A few of my favorite new releases this week…
Belle & Sebastian//How to Solve Our Human Problems (Part 1)
[belleandsebastian.com]
The Echo Friendly//Surveying the Damage
[theechofriendly.com]
Jim James//Tribute To 2
[jimjames.com]
Tom Rogerson & Brian Eno//Finding Shore [reissue]
[deadoceans.com]
What are your favorite new releases this week?
“Please,” might be Rhye’s first new song in four years, but the duo haven’t skipped a beat. The production is sensual and magical and Milosh’s vocals glide effortlessly along. If you’re in the baby makin’ mood, “Please” is essential.
♩ Rhye – Please [single]
[rhyemusic.com]
I know very little about Skrap. I can tell you they are a Norwegian two-piece with backgrounds in jazz. Combine that jazz with a bit of hip hop, electro, and R&B and you’ve got quite the banger.
♩ Skrap – Marianna [single]
[facebook.com/Skrap]
Kicking off the album is the track “Dragonfly“. A high-pitched drawl of an instrumental starts the spectacular song off. Beautiful vocals that send shivers down the spine really create an atmospheric sound to this gloriously elegant piece of music. A slight rock edge is added into the song about halfway through, only adding further layers to this never-stops-giving music. A perfectly delicious way to start an album. You’ve certainly gained me as a fan, Pumarosa. (via WPGM)
♩ Pumarosa – Dragonfly [from The Witch]
[pumarosamusic.com]
On his first solo record, Rostam reminds us what makes Vampire Weekend (and Discovery) so special. “Bike Dream” might be the most Vampire Weekend-esque track on Half-Light, but it’s so good I can’t help but not feature it on this years (31) Days of Good. Rostam’s reserved vocals, paired with the loud and industrious production, combine for a refreshing and accessible offering.
♩ Rostam – Bike Dream [from Half-Light]
[officialrostam.com]
Though technically not the lead-off track, the title track from the electronic duo’s third album is spectacular and the perfect way to kick things off — a dazzling and colorful combination of sounds that build and builds. This is one of those songs that I can’t help but turn the volume up and it always seems to give me the chills. Do yourself a favor and listen to “Intro” (a monologue from the 2011 film, Another Earth) and “A Moment Apart” together. They really should just be combined into one track in my opinion.
♩ ODESZA – A Moment Apart [from A Moment Apart]
[odesza.com]
Absolutely stunning. If you’re a fan of artists like Nils Frahm and Max Richter, this is going to be right up your alley.
♩ From The Mouth of The Sun – Light Blooms in Hollow Space [from Hymn Binding]
[ftmots.bandcamp.com]
“As a woman, 30 is the age you’re taught to fear” says The Weather Station’s Tamara Lindeman. “When you’re 25 you picture it like falling off the edge of a cliff into some amorphous, bisected destiny — one path being children and suburbia and the other some sort of cartoonish loneliness.” Lindeman says she wrote this song about the precise moment when “joy [is] on the cusp of despair.”
♩ The Weather Station – Thirty [from The Weather Station]
[theweatherstation.net]
Alvvays’ sophomore effort was easily one of my most anticipated releases of 2017. With that said, I’m extremely happy to report that the Canadian indie pop quintet did not disappoint. “Dreams Tonite” is an alluring new wave ballad that highlights frontwoman Molly Rankin’s stunning vocals and could easily be pulled from your favorite 80s coming-of-age flick. “If I saw you on the street, would I have you in my dreams tonight?” might be one of the best lines of all time.
♩ Alvvays – Dreams Tonite [from Antisocialites]
[alvvays.com]
I love everything about this song, especially the title. It’s a touching tribute to his late mother, which happens to be the last song he played for her and it was played at her funeral.
“this song is dedicated to my mother binty sisay. the more time that passes, the more i see the extent of her love for me.” – Sampha
♩ Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like the Piano [from Process]
[sampha.com]
Fuzzy riffs, snappy rhythms, and robust vocals are just a few of the highlights. The unexpected surprise at the 3:45 mark takes this track to 11.
♩ Cherry Glazerr – Told You I’d Be with the Guys [from Apocalipstick]
[cherryglazerr.bandcamp.com]
“‘Doomed’ is the stunning first cut released from Moses Sumney’s debut full-length, Aromanticism. Sumney, who’s toured with Sufjan Stevens and performed with Solange, is known for his remarkable voice and smoldering harmonies. ‘Doomed’ asks the question: ‘If my heart is idle — am I vital or am I doomed?'” (via npr all songs)
♩ Moses Sumney – Doomed [from Afromanticism]
[mosessumney.com]
One of the most beautiful songs released this year. The perfect balance of indiepop, folk, and electronic. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I really want a Gordi + Sufjan Stevens + Bon Iver collaboration.
♩ Gordi – Heaven I Know [from Reservoir]
[gordimusic.com]
For my main squeeze.
“Even when the ship is wrecked, I promise
Tie me to the rotting deck, I promise”
♩ Radiohead – I Promise [from OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017]
[radiohead.com]
For my kiddos.
“El Mundo En Que Nací” is a lullaby from a father to a child, but it’s also a love song. It’s about a father holding his child in his arms for the first time — a singular, enduring moment in which he experiences a love that is uniquely real and a responsibility that is uniquely awesome. It’s about entering a brave new world and discovering a reason to continue. From the first few exquisite moments of the song to the to the strings and harpsichord accents that bring it to a close, the chord progression is both familiar and powerful, the song’s story and music effortlessly united. Clearly inspired by Pachelbel’s Canon in D, the song has a beauty and simplicity that create an easy peace. This is the most stunning piece of music I’ve heard in 2017. (via Anne Litt)
♩ Café Tacvba – El Mundo En Que Nací [from Jei Beibi]
[tacvba.com.mx]
For my dad.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m not going away”
♩ Florist – Blue Mountain Road [from If Blue Could Be Happiness]
[facebook.com/floristband]
One more for my main squeeze.
“I don’t think that you really overcome a certain type of love and that we’re not meant to overcome it either. Some love just break you down, shape you and no matter of time or water passing during bridges; some feelings will never change. Some people will always get you unstable and I think that it is something beautiful. A life can be shaped of changes and circumstances but feelings can remain beyond our control. I don’t know why that thought makes me feel safe and frightened at the same time. But that is what Ellington is about.”
♩ Flikka – Ellington [single]
[facebook.com/flikkamusic]