Ending June with impeccable balladry, smooth soul, new rap essentials and even some deranged guitars.
A Sober Conversation is the striking new album from BC Camplight and it is another absolute dazzler. Thematically it’s far from easy-going - considerations on shocking childhood trauma and new-found sobriety - but the US-raised, Manchester-based songwriter (Brian Christinzio) has such a rare skill to convey dark darks with wit and subtlety. Overall, it really is Brian-Wilson-Smile-esque, and you’ve got to know that we’d never use that comparison lightly. Record of the Week and highly recommended.
+ Pressed on limited Gold colour vinyl.
Big in the racks this week is Flowers, the return of Durand Jones & The Indications, and our June Record of the Month. It really is a smooth one, the production is so graceful and we’ve been soundtracking much of the week to it thus far. You can read a little more here about how much we like it, and also about our Record of the Month club.
+ Available on limited ‘Iceberg Blue’ colour vinyl.
Day-blind is the absolutely sublime debut LP from Virginia-born musician Gabriel Brady and we have been floating to it hard. It is released on the Tonal Union label (Blue Lake, C. Diab, Akusmi) and really is such a gorgeous mix of simplicity and sweeping textures, built around plucked strings and other natural tones. Lush!
+ Pressed on limited Clear vinyl.
GOLLIWOG is the first new LP in a couple of years from the much-admired New York rapper billy woods and man alive is it ever good. The production is amazing, such richly dark music that brings in noise and ambience, contemporary jazz and darkly cinematic samples. A dense and macabre fever dream, this really is a proper thriller.
Canadian producer Mocky releases Music Will Explain (Choir Music Vol. 1) - his first for Stones Throw. It is all about human voices and harmonies, inviting friends and collaborators to crowd around a microphone in his garage. A lush tapestry of analogue hues.
Manchester trio Aerial Salad release the abrasive and raucous Roi De L’Herbe EP. It has snarl and crunch but lots of humour and a really good bounce.
+ Pressed on Clear and Neon Green splatter vinyl.
NYC indie-rock four-piece Frankie Cosmos return on Sub Pop with Different Talking. Has a really sweet energy, with bubbling indie pop and some bits that float.
+ Available on limited Bio White vinyl.
Texan rapper BigXthaPlug’s excellent Take Care album gets a physical pressing on Diggers Factory this week. His second album was released digitally last Autumn and we’ve been keen to get hold of something to spin since. His voice is the main event (and he has such a great drawl), but the production is really great too, from soulful to biting.
Also this week; French synth-lords M83 release their soundtrack to A Necessary Escape - Dakar Chronicles, a documentary about the World-famous Dakar Car Rally. The Saddest Factory label release MUNA’s Live at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. It’s pretty limited, this one. Lorde’s new beat-driven and big-popping Virgin album is out this week, although the limited Translucent Red vinyl editions are delayed into next week. We are liking what we have heard. Matthew Herbert and drummer/vocalist Momoko Gill have collaborated on the all-new Clay and it has a really lush mood to it, from the propulsive through to more late night vibes.
Lastly today, we have the new Tropical Fuck Storm LP (which always makes the spam filters go nuts) and it is gloriously deranged! Fairyland Codex conjures some sort of sonic apocalypse, with sludged out blues and slashing guitar lines. It is all so surreal, with each song building into a fever and collapsing into an unravelling fizz. Man, it’s really good fun.
We have a personalised test pressing that we’re going to give away over on our @driftrecordshop instagram account.
+ Available on limited Magenta vinyl.
+ We have signed prints.
