New Music Friday!

Last week for Q3. Was able to catch up on everything I wanted to try. Saving this Friday's drops for Q4 consideration. Q3 chart up soon.
I was starting to feel hopeless heading into September. The past three weeks (especially this one) help end the quarter on a strong note.

🔥
  • Great Falls - Objects Without Pain [thanks, @musicjunkiegreg. Pummeling and bleak in a vociferous, distorted fury]
  • Jeff Rosenstock - HELLMODE [YES YES YES!!! My first time listening to a Rosenstock record. The energy is so infectious and youthful! If only I was younger, I would be playing this multiple times a day over a season. As it is, HELLMODE gives me the biggest grin from ear to ear]
  • underscores - Wallsocket [a maturation in sound for April Grey, while still expressing her music like on fishmonger at the core. The genre interweaving is so diverse here! Lots of peaks and valleys here...are we going to see post-hyperpop as a genre tag soon?]
  • yeule - softscars [a shoegaze angle! 👏B👏N👏M👏 again. I'm intrigued once more by yeule's creativity]
👍
  • Lars Bartkuhn - Dystopia {released in Q2}
  • FIELDED - Plus One
  • Laurel Halo - Atlas [I had a chance to listen twice, once at ambient background volume, the next with volume driven up considerably. Each experience was enjoyable, with the beautiful modern classical textures and drones being quite enveloping on the revisit. Worthy of a nod]
  • Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows [so close to loving this!]
  • Slayyyter - STARFUCKER [much more consistent, cohesive, and hard hitting than Troubled Paradise, which I overrated significantly looking back. Seems that she's taking some inspo from The Fame-era Gaga on a few of these cuts, some of which are typical dance-pop, while others have an electropop/hyperpop aggression. Has a risqué bite to it, but uncertain how well it'll age. For now, another enjoyable one]
🤷‍♂️
  • alice does computer music - Shoegaze 5G [interesting ideas, but they don't materialize into much of anything exciting or fully engaging]
  • Cleo Sol - Heaven [so she's the SAULT lead lady! Despite her floaty/angelic vocals, this one's sorta instrumentally bareboned. Maybe the one that dropped today will fare better]
  • Loraine James - Gentle Confrontation [disappointing, considering how good Reflection is]
  • Will Johnson - No Ordinary Crown
  • kintsugi - life in death [I like Japanese ambient (or adjacent), but this is mostly vapid and dry royalty-free YouTube musical wallpaper]
  • Lalalar - En Kötü Iyi Olur [Anatolian Muse. Shortly I made that similar-sounding connection a few songs in, I slumped in my chair and just wanted it to end. Couldn't look past it...even when the music had some interesting and aggressive moments here and there]
  • Nation of Language - Strange Disciple
  • The National - Laugh Track [BRUNCHCORE BRUNCHCORE BRUNCHCORE! Truthfully, there were some enjoyable moments here, especially "Dreaming" and closing cut "Smoke Detector." Matt Berringer's voice incites a desire for a nap session too often to care enough, but this is leagues better than their release from earlier in the year. Is it just me, or do they exhibit hints of a post-punk sound here?]
  • Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit [there have been better death metal efforts this year. Going in a prog direction had me losing interest halfway through. "Will of Whispers" is great, and most of the rest is just passable]
  • Wet Fruit - Dandelions at the Gate [oh, a PDX band. Points for that, but they sound like an opener I would forget about the next day]
👎

None.​
​
🤮

None.​
​
Second Opinion: CHAI - CHAI 👍➡️🔥 [can't deny 'em, I ❤️ these ladies]
 
Last edited:
🚨⚠️ Potential AOTY Alert ⚠️🚨

📢Stop whatever you're currently listening to and put this album on! Lol. But, seriously...

One of my most anticipated of the year from one of my favorite artists: singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, Steven Wilson, with his 8th solo album, The Harmony Codex. This one may be his most ambitious to date, as he has pulled, stylistically, from all his previous albums. I would say this album is progressive: pop/rock/electronic... And the production is pristine as always. I'm also happy he's brought Ninet Tayeb back to feature on the album. I've just listened to its 10 tracks (64 minutes), and I can confidently say, just after an initial listen, it's one of the best albums of the year (and one of SW's best). We'll see where it lands on my AOTY list..

 
Last edited:
wokeupnew said:
I still think I like her first one best overall. But I agree that she’s moving in a good direction. I can’t get over how much this sounds like a Wild Nothing album (who I absolutely love, and who produced this album) so this one could eventually take the top spot.
Click to expand...
I had no idea the album was produced by Jack Tatum, who I also like as an artist. Daydreamer sounds like a record straight out of the 1980s, with that emotive pop sheen and glamour reminiscent of MTV days, along with a jazzy flare including a 🎷 solo on one of the tracks! I thoroughly enjoyed this one 👍
 
I gotta sing some praise for the new Jeff Rosenstock album. I've been obsessed with him since 2015's We Cool? and with each new release I think to myself "Is this going to be the one that sucks?"

Thankfully the answer has always been "nope". HELLMODE is another great outing from him. So bummed he is skipping Houston on his upcoming tour.
 
qobuz awarded this their qobuzissime which is basically a rising artist to watch kind of deal... it's a very chill electronic album but still energetic, reminds me of when ambient was something they would pump at the clubs/raves.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top