R', as they say, ivory key doyen Gia Margaret returns with another spectacular and spellbinding collection of beautiful movements and pieces that sees her invoke a sense of peace, tranquility and solitude. Reflective arrangements that seem to straddle both a sense of loss, or at least melancholia, and acceptance and comfort in oneself. "I wanted to make music that was useful," Margaret says of the record. "Romantic Piano is curious, calming, patient and incredibly moving - but it doesn't overstay its welcome for more than a second." Running between fairytale like 'Sitting On The Piano' to the opiate, neo-pop of 'City Song', its a rare beast that can simultaneously feel tripped out and surreal, but also grounded in the world we are so luck to experience.
Review: Mustafa's masterfully crafted new debut album is called Dunya which translates from Arabic to "the world in all its flaws." The Sudanese-Canadian artist digs deep into religious devotion, childhood trauma, gang violence and romantic intimacy in hugely personal ways throughout the record and showcases his superb songwriting ability. His blend of genres from hip-hop to soul and r&b comes with novelistic details, lasting hooks and raw and earnest words. It features appearances from collaborators such as Aaron Dessner, Rosali?a, Clairo and Nicolas Jaar but amongst all that Mustafa's confident, distinctive voice shines bright.
Review: St Louis' indie icon Angel Olsen has always hinted at her country leanings in her music, but on her sixth album she goes more wholeheartedly into the tradition of Americana. At the same time, the album's themes centre around Olsen's journey of discovery as she came out as queer in her mid-thirties, and this gets explored wholeheartedly in the video for the title track with its testing of gender norms. Co-produced with Jonathan Wilson and featuring Drew Erickson and Emily Elhaj on keys and bass respectively, it's a stunning step on for Olsen as she explores the roots of her sound and her world as it stands now.
Review: If you felt Angel Olsen's 'All Mirrors' album would benefit from a stripped down, pared back interpretation this is your lucky day. Far from some rushed attempt to release anything into the music industry's COVID-19 infested waters, the intimate, often hushed and delicate versions here are actually the original recordings of the tracks, which were then elevated to the scale we heard on that LP of last year.
The plan was always to release these as a counterpoint to the bigger sounding takes, and there will be few reasonably minded people who won't delight in that decision. It's as if we've watched her sepia-hued show-stopping performance in the main ballroom and then retired for intimate drinks in the dressing room. A staggering sibling to what was already one of our favourite records from recent years.
Review: Recorded at Vox Studios, Los Angeles, Angel Olsen's third album is a game of two halves, a city of contrasts, and a juxtaposition of emotions, realised through music. Structurally, it plays out with a pair of distinct sides, with the A serving to represent upbeat positivity, the kind of tracks you want playing as you cruise through town on a blue sky-thinking day. Flip it to find things are much more sedate, reflective, and thoughtful, albeit definitely far from sombre.
That certainly helps pack variety into the release. My Woman followed on from Burn Your Fire for No Witness and Half Way Home, both of which had been resolutely lo-fi indie. By comparison, this was her attempt to break free of those delicate, self-created shackles and deliver something fuller, louder, and much poppier. She achieved just that, and if you're not already familiar we recommend listening to the stunning results.
Poppy Jean Crawford - "Glamorous" (Compiled By Angel Olsen) (4:43)
Coffin Prick - "Blood" (4:36)
Sarah Grace White - "Ride" (4:08)
Maxim Ludwig - "Make Believe You Love Me" (3:53)
Camp Saint Helene - "Wonder Now" (4:36)
The Takeover (Poppy Jean Crawford Cover - Performed By Angel Olsen) (3:48)
Swimming (Coffin Prick Cover) (2:38)
Sinkhole (Sarah Grace White Cover) (4:03)
Born Too Blue (Maxim Ludwig Cover) (5:11)
Farfisa Song (Camp Saint Helene Cover) (3:58)
Review: It's hard to imagine the esteemed Jagjaguwar label without Angel Olsen. The American singer-songwriter feels like a central figure. She epitomises the absolute quality that they put out year-in, year-out. Her long-standing partnership with them has led to her landing a new imprint named somethingscosmic. Here she's given free reign to release when and how she wants, with help from Jagjaguwar. An absolute dream for her no doubt. This, the second release on somethingscosmic, it's billed as a compilation reimagined as a dialogue; the A-side features artists chosen by Olsen, with each artist choosing their own song for the collection. Side B is a collection of songs from the same artists, but chosen by Olsen and recorded by her. Of the artists on there, Poppy Jean Crawford's 'Glamorous' is dark post-punk with a Kills-esque vocal... it feels like what the definition of rock n' roll should be. Meanwhile, Coffin Prick's 'Blood' (Yep, you read that right... what a band name!) is a great example of reckless psychedelic fuzz. And Sarah Grace White has a stunning, magnetic voice and the music is pared back to let it shine at the forefront of the mix. Olsen clearly has A&R clout and magical release ideas - long may her new venture thrive.
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