Wire – Hive Mind
Frontman Colin Newman and co return with a high quality new album that maintains classic postpunk status and sound, now with added electronics, though the guitar noise and minimalism still dominate, particularly with single chord on the long track, Hung. Primed & Ready and Cactused are also distinctive and uncompromising and outstanding among the new work. As the album title suggests, the lyrics aren't exactly lacking in political or social conscience, and the restless anger of these veterans remains, particularly on the Humming, with references to the rise of political populism, and suggested Russian interference in elections. Still a pioneering band. Out on Pink Flag.
Wire – Cactused
Holy Fuck – Deleter
Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor, Pond’s Nick Allbrook and Liars’ Angus Andrew joins the Toronto indie-electronica quartet on their fifth album in 15 years. Recorded at Jack White’s Third Man Studio in Nashville, there's a sense of a new beginning “I want to scrap all of this / And start over again,” Taylor sings on the opener Luxe, a sort of clubbing minimalism. High-class nodding material to great approval and fabulous live. Check out also Ruby and Free Gloss. Out on Holy F.
Holy Fuck – Luxe (ft Alexis Taylor)
Gabrielle Aplin – Dear Happy
Lush in sound at times, and breathy of voice, but strong, sensual and rather beautiful stuff from the singer-songwriter from Chippenham, Wiltshire, who grew to prominence after posting acoustic songs on YouTube. On this third album the title track is pure piano ballad, the song Strange has is bigger funk dance pop, Until The Sun Comes Up is a whispery electronica turning to big beats, all of which is a formula that could rocket to success. Out on Never Fade Records / AWAL Recordings
Gabrielle Aplin – Dear Happy
G Love and the Special Sauce – The Juice
Welcome return, the first LP in five years, for the Philly bluesy hip-hop crew fronted by the likeable drawly delivery of Garrett Dutton, aka G Love, around now since 1992.. There's a political element to several of these songs including the title track. Check out in particular also the mouth-organ groove SoulBQue and Go Grazy and the cartoonish videos. Recorded in Nashville with guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier, co-produced and co-written with Keb Mo', it's a catchy crafty gem. Out on Philadelphonic Records.
G Love and the Special Sauce – The Juice
Andy Shauf – Neon Skyline
The Canadian singer-songwriter from Regina, Saskatchewan releases his sixth LP. This is clean, clever, poignant storytelling of a folky, country ilk, reminiscent of Kurt Vile, Father John Misty. Shauf has a lovely, clear high voice, and while the style is mainly simple snare drum and acoustic guitar-based, there are fine hues throughout the album, such as some attractive woodwind on Where Are You Judy and Thirteen Hours. Out on ANTI Records.
Andy Shauf – Neon Skyline
Chromatics – Closer to Grey
Fifth album of attractive electronica pop from the Portland, Oregon quartet. The LP begins with an echoey cover of Simon & Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence, before launching into more pop territory with You're No Good. Simple, clean and with an 80s retro feel, such as Twist the Knife echoes OMD, the album also has lots of slower, more pop ballad songs, such as Move A Mountain. Smooth, silky stuff. Out on Italians Do It Better.
Chromatics – Closer to Grey
Mr Elevator – Goodbye Blue Sky
Tomas Dolas, a recent recruit to Oh Sees, releases this solo album on John Dwyer's Castle Face label. This is further in the prog direction, more synthesizer and woozy, think more in the oeuvre of Tangerine Dream, Air, Donovan, Irmin Schmidt, Egg, and a dash of Stereolab. Out on Castle Face.
Mr Elevator - Waiting
Don’t forget to also check out our favourite albums of 2019:
Aldous Harding to Richard Dawson to Michael Kiwanuka: favourite albums of 2019 – part 1
Billie Eilish to FKA twigs to Weyes Blood: favourite albums of 2019 – part 2
This week's selection is by The Landlord.
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