Woozing synaesthesia, rasping Zamrock and big pop maximalism amongst other fine stereo additions.
Our Record of the Week is The Universe Will Take Care Of You, a new collaboration between British synth wizard James Holden and Polish clarinet guru Waclaw Zimpel… and knowing us as you do, the idea that it could have been anything else is making me smirk! Although full of long, evolving timbres to float to, it is way more of an upper than a melancholic space, with bubbling arpeggios and some quite sublime spiritual hues that float in and out of the warm and fuzzy drives. And it really does have drive, a sort of spiritual companion to the early Krautrock pioneers with synths and a wide range of other instruments locking into fine harmony. Played it loads, still want more!
After a near forty year wait, WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) are now landing like buses! The legendary Zamrock pioneers continue to push boundaries with their bold new record, SOGOLO, their second new LP in as many years since lighting the fire back in their 1970s heyday. 74-year-old Emmanuel ‘Jagari’ Chanda’s undiminished vocal power is something to behold as this one rocks, grooves and soothes. Really good stuff and full of surprises.
+ Available on exclusive 'Zamrock Dust' (Opaque Natural), housed in a single outer sleeve and printed inner sleeve. Includes a limited signed print.
Crying The Neck continues the career resurrection of the much-admired Patrick Wolf. It is an album of grandness, with both its roaring and quieter moments equally sharing emotional big resonance, and compositionally it really is hugely impressive. Features guest appearances from Zola Jesus, Serafina Steer and Seb Rochford. His voice is ✨
Very Human Features is the fourth (I think) album from Caldicot’s finest, The Bug Club. It follows last year’s excellent On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System LP and flies the flag hard for big-hook, big-laugh guitar rompers. They’re absolutely the finest around at putting wryness, silliness and straight up garage rock gratification into the mixer.
+ Pressed on limited Bio Pink vinyl.
Silence Daedalus is the new long player from Chorley garage-pop-ers, British Birds. We saw them play a while back and have been excited about this one since. The way it moves (smoothly) between its melancholic moments and the more jangling fizz are really good. One not to miss.
The icon Cosey Fanni Tutti releases a new set called 2t2 this week and it is a real tour of her relationship with electric bleeps. Expansive meditations and the odd big bad beat too. Really into this one.
Staten Island’s big rocking soul band The Budos Band return with VII this week and they are really cooking. They lock into the hypnotic grooves, but the way that they throw in the monolithic riffs and those flaming horns too really keeps it evolving. If you ain’t grooving to this, something might well be wrong…
Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones releases the second part of his All The Quiet project and it is as ambitious and impressive as the first. With feet in the Jazz world, it has plenty of weird and wild routes, with guest contributions from Greentea Peng, Wu-Lu, Yazmin Lacey, Hak Baker, Nubya Garcia, Oscar Jerome and more.
+ Available on limited double Transparent Blue colour vinyl.
If you want epic, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard get epic! Phantom Island is a companion album to 2024's "Flight B741", recorded during the same sessions with the band expanding their sonics to include a full blown orchestra. It really is maximal stuff.
Swallow is the debut solo LP from Ride bassist Steve Queralt and it is a brooding treat! Lush ebbs and flows with guest vocals from Sonic Cathedral labelmate Emma Anderson (formerly of Lush and Sing-Sing) and Verity Susman (Electrelane, MEMORIALS). We proudly worked on a Dinked Edition for this stunner.
Also this week… Happy Tears is the debut album from Irish duo 49th & Main, a big old mix of electronic beats, UKG, jazz-infused house. Jahnah Camille releases the intense and swirling My sunny oath! On Winspear. Adrian Sherwood returns in hypnotic form with the very limited The Grand Designer 10” which includes a little flash of Lee "Scratch" Perry. The Cure release Mixes Of A Lost World, a companion to their recent album with reworks from Daniel Avery, Four Tet, Craven Faults and loads more. André 3000 releases the limited Day Moving, which features the previously unreleased ‘Tunnels of Egypt’, recorded as part of the sessions for his landmark New Blue Sun album. Lyra Pramuk returns with Hymnal and it is a proper journey! Released on her own newly launched imprint pop.soil, pressed on sustainable PET vinyl which is pretty fascinating stuff.
Lastly today, we have just taken stock of Lavinia Blackwall’s The Making and she remains a proper high queen of folk-rock-weirdness. Best known as the celebrated voice behind Trembling Bells, this new solo LP retains that lush mix of folk and rock and psych and fun, but it also gives more of her individually than before and she really does sing beautifully. Gets both thumbs up.
