Torres/Sprinter
Rob Ellis, producer of PJ Harvey, gives the songs on Sprinter the sonic punch to match the
angst of Mackenzie Scott's lyrics.
Scott, who grew up in a strict Baptist family, re-examines the source of
her spirituality and her growing estrangement from a community that once
provided comfort.
Yo La Tengo/Stuff Like that There
Yo La Tengo’s 1990 release, Fakebook, remains one of my favorite albums. My daughters grew up
singing lyrics from “Yellow Sarong” (The man in the moon taps at the window/How
will we know your silhouette?/How will we reach you?)-- a special family lullaby. Stuff
Like that There follows the same game plan: loving covers of songs that
deserve a wider audience, alternate takes of some of their own material and a
few new songs. A low-key masterwork.
Deerhunter/Fading Frontier
Song for song, one
of Deerhunter’s best efforts, with a brighter, airier sound palette than
previous releases.
Jamie XX/In Colour
A lot of electronic/ambient
music runs out of ideas long before the song is over. All of the songs on In Colour clock in at less than five
minutes and all have a musical inventiveness that makes you eager to hear more.
Jamie XX creates a soundtrack for dreams from which you don’t want to wake.
Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment/Surf
Surf is the musical antidote to all of the bad news that came out of Chicago this year. Donnie Trumpet (Nico Segal) and a slew of musical guests that include Chance the Rapper, Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, and Jamila Woods whip up an exhilarating blend of hip hop, gospel, New Orleans jazz and other genres. The messages are strong and positive, celebrating self-reliance, family and community.
Kendrick Lamar/To Pimp a Butterfly
Pimp is ambitious but preachy,
sprawling but containing concise lines that pierce the heart, exhilarating but
maddening in turns. All said, when the smoke clears, it remains the most
essential record released in 2015.
Shamir/Ratchet
After a
pummeling work week, my wife and I dragged ourselves to see Shamir at Lincoln
Hall. His electric performance completely revitalized us. Since then Ratchet became our
go-to album when we needed a sonic boost.
Low/Ones and Sixes
“All you innocents, make a run for it,” sings
Low’s Mimi Parker. These are lullabies of dread and angst, spare in their arrangements
but always with just the right strummed chord, percussive element, two-note
progression, or other musical element to bring the song home.
Low Cut Connie/Hi Honey
Sometimes you want foie gras; sometimes a
double cheeseburger and fries is just the way to go. Hook-filled pub rock
with attitude to spare.
Chastity Belt/Time to Go Home
Chastity Belt’s 2013 No
Regerts was a raunchy,
rollicking lark. Time
to Go Home has a party’s-over
vibe. Melancholy and nuance replace the hijinks and the
musicianship has picked up a step. The guitar work at the close of “Joke” has
only one flaw. It ends.
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