Lots and lots of newness with pretty much all bases covered. Great stuff.
Starting with absolutely epic vibes from beyond the space frontiers! Our Record of the Week is A Trip To The Moon, the new LP from New York’s Ghost Funk Orchestra. There is a richly analogue hue to it all, exotica and sci-fi tones with huge springing reverbs and blasts of horns. With such dense arrangements, it’s almost all too much to take in on one listen, but the vastness makes it an (intergalactic) trip well worth hopping right back on again.
+ We have limited and exclusive Seaglass with Black Swirl colour vinyl.
Our favourite of the week’s many big returns is Rooting For Love, the new solo LP from Lætitia Sadier. The delivery is resplendent, a hazed and relaxed confidence to her voice and the production really bubbles. We always have a very soft spot for the Stereolab singer and co-founder, but this one is an especially soothing balm.
+ Available on limited Splatter vinyl.
On the stereo as we write to you, Back In The Hole is the first album in twenty-five years from the mysterious and incredibly heavy Toadliquor. As you’d expect on Southern Lord, this is heavy, but the way it builds to such powerful crescendos is spiritual stuff. The album notes explain that it’s an album for fans of Pain, Misery, Destruction… We’re not disagreeing, but we’ve played the record three times and come away higher and higher each time.
Daniel is the new studio LP from all-time New Jersey janglers Real Estate. It has a similar wistful energy to their first couple of albums, but through the lens of older, more experienced voices. Subtle, with plenty of lush hooks.
+ Available on exclusive Silver colour vinyl.
Also making big returns this week are Nadine Shah with her languorous new Filthy Underneath. Only had this on once but it has a dark, beguiling energy. Available on signed Red vinyl. MGMT release Loss Of Life, which both instantly sounds very MGMT-ish, but also takes them into euphoria via some new and melancholic sounds. We have that one pressed on limited ‘Blue Jay’ Opaque Blue colour vinyl. The Past Is Still Alive is the new album from Alynda Segarra’s Hurray For The Riff Raff. Such a great songwriter, there is much to treasure here. That one is pressed on140-gram high-performance Orange coloured vinyl. Where’s My Utopia? Is the second album from Yard Act. From what we’ve heard, they haven’t just phoned in the same winning formula but have taken this one somewhere else. We have limited pressings on both Yellow and Maroon colour vinyl.
Zero Grace is the second LP from singer-songwriter Liam Bailey and it has such a great vibe. Again produced with Leon Michels (El Michels Affair), it very much sounds guided by a wide range of pop, reggae and soul, whilst absolutely putting its own stamp on it all. Another of the week’s spiritual uplifters.
+ Available on exclusive Sea Glass colour vinyl.
Golden Age Of Self Snitching is the Heavenly Recordings debut from Georgian duo Revival Season. Rapper Brandon “BEZ” (B Easy) Evans is furious, a really powerful and utterly breathless flow. Beatmaker/producer Jonah Swilley is really inventive, with new and old tones colliding. Really exciting stuff and highly recommended.
Also this week; Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day is the debut LP from the much-hyped shoegazers Whitelands. A really great sound and plenty of little nuances too. Going Home is the long lost album from The Children’s Hour, a trio consisting of Colorado singer-songwriter Josephine Foster, David Pajo of Slint and Andy Bar. Untame the Tiger is the first album in fifteen years from Mary Timony. The Light Fantastic is the new solo LP from John Bramwell of I Am Kloot. The collaborative Fantasies 10” from Bombay Bicycle Club and guests.
Lastly this week, Imerro is the fifth album from C. Diab - the Canadian bowed-guitarist and multi-instrumentalist - and it is absolutely sublime. The sonics he creates are just wild and also the percussive element he incorporates too. Absolutely not one to miss, it’ll really take you somewhere.
+ Available on limited Clear colour vinyl.
Reissues are suitably ample too, with; Can live, Bill Fay, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, Suede, Teethe, Congo Natty, Skip Mahoney, Gabor Zabo, Sleep and Neil Young.
