A short and sweet set to start December with some really, really good new records.
We start this new music week on our December Record of the Month, with Unclouded from Melody’s Echo Chamber. Man alive, we’ve always really liked Melody’s space in shimmering psych-pop, but this latest album has really incorporated new tones in cinematic soul and it’s just gorgeous. The cast of players involved is super impressive, with Swedish maestro Sven Wunder on production, members of Dina Ögon and Dungen’s Reine Fiske creating sonic waves, the smartest avant-garde strings from Josefin Runsteen, the inimitable Malcolm Catto behind the drums and even a collab with El Michels Affair! The density of the sounds is just beyond lavish. One of the year's richest sonic palettes, but also super smart songs and Melody’s voice is as enthralling as ever. Such a great record, a proper vibe album!
+ Available as a very limited Dinked Edition.
+ Available on exclusive Mint Green colour vinyl.
Houston psych-funk trio Khruangbin celebrate the 10th anniversary of their 2015 debut album, with an all-new reimagined album called The Universe Smiles Upon You ii. It’s a bit of a masterclass in subtlety, with everything stripped back and given so much spaciousness and serenity. Lovely acoustic timbres and all the hypnotic layers that you’d expect.
+ Available on exclusive double White colour vinyl.
Live God is a pretty stunning live document of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Wild God Tour that took in venues across the UK, Europe and North America. Nick Cave described it on the album’s announcement as “an antidote to despair", and this really rings true with the set’s more transcendental moments. Sad, but also euphoric, and the way it moves between the two is a masterfully impressive journey. From Her to Eternity is a pretty astonishing moment, but we won’t spoil the trip for you.
The Year of The Radical Romantics is a really interesting set from Karin Dreijer as Fever Ray. It’s somewhere between a remix album and a live album, with direct-to-tape live versions of tracks from Radical Romantics, chopped up, extended and full of extra juice. Vocally it’s just fantastic and the set list builds to high energy moments.
+ It’s also a lovely package. Double Black 140g vinyl in a numbered, UV gloss gatefold sleeve, with gloss inner sleeves and a poster. Machine numbering on outer sleeve.
English Teacher release a collection of remixes and reworks of their Mercury Prize winning album ‘This Could Be Texas’. Featuring contributions from Daniel Avery, Water From Your Eyes, Max Cooper, Baxter Dury and more.
After two decades fronting Editors and releasing two albums with Smith & Burrows, Tom Smith releases his first solo LP this week, There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light.
The sublime Manizeh LP on LEITER and FKJ & Yussef Dayes both move into next week, en route as we speak alongside our Record of the Year edition of Horsegirl's Phonetics On And On. The week’s Best New Reissues include; Happy Mondays Factory Singles, The Groundhogs and A Chess Records Anthology. Excellent!
