Fleet Foxes – Shore
Released suddenly as something of a surprise, Robin Pecknold and co return for their fourth album and despite the doom and gloom of the year, is a work is described as acelebration of life, honouring lost musical heroes, from David Berman to John Prine, Judee Sill to Bill Withers. Warm, embracing, positive in tone, the sound echoes earlier work, such as on Helplessness Blues, and with rich vocal harmonies and shimmering instrumental work, such as on Sunblind and Young Man’s Game, Can I Believe You, the springtime optimism of Jara, the almost whisperingly stroked guitars and strings on Lightweight. A long album at an hour, but filled with evoked skies, rivers and fields, a melancholy, but also very uplifting beautiful tonic during tough times. Out on Anti.
Fleet Foxes – Maestranza
Sault – Untitled (Rise)
Another fantastic album of transcendently timeless funk, gospel and soul from the mysterious, publicity shy collective - a core trio that includes producer Inflo, aka Dean “Wynton Josiah behind the desk on Michael Kiwanuka's last album. It's the second one this year after Untitled (Black) and two in 2019. This one is possibly the best of the four, another double LP with a variety of sounds that point more to the dancefloor, featuring a cross of genres such as Brazilian batucada percussion on the song Strong, a Rio carnival feeling on Street Fighter and The Beginning & The End. Smooth soul comes on Son Shine, and the predominant theme is race issues, police violence and more, with the chants of Rise Intently, the 90s syncopated soul of Free, the talking You Know it Ain't, No Black Violins in London, and the beautifully moving address to a Little Boy. Again with musical echoes of noughties Gnarls Barclay, and 90s Soul II Soul, Massive Attack, Dana Bryant, and Young Disciples, this is again also outstanding and original work. Out on Forever Living Originals.
Sault - Strong
Thurston Moore – By The Fire
Another crackling, ingenious release by the man of Sonic Youth, mixing experimental, more introspective guitar-intricate narratives with barnstorming thunder, wonderful earworm melodies with sheer exhilarating power. While lockdown as brought him new home recording techniques, again he is joined on many tracks by his regular band of the band few years - the fabulous thrum of Deb Googe (My Bloody Valentine) on bass Jon Leidecker aka ‘Wobbly’ (of Negativland) on electronics, James Sedwards on guitar, and Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley alternating with Jem Doulton on drums. Standout tracks include Cantaloupe, Hashish, Siren and just about everything. Out on Daydream Library Series.
Thurston Moore – Cantaloupe
Alicia Keys – Alicia
The American soul star's seventh album is, despite the title, less a solo release, more about collaborations with other successful artists. Is this a creatively positive thing or just a commercial boost? While her talent is undoubted, the results are mixed. There's the utterly bland Underdog written with Ed Sheeran, the so-so, but sweet sounding So Done with Khalid. Then again there's an intriguing duet with Jill Scott in a song named after her. Other tracks worthy of a dip are 3 Hour Drive, featuring Sampha, the upbeat bright Me x 7, with some skillful rap by Tierra Whack, and the dark, disturbing Perfect Way to Die, focusing on police brutality. When she goes it alone, it shows her strengths, such as on the soaring, stompingly soulful Love Looks Better. Overall a slightly experimental album that if it has any overriding theme is that it bares her soul in a very personal way, distilled through others. Out on RCA.
Alicia Keys - Love Looks Better
A Swayze and the Ghosts – Paid Salvation
Sharp, angry, angry and energised, another excellent new chopped guitar post-punk band from Australia make their debut, and this time not from Melbourne, but Tasmania led by singer Andrew Swayze and his old schoolmates. Songs are very much about contemporary issues - the curses of online culture on Connect to Consume, and fingers up the past – “Sorry Roger Daltrey, but fuck my generation.” Comparisons will be made to Amyl and the Sniffers, but this is less anarchic, more measured, and while their sound is inspired by the likes of The Ramones, Television and early Strokes, the echoes are sometimes closer in choruses to Sweden's The Hives and especially in political and cultural lyrical content, New York's Bodega and their album Endless Scroll. Check out further worthy wit and wrath on tracks including It's Not Alright, Suddenly and Evil Eyes. Out on Ivy League.
A Swayze and the Ghosts – Connect to Consume
Native Harrow - Closeness
There's warm, bright, wistful indie-folk-pop on the fourth album by the duo from Pennsylvania is intelligent songwriting reminiscent of Joan as Policewoman, but also includes some new sounds - intricate polyrhythms and grinding Moog synthesizer on Same Every Time, vintage jazz combo (Turn Turn), and the lovey piano ballad ( Feeling Blue). Meanwhile Shake has a 70s FM groove, as well as The Dying of Ages and a desert-style funk on If I Could, a 1960s art pop on Even Peace and the expansive orchestral Sun Queen. Broad, grand as well as intimate. Out on Loose Music.
Native Harrow - If I Could
Fenne Lily – Breach
The London-born Dorset-bred singer-songwriter's second album is a mixture of fast and slow, mellow and manic, the contrast set up by the dreamy first song, To Be A Woman Pt1, and the breathless fast indie second, Alapathy, with a more of a balance on Solipsism. Overall though the slower numbers dominate and they are ethereally lovely with her breathy voice, mainly with guitar, strings and piano. The album's title, Breach, occurred to Fenne after conversations with her mum about her birth, during which she was breech, or upside down in the womb. The slippery double-sidedness of the word – which, spelled with an “A”, means to “break through” – drew her in. “That feels like what I was doing in this record; I was breaking through a wall that I built for myself, keeping myself safe, and dealing with the downside of feeling lonely and alone. I realized that I am comfortable in myself.” So from songs such as Elliott and Someone's Else's Trees, even on I Used To Hate My Body But Now I Just Hate You, she evokes a beautiful calm out of anxiety. Out on Dead Oceans.
Fenne Lily - Solipsism
Matt Berry – Phantom Birds
Sixth album now by the actor and comedian, for whom music is now becoming his main toast and the great eccentric continues is retro styles on another fine footing, playing most of the instruments, but aided by the great pedal steel guitarist BJ Cole and like-drummer Craig Blundell. While previous outings have flirted heavily with noodly prog, but on this album there are more airs of 70s Cat Stevens, especially in the vocals, but with an added country twist, and no shortage of melancholy dry humour, from Something In My Eye to the title track, Moonlight Flight to the jaunty Man of Doom, and the catchy Take A Bow. Indeed do. Lovely work. Out on Acid Jazz.
Matt Berry – Something In My Eye
Widowspeak – Plum
Plucked out of late August releases, this LP by the duo Molly Hamilton and guitarist Robert Earl Thomas is masterful in its minimalism – taut bass lines and beguiling lyrics, looped drums and interwoven sounds - dark, mysterious, cool and downbeat with catchy melodies such as a real ear-worm The Good Ones. The album spans 90s dream pop, 60s psych rock, and an overall Pacific-Northwestness. Other tracks to enjoy include Money, Even True Love, and the title track. Out on Captured Tracks.
Widowspeak – Money
This week's selection is by The Landlord.
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