Genre: Jazz Rock
Release Date: October 4th, 2024
My Rating: 5/5

Review by EzioMonty117

The disbandment of a group can be a tough pill to swallow, especially if their time is short-lived. Such is the case with black midi. Hailing from London, they put out three incredible albums that saw them go from noise rockers to becoming the poster boys for avant garde prog in the 21st century.

Now, what does any of this have to do with the album I'm currently reviewing? Well, it’s the debut by the band’s frontman, Geordie Greep. Just merely two weeks after he put the group on indefinite hiatus, Geordie announced his solo album that would see him indulge in all of his musical influences. How did it turn out? I might be biased as a fan of black midi but I think this absolutely delivered.

The New Sound is both a fitting title for the album and also quite paradoxical, as while there are undoubtedly familiar sounds one may recognize from his time with black midi, most notably the utter chaos created by the songs Blues and Motorbike, there are also moments that definitely sees him explore new territory like the full on salsa of Terra or As if Waltz’s mixture of disco grooves and waltzing baroque pop.

It’s also worth nothing that four of the album’s eleven songs, one of them being the aforementioned Terra was recorded in São Paulo using local musicians from the area to provide that authentic Brazilian and South American influence, which can be felt even in the songs where they aren’t playing. And speaking of playing, Geordie Greep and his long list of musicians are firing on all cylinders here.

A great showcase of that musicianship is with the instrumental title track, which sounds like a fusion of 70s Zappa, Casiopea and Al Di Meola. Throughout the track it has the band happily trading off musical ideas from the deceptively simple to the ridiculously complex. Walk Up (formerly known as Lumps for those in the know) and Motorbike, which has producer Seth ‘Shank’ Evans taking vocal duties also stand out on the musicianship front, whether it’s the former’s sax solo or the latter’s energetic drumming courtesy of Morgan Simpson of black midi.

The music is only half of the experience however as Geordie Greep is also a gifted lyricist. He has a tendency to write character studies about morally wrong people and their subsequent downfall, which is something this album has in spades. Bonkers lead single Holy, Holy for example has Geordie take on the role of a supposed womanizer which gets slowly revealed throughout the course of the song to be merely a facade the character has set up to make himself look good. Other lyrical highlights include the tongue-in-cheek yet disturbing Through a War and most importantly, the epic twelve minute centerpiece The Magician, a piece of music that’s been circulating around internet circles since 2022.

I want to spend a paragraph on this song in particular because not only do I think it’s the best song of the record but I also think it’s Geordie Greep’s masterpiece period. Chronicling a journey of self-discovery after a nasty break up, the song starts simple with light percussion and guitar establishing the main musical theme that will be used as the backbone for everything else to follow. As the instrumentation gets more layered and dense however, it all strips back down to just keys and vocals where the main character’s insecurities are at the forefront. Sweeping strings and accordion creep themselves in and eventually as the fate of the character has been firmly sealed the song devolves into pure chaos leaving the listener stunned as it reaches its conclusion.

A lovely Frank Sinatra cover finishes the proceedings and as the curtains come down you’re fully convinced of the mad genius at work with Geordie Greep and his new sound.

Genre: Post-Rock, Slowcore
Release Date: September 18th, 2024
My Rating: 4.5/5

Review by dsotgabriel_

Ramper is a Spanish post-rock band that shows what keeps the genre still alive nowadays. These guys have uniqueness, these guys have something completely different in each dim and intriguing soundscape and that's what moves post-rock nowadays to me. Bands like these, albums like these, completely astonishing and otherworldly journeys like these.

You see, it's all about the way these things are made, I get lots of people put some astonishing effort on some post-rock stuff but in the end, they lack originality, unfortunately. And even though albums like “Solo Postres” borrow from one of the fountains of the genre, they make something completely unique that's worth commending, that's worth the acclaim I'm glad it's having and I truly hope this goes even beyond that. This band caught my attention and captivated me with some truly breathtaking music.

I got this album out of this year's top albums chart on Rate Your Music and everything in it captivated me, although I wasn't expecting anything like what this turned out to be. I'm really glad I listened to this, it's a truly fabulous album and I don't know if my opinion will change by the end of the year as I listen to more albums, but this is certainly my favourite of 2024 so far.

Ramper's soundscapes are full of lush as they mix some eclectic genres in an overall completely fascinating and unearthly experience. You have some beautiful folk, progressive folk, chamber folk and I'd even say there's a lot of avant-folk and even that feeling of neo-folk that's unmistakable with the acoustic guitars, woodwinds, brass, strings and some soothing rhythms and electric guitars. The band also experiments softly with electronic soundscapes like on “Reina De Farolas” and the moments on the album the band tries some cool synthesizers. Also on the horns and strings, these guys create absolute beauty with some fascinating emotional soundscapes using them. Furthermore, post-metal, post-rock and some amazing shoegaze and doomgaze come in these soundscapes in a completely otherworldly and entrancing sound with those heavy steady drums, bass and specially guitars. Some heavy ones, almost like they're just droning on the background of the chamber music soundscapes. Altogether, they make some fascinating soundscapes with this, as a whole it all sounds so, so lethargic and unique. It's fascinating. I wish there was more diversity on the rhythms, because all the songs sound like they're carried in this same slow and crawling sound. It isn't bad at all, but I'd love to know what else these guys could craft alongside those soundscapes with more different stuff. Nonetheless, flawless instrumentation and some flawless soundscapes that sound like nothing else as well. These guys have such a beautiful otherworldly and completely fascinating sound and it's very interesting to hear that.

Sometimes I think they have a lot of that epic soundscape on the end of “Basketball Shoes” by Black Country, New Road. I couldn't stop thinking about that throughout the entire album. It's very interesting how they incorporate all that heaviness and loudness but it's not just about making heavy guitar music accompanies by some orchestral arrangements and beautiful androgynous vocals that are both haunting and soothing, it's about making something emotional and truly intense, stunning, wonderful, sentimental. This album does a lot of that, throughout its entirety, there's just fascinating music and everything in here checks this heartbreaking box.

Honestly, I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics, but some are really sad and dark looking at them right now as I listen to these songs some more. I think that makes for a very heartbreaking experience and I honestly didn't know Spanish music would be so intense and powerful, for how xenophobic that may sound. I'm really sorry, sometimes I kind of have this prejudice that a lot of people, not only on Rate Your Music have for music that's not sung in English. I find it very strange but this album just shows me I'm wrong everytime, it's amazing. These guys make fascinating music in here and I'm glad this is at top 5 albums of the year as I write this.

Perhaps devastating isn't the right word but this album is heavy in an unearthly way and again I highlight it: It's about the feeling. It's heartbreaking. I find myself lost in some dim skies and extremely high mountains covered in fog listening to this, but there's also the lush and beauty of a fantasy world forest and all its strangeness and mystical animals. I love this feeling this album creates, something that goes right in the middle of “The Lord Of The Rings” and “Berserk”, or whatever. All this darkness is enveloped in some beautiful hope as well, specially on the more cathartic emotional climaxes, these guys make some hopeful music in the veins of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and it's amazing.

I'm glad I listened to this and opened my eyes a bit more, this music is just stunning, there's nothing in here bad and this could be, surprisingly, pretty much a perfect album, but I think I'm safe calling this a 4.9 out of 5.0 with we're talking about a specific rating. Regardless of that, this album manages to be just gorgeous, just fabulous and incredibly fascinating. Album of the year, I hope.

Genre: Shoegaze
Release Date: August 23rd, 2024
My Rating: 4.5/5

Review by errorerror

Infinite Glory

Ive been extremely invested in sadness and all of damians work since I got into atmospheric black metal and can firmly call myself a fan, I am still stretching my experience out further and as far as my limit will be but this is definitely a landmark in damians discography, especially of recent and its only fed my addiction more, which I'd never complain about.

Over the past 2 days, Fontaines d.c have dropped their most anticipated album after blessing us with the singles, same goes with imaginal disk, magdalena bays most recent record released on the same night, which, in mosts opinion, tops romance. after those two records last night and as the atmobm/ blackgaze stan I am, this album tops it.

I knew this would immediately enchant me once the first track kicked off with passionate dissonant guitars and a stable and emotional drum beat. Its really quite difficult to put into words how fucking incredible it is, but if I could describe this from my perspective, its like the sky hundred of sadness albums.

Most of the tracks continue in this fashion and remain optimistic with extremely fun and catchy hooks, including vocals that can actually be heard almost distinctly enough to be able to sing along. Its not anything new from damian to express love, excitement etc. in his albums but the texturing of this record specifically us generally more, well, happy. It puts a smile on my face and makes me want to run on an empty beach toward the sunset.

The instrumentation is hard to even focus on when thinking over on how it went and I definitely want to reassess this review but one more thing on my vigorous rant, I feel like ive just come home from telling a girl I love her and emotions were reciprocated. Anyway, its his classic master sound, one which he is perhaps, no... is the god of at this point. With the recent previous release one of his many, many side projects trha, this has completely blown it out of the atmosphere.

Percussion is as dramatic and crisp as ever, some of the best production ive heard from the man so far easily, vocals and harmonies are in fact, more emotional than most ive heard on similar albums like another 10/10 I have, "i want to be there" and a yet to be rated "leave". The hooks took me by surprise more than most of these aspects, sharp and new. A Refreshing work, especially for this genre, which like I previously mentioned, I reckon Damian is the captain of and this is yet another safe voyage under his belt. No track leaves me disapointed, extremely consistency like usual and a noticeable unique feeling and while most of the songs exude the same emotional soundwave. There are at least two (from what I interpreted) songs that definitely give me heavier feelings than the rest, but are instantly transformed into an even more eccentric and glorious beauty than expected. To be clear, if there did happen to be a lot more devastating and desolate tracks in here, it wouldn't be a bad thing, just would distrupt a perfect blissful flow that this album is.

I also want to mention the harmonic ray of colours, beaming down on us like a supernova (light and pretty guitar parts) that are presented inbetween the enlightening choruses and main riffs. They are an essential part of some of these songs, giving us a breather from being bombarded with peak, making sure we dont drown in the pool that baptises us in Damians infinite glory.

Damn man, this is going to throw me back into that atmospheric spiral lol. I cant wait. Also the reference to "I want to be there" sung in the last song was very cool. Not sure if there are other references, Ill find out in my many, many revisits to this album. I have to much to say about it but just cant, this would genuinely go on forever. I will say, I believe I have found my new album of the year. what a fucking time to be alive.

Genre: Post-Rock, Jazz-Rock
Release Date: August 30th, 2024
My Rating: 4.5/5

Review by orik967

Maruja continue to provide us with great music with their latest release ‘The Vault’ featuring an arrangement of jam sessions recorded between 2021 and 2023. As the band writes on their Bandcamp, this gives us a glimpse into how they craft their songs, improvising and jamming together without any presets and just letting the ideas flow and then later turning some of those ideas into tunes. For example, to me it sounds like some parts of the saxophone section in the first half of ‘Solstice’ were later built and expanded upon in ‘The Tinker’, or like the initial idea for the climax at the end of ‘Kakistocracy’ was created around the eleven-minute mark of ‘Dagda’, and there are surely many more examples to find here. It is really interesting to witness their creative process and general approach to creating music as a whole, because it feels very free and natural. Composing is always about improvising, and this feels like it’s being done in its purest form.

The result is a very raw and emotional record, which is to be expected when four talented musicians just go all out and follow their intuition. Ranging from saxophone-sprinkled post-rock to haunting screams muffled beneath chaotic drumming, to droning bass and cathartic climaxes, this set of six tracks offers an incredibly intriguing palette of sounds for any fan of post-rock. Another thing to take note of is the coherence of each of the songs, which is impressive considering they are just jamming. There are little to no awkward transitions between different ideas or moments where an idea is dragged out too long, and the songs just flow really well. I don’t even want to imagine the amount of practice it must have taken to acquire these improvisation skills and I think it really shows the synergy between all of the band's members.

For improvisation to work like this, everyone needs to know each other extremely well in order to recognise each other’s intentions, to give each other room to try out ideas and to develop something on the spot that will help to realise that idea. There has to be mutual respect, no idea is rejected and there is no initial objective, the objective forms as you play. Improvisation is one of the most universal things about music as a whole, because anyone at any level can do it, even I have made my own amateurish attempts at it, but creating something coherent and meaningful out of improvisation, especially when playing together with other musicians, is one of the hardest skills to master, period. Hearing what it can sound like when you actually know your stuff has just heavily increased my motivation to pick up my playing again and to practice improvising, as well as my already high level of respect for the band’s musicianship. These jam sessions are a great showcase of what Maruja are capable of and I can’t wait to see them in three weeks to maybe witness a bit of their jamming live.

Genre: Noise Rock
Release Date: August 23rd, 2024
My Rating: 4.5/5

Review by J2U64

Melt-Banana are finally back. It has been almost 11 years since their last album, Fetch, in 2013, which I've always regarded as their best work to date. Nothing sounds quite like Fetch, with its completely mad, blistering guitar playing from Agata, ear-piercing synths, lightning-fast drum machine grooves, and fittingly wild vocals from the duo's vocalist Yasuko O, leading to a total sensory overload that feels like stepping on a landmine filled with sugar. One of my main questions following this album was simply what next? How do you follow up such a landmark album in noise rock?

The first single Flipside seems to offer an answer: rawness. This track offers some of the most aggressively mixed and performed guitar-work of any Melt-Banana song, while retaining the same qualities that makes previous works so endearing, with Yasuko O's distorted vocals being as intense as ever, and with a strange quality that makes the song somehow manage to be catchy despite how assaulting it is on the ears. So its a more take on the classic Melt-Banana sound, which must carry on through the rest of the album, right?

Yes and no. While the mixes and riffs may be more aggressive than ever, tracks like the opener, Code, present another angle. With the way the synths, guitars, and vocals layer at some points of the song, it becomes... cinematic. Jaw-droppingly cinematic. This is undoubtedly the Melt-Banana album that commands the most presence for simply this quality. It sounds like a noise rock monolith. It sounds unlike anything I have ever heard before. It sounds fantastic.

The album then moves onto Puzzle and Case D, two mind-blowing cuts played faster and heavier than Code, with a completely insane synth-build in the middle of the former that reaches one of the most explosive peaks of the whole album.

And then we get to Stopgap. This is the best song on the album, with one of the best riffs I have ever heard in a song of this style. It is equal parts noisy, intense, glitchy, heavy, but most of all, its insanely catchy. The song builds with wild vocal layering and some of the best synth work on the whole album, leading to an abrupt end that leaves you pondering what the hell you just listened to.

Beyond this, we get the centrepiece of the album, Scar, perhaps the most cinematic and strangely blissful songs on the album, only interrupted by occasional revving guitar passages. This song reaches one of the most gratifying peaks of the whole album, with its cycling synths and some of the most relentless drumming on the whole record, leading perfectly into Flipside.

Hex and Whisperer are two more fantastic cuts, keeping the aggression and huge atmosphere the album has been building right into the last cut, Seeds. Seeds very much shares similarities to the opener, Code, both of the most cinematic songs on the album. Where this song differs from Code is with more aggressive synth-work, peaking at the end with a short synth lick that ends off the album.

So that's 3+5. 24 minutes of some of the most relentless yet expansive noise rock I have ever heard in my time listening to the genre, and undoubtedly the best Melt-Banana album, if not the best album in the whole genre.

Genre: Shoegaze
Release Date: August 30th, 2024
My Rating: 4/5

Review by pumkindev

The possible end of Sadness

edit; turns out damian and their girlfriend actually apparently broke up, and this may (or may not, depending on how seriously we take their words) be the very final release we get from damian. if so, then.. well, i don't know what to say. it doesn't particularly feel real to me as of now that this is the end. i'd guarantee for at least another year or so that we probably won't get any more music, maybe once their over her we'll get more, but that's honestly just tragic. it's EASY to tell how deeply in love damian was with this girl, so i think in any case they should take some time off, hopefully a long time. if they really are done, then farewell to one of the most prolific, skilled blackgaze artists maybe.. ever, and i hope damian finds themselves well, and i think it's actually not unlikely this is the end. they've released.. god, hundreds of LPs alone across all their projects, not even including EPs and singles, so it's understandable, to me, if this is the point of retirement. if, of course, this isn't just a little bit of an overdramatic break were getting. the review you read below was from prior to me gaining that knowledge, thank you.

The end of summer, to me, is the saddest time of the year. As the leaves die, and the skies lose color, most years i find myself in an emotional slump getting used to going back to school, and back to the chilling cold of Minnesota's winters. Often during this time of year, i find myself crawling to albums that, to me, sound like this time. Marietta's Summer Death, obviously, American Football's S / T, BCNR's Ants From Up There, and this years latest addition and Sadness' latest EP; I Love You.

August 30th was a crazy ass day in my books. New Duster album, new Harlow Road single, new Nails album, new Gojira single, and now this? I've still yet to get to the Nails album or the singles, but i felt that because i've been listening to every single Sadness project as they come out, this was the logical first thing to give a chance.

Prior to this, this collection of new Sadness releases (two albums, one single, now this) has not been particularly impressing me. The incredible moments were always dragged down by the excessive padding and mediocre production, and every element of the lyrics, song titles, album titles, and even kind of the album covers was as cheesy as lovey shit can get. Okay, maybe a little of that's jealousy that somebody had something this beautiful written about them, but it's still cheesy. Also, it's maybe a little too much, if you were bombarded with two full hour long LPs, one 10 minute single and now this 30 minute EP as the person Damian is dedicating these to, but whatever, it doesn't matter, i'm not in control of their choices.

Anyway, this is probably the most dazzling of the projects yet, filled with beautiful texturing, soaring climaxes, and Damian's best vocal performances of this "era" yet, that last one especially. Really, at this point, i don't think i have anything that wouldn't be restating what i said on the last two LPs. It's simply those LPs.. but the melodies, vocals, and production is better. If you're picking and choosing between the new Sadness projects.. pick this one out of the ones we've gotten so far! Must listen.

Genre: Shoegaze
Release Date: August 24th, 2024
My Rating: 4/5

Review by errorerror

Cauldron of bliss

Just under 24 hours after damian released "your perfect hands my repeated words", he yet again proves he is still flawless at consistent and frequent musical engineering, dropping another, not quite as breathe taking as the previous record (in my still very loyal to this release opinion), collection of blackgaze; I want to make something as beautiful as you. I still have yet to catch up to his library of vast metals and lighter, sombre ballads but I couldnt wait to give these a taste.

I want to make something as beatiful as you, feels like a much more suitable title to yesterdays release if he really wants to spark charm into our perception of his work. Not to be too harsh of course, this album is still a fun venture, staying classic to his sound and not disappointing fans, however, the sheer explosive and hopefull ascension damian managed to throw me in without warning yesterday is hard not to use comparatively when listening to this album only a day after, apart from the last 20 minute song at the end which is officially my faviroute fucking damian song so far oh my fucking christ its so angelic, but ill get to that later. Again, dont get me on the wrong page, this is still an individual masterpiece synonymous with sounds from only a few years prior and is exciting to hear what sounds like, developed mellower aspects of his older works re-thought and expressed in a cosmic emotional gorgeous blaze. Its just not as expressive to me as "your beatiful hands my repeated words".

Now, onto the actual record without comparing its few (basically zero) flaws to the last albums golden god complex.

Wow. Wow, wow wow. The second track, "always have, always will" encapsulates the main substance of what I appreciate most in damians instrumental design. A mellow, quiet introduction, rising, rising slowly rising and adding layers of increased intensity. Then, a sparkly soundwave into a drummings tempo holding fire until a breif hault. Suddenly, chaotic and almost violent, even quicker, vastly more passionate percussion kicks off my second favourite riff in the entire album (first being the initial guitar in "--" the 20 minute piece at the end), persistent with a harsh screams of hazy guitars mixed on top of eachother as the drumming still somehow manages to spit flame into the track like a machine gun emptying an infinite round.

Also the riff I mentioned in "--" the 20 minute song is the highlight of the album in my opinion, not the riff but the actual song, I also am extremely excited that i recognised most of the song around the 5 minute mark is a new, improved rendition of "life would be so beatiful..." from close, one of the first albums released to sadness. A friend ( who is much more in tune with damian than I am) had a discussion about that original song and I cant wait to express thoughts to eachother on this rendition. There seems to be so much taken from his previous works thrown into the cauldron of bliss to spawn this fucking masterpiece of a record.

In light of avoiding going on an infinite rant like I did yesterday almost ill move on.

So, thats what I love about this album and many of damians projects like it. There are familiar sombre introductions that can go one of three ways usually; no-where, kick off after the intro with some pretty generic but still of course stunning riffage and raw emo vocals, or a new cataclysm, something he hasnt done before or has and discovered a way to make it better. One of the many concepts in damians music that he is also consist with is that dynamic. Its in almost every one of his records, at least one song has it. Maybe not his earlier projects but its nevertheless applaudable.

This album is full of original and fun sadness, packed with a all classic creative approach and style, samples of previous damian goods exuding nostalgic bliss, a sound he has mastered and will forever, be the master of. Thank you damian, you have confused me with which album is better in the span of two days (please release tommorow too we need more)

I fucking love music.

Genre: Art Pop
Release Date: June 28th, 2024
My Rating: 4/5

Review by flowerboycaleb

June 2024 in Review: Sentir Que no Sabes by Mabe Fratti

The only Mabe Fratti project I’d heard prior to this record was her debut, Pies sobre la tierra. I’m sure she’s had a nice, steady evolution leading up to this record – and I hope to go back through her catalog soon – but jumping from the debut to Sentir Que no Sabes was truly shocking. Coming from an art pop album with folk stylings to art pop with folk stylings AND jazz instrumentation throughout was a shift I wasn’t expecting. Fratti structures these songs like ambient pieces, which I find truly fascinating and unique. The instrumentation is layered and complex, deeply striking too. She captures mood so incredibly well. Hearing the booming upright bass thumps on the opener “Kravitz” was already a lot to take in, but then her vocals coming in with that unreal horn section soon to follow made me know I was about to hear a very special album – and that it is.

The instrumentation on this album is so inspired. Just as soon as you think you have it figured out, the album does something you could never have anticipated. “Pantalla azul” is one of the more straightforward songs on the record, leaning heavily into the folkier sound, but then it throws these weird synth parts at you. It manages to work incredibly well too, very rarely does a risk not pay off. Fratti sounds incredibly confident in these songs, it comes through in her vocals just as much as it does the instrumentation. She knows when to lay out and let the music do the talking. Like on the “Elastica” songs – in which “Elastica II” comes before “Elastica I” – two instrumental pieces that are so strange. One with these chaotic, dissonant cello leads that make you feel on edge, and the other is just a serene ambient piece. Both are some of my favorite moments on the record.

Her lyricism across this album also deals with some strange concepts, to the best of my understanding and translating capabilities. Like on “Kravitz” where she sings of “ears in the ceiling” or “Enfrente” where she sings of people lying in order to sleep peacefully. There’s a lot of anxiety on the record and it’s matched in both her lyrics and the music, it’s so fascinating. There’s so much to uncover on this record, I’m still piecing things together after multiple listens. I’m very enamored with this.

Sentir Que no Sabes is one of the most unique albums I’ve heard all year. A massive leap forward for Fratti who ideally can build off of this sound for years and years. It’s such an incredibly fruitful framework that can be molded into so many different shapes. Her range as a composer is on full display here too. These songs are weird, dense, beautiful, and frightening. She revels in all of those feelings. Please do yourself a favor and dive into this album. Despite my adoring this record, I have a feeling Fratti’s best is yet to come which is extremely exciting.

9.2

Genre: Noise Pop, Indie Rock
Release Date: May 10th, 2024
My Rating: 4/5

Review by seanmgscg

a fantastic, cathartic listening experience

I listened to this knowing nothing of the artist and mainly interested in the genre tags. From the get go, it was clear this had the potential to be an incredible album. Reaching the end, I believe it reached that potential.

There is no song here that misses the mark for me. Each track introduces a ton of wonderful, crunchy, and dreamy sounds that feel baked into a hyperpop background. Catharsis is the word I would use to describe how this album feels. So many big crescendos of sound. The most impressive part of this is that they work every time, avoiding the pitfalls of becoming forgettable and less special. Here, everything feels distinct enough and memorable enough to stay in your mind. I expected to finish the album and not remember what some of the songs sounded like, but they all feel clear as day. The electronic elements sound great too. Rarely does every song on an album feel worthy of listening to tens or hundreds of times, but in this case they all truly do.

My favorites of the bunch (though every song, every single one is great in my opinion): room for one, garden, figure me out, far apart, boy, paper planes, final feliz.

This really is a magnificent feat. I’ve always loved this kind of noise pop music, but rarely does an album actually succeed in hitting the mark with every track. twikipedia has created something that feels reminiscent of things like Feeble Little Horse or Jane Remover musically and Gezebelle Gaburgably vocally while honestly going above and beyond those marks. It’s catchy beyond belief and hits you with so many amazing moments of sound. A wonderful noise pop, indie rock album and a welcome surprise.

Maybe I’ll have more to talk about after many more listens, but for now I’m so astounded at how enjoyable this was. Great job.

ps. when windchimes began and i was entered into a modern day mbv / astrobrite song, i really did get a big smile on my face. so amazing.

Genre: Spiritual Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Release Date: May 3rd, 2024
My Rating: 4/5

Review by flowerboycaleb

May 2024 in Review: Fearless Movement by Kamasi Washington

Kamasi Washington has had this sort of dignified vibe to him since his sprawling triple album The Epic back in 2015. He could be the chillest guy on the face of the planet, but he just has the aura of a real “serious” musician. His music justifies it too. He’s on another level when it comes to modern jazz, one of the few newer artists in the genre who feels like a big deal. Fearless Movement is an apt title for the saxophonist’s fifth studio album. His incredible musicianship is still on display here, but greater emphasis is put on movement. These compositions feel so much more free-spirited. It’s not a massive multi-part experience like his previous two records, it’s just Washington making some damn good tracks. He describes the album, in a non-literal sense, as his “dance album” and that makes complete sense. There is a real groove to a lot of these tracks, everything feels so alive. This is also an incredibly collaborative effort. Guest musicians on the album include Parliament-Funkadelic bandleader George Clinton, Thundercat, and André 3000. They all play their parts very well, as does Washington, in making this an absolutely joyous listen.

This album is a great mix of old and new for Washington. If you’re looking for some killer spiritual jazz and jazz fusion, there is plenty here to satisfy. The opener “Lesanu” is one of the most intricate tracks in his catalog. It sounds so all-encompassing. “Dream State” has great flute contributions from André 3000. The way his flute and Washington’s saxophones pair alongside each other is just magical. “The Garden Path” was released as a single all the way back in 2022 and it still remains one of my favorite tracks of his. I loved it even more in the context of the album. The wildest moments on the album come when Washington mixes jazz with other genres like soul, rap, and funk. For your soul fix, Washington teams up with Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, and Brandon Coleman for a cover of Zapp’s 1986 track “Computer Love.” I wasn’t aware of the Zapp track, I only know Kraftwerk’s song of the same name, but the version on this album rips. For rap, “Asha the First” features some cool verses from Taj and Ras Austin, but they’re very much outshined by Thundercat’s contributions on bass and the chorus. Thundercat’s delivery of the “Now my heart is freeeeee!” line in the chorus is just so cathartic. Funk fans will be the most pleased as this album is full of infectious grooves around every corner. It’s clear he was very inspired by funk rhythms and it comes through in a lot of these pieces. Most blatantly on “Get Lit” which features vocals from George Clinton and some rap verses from D Smoke. You can hear that Washington and crew had so much fun making these songs. It’s eclectic and a bold next step for him, but it’s all anchored by the superb musicianship on display here.

The album ends, ironically, with the song entitled “Prologue.” This was the lead single to the record, and it feels like a perfect start to this new chapter of his career and a perfect ending to the record as well. It’s a great indication of what this album is all about and what to look forward to from him in the future. Washington sounds unrestrained across this project which begets some of the brightest moments in his catalog thus far. He’s ready to explore new things with his sound and Fearless Movement is a wonderful jumping-off point.

Genre: Indie Folk
Release Date: January 26th, 2024
My Rating: 4/5

Review by sarkist173

The Pilgrim, Their God and the King of My Decrepit Mountain is the debut album from Tapir, an English folk outfit that’s been building up to this project’s release for quite a bit now. A lot of these songs have actually already been released, with the first two acts being released as EPs annually up until this album’s release earlier in the year. Overall, I think that Tapir has struck quite a chord with me, easily one of the most promising, as well as one of the sweetest, most comforting folk debuts I've heard in quite a bit. I can’t say that it’s perfect; it plays things very safely, and I find its concept to be a bit underexplored, but I can say that the actual music here is downright fantastic at points.

I love the way this album sounds. It’s so organic and lush, breathing in so much beauty that it’s smothering. This project provides wonderful fusions of electronic, rock, pop, chamber, and folk instrumentation, and it works so damn well. It’s not as breathtaking as something like Sufjan Stevens, but it’s still absolutely gorgeous at points. It’s a soft sound, but it’s not boring, and there’s just enough happening to make me ignore some of the more standard, forgettable, or awkward-sounding moments. Stuff like On a Grassy Knoll, Gymnopedle, Swallow, and Mountain Song are sweeping, and the arrangements are at otherworldly levels of satisfaction. Plus, there’s some really great singing complementing the absurdly inviting soundscapes that are crafted on them. They’re all very gentle and pretty, which can be said for just about every song on here. But that’s not to say that they’re all as good; there are some weaker songs in the mix. The interlude tracks aren’t very wowing, and the tracks of Untitled and My God (to a lesser extent) are pretty uninteresting and substanceless. Thankfully, the closer is the strongest song on the album, so the final act isn’t a letdown. The only letdown I had for this project was the concept. Maybe I just wasn’t as attentive to the lyrics as I should've been, but I couldn’t get any real meaningful point or story from this thing. Besides that, this project’s a pretty excellent folk album; I can’t wait to hear more from them.