The May Album Round-Up
2 by Foxwarren
While it only took until last month to bring him up on this site, Andy Shauf – leader of Foxwarren – has been a name I cannot keep out of my mouth for a few years now. I have distinct memories of buying his album The Party on a whim at a record store that would ultimately become my home away from home and the gripping craftsmanship both instrumentally and production wise gives it an immortal quality. I played that album out during Shauf’s continuing career without much further exploration outside of curious check-ins with mild curiosity until the release of his 2023 album Norm which is far in a way a perfect album musically and thematically. Written during a time of great struggle with substance and identity both creatively and personally, the questions pondered throughout the album about relationships, voyeurism, and faith strike such a deep chord that it felt that Shauf finally found the vein he thought had collapsed long ago.
Clearly on top of my usual bouts of hyperbole, my expectations were both extremely high yet also somewhat humbling for that in what way could lightning strike a second if not a third time? And yet here we are with the quietly titled new release 2 which may just be Shauf’s best work to date. The album sets the precedent of what’s to follow immediately with extracts of old movies set against the traditional palate of lush strings. Though this concept of splicing and sampling is not inherently new (I look towards Bright Eyes who starts every album with a singular interlude out of tradition), Shauf’s approach does feel novel because of the consistency throughout the album and the experiential element it evokes. It flashes into the sonic foreground with an ever-so slight reverb like a fragmented memory shook loose and echoing back into consciousness. The album as a whole is not necessarily sad nor subdued, yet the intricacies that make it feel organically living and breathing befell me in such a way that I couldn’t help but feel choked up by an effort that cannot be described as anything but human.
Crooked Wing by These New Puritans
Ever since that one rainy Saturday morning at the record store when my then-coworker now-friend dropped the needle on Prefab Sprout’s Steve McQueen, the sounds of what has retrospectively been referred to as sophisti-pop (a terrible term I begrudgingly use out of efficiency) has kept me enamored. Not only because there’s always a forgotten of the 80s working from a similar playbook that scratches the same itch (China Crises, Deacon Blue, etc), but such music seems to fit the move no matter the time of day or weather. You can toss on Swoon while cooking brunch and then pull up Hats while taking a late-night trip home from the grocery store (an all-too-common occurrence in my life). It is in this mentioning The Blue Nile that my appreciation of These New Puritans originates the most as I am forever shocked they had not crossed my path sooner despite being around for more than 10 years and continuing on their legacy of soft-spoken ballads paired with angelic instrumentation. Did I really need Caroline Polachek showing up out of the blue for a feature? Not really. But even such an anachronistic blip is instantly smoothed over with the help of the roomy and ethereal soundscape produced by Graham Sutton and Jack Barnett of Bark Psychosis.
Love Is Colder Than Death by Romance
I am always hesitant when it comes to ambient projects. Not because I don’t see value in the extreme longform or am so addicted to stimulation I need something fast pace to keep me from scrolling through far too many tabs – but rather my concern for artist’s intention and whether or not the theater of the mind is doing the heavy lifting. As much I love Basinski’s Disintegration Loops, my enjoyment is tinged by the very stark and contrasting reality infamously ranted by Chris Ott who claims Basinski found a way to tack on his minimalist drivel to one of the nation’s greatest tragedies and get away with it seemingly unquestioned. As someone who can fall too deeply and emote seemingly too much for art that moves themself, to become a mouthpiece for dishonestly simple work would be a death sentence. With that said, Romance as an entity does seem to have a technical artistry that matches the emotions stirred both in terms of sourcing samples as well as constructing a well-paced experience. There’s no ARG or video-essay necessary to explain the dark twisted world of the post-Caretaker spotlight all ambient musicians are fighting for, and for that I am forever grateful. Perhaps the one brow raising feature of the album’s release is the constant attribution to David Lynch which is certainly not uncalled for given its heavy themes of liminal spaces and classic noirs, yet with body seemingly still warm it feels like a means to ride the search engine optimization wave. But hey if the Lynch family can auction off all his belongings, I guess there’s very little that isn’t fair game.
Birthing by Swans
As oxymoronic as it sounds, listening to the current iteration of Swans has become almost form of relaxation for me. Sure it’s still rather loud and searing at times especially when tracking down live recordings/boots, but the lovingly formulaic qualities satisfy my preconceptions in a way that is not boring or disappointing but rather like stepping into a pair of well-worn shoes. I saw someone online stating (for better or worse) that Swans have entered their “apocalyptic Grateful Dead” phase and to that I say “fuck I wish I thought of that first.”
Motherfucker, I am Both: "Amen" and "Hallelujah"... by Shearling
To say I was excited for Alex Kent’s latest endeavor after Sprain disbanded seemingly out of nowhere was certainly an understatement. There were live clips, multiple one-off projects, and then like a bolt of lightning we were hit with Shearling and the album Motherfucker, I am Both: "Amen" and "Hallelujah" which is just as verbose and drawn out as the title suggests. Do I like it? Yes. Do I think it’s a great step forward with regards to the current noise rock scene? Totally. But do I love it and think is on par with The Lamb as Effigy? Not at all. Maybe I am falling victim to my own expectations but the project (especially when going back to it) felt like it was way too informed by its own external image. Not that it is uncalled for given it is the debut of a much-anticipated line-up, but I think what the album excels in with regard to variety and spectacle fails in cohesive nuance. Kent is known for his screams so he screams a ton, Kent is known for being transgressive so he talks about fucking the biblical Adam, Kent likes gamelan so he adds a bunch of gamelan interludes. I should also mention that ITS ALL ONE HOUR-LONG SONG. In small doses each element can be seen in its apex form within the collaborative effort of Sprain and the guiding light of their previous label Flenser Records, yet when given seemingly free reign and excommunicating those who were willing to challenge Kent’s vision we are left with something far more eccentric than it is listenable. Again this could be an instance that I have aged out of placing my skin against the cutting edge, but regardless I hope (and do have hope) that the next release from this band allows for things to congeal.
Party Punisher by Cool Sounds
I’ll be the first to admit (though I’m sure plenty have said it behind my back) that I can be a bit of a pensive curmudgeon. Hell, you’re reading these writings so I’m sure you can put the pieces together as you see fit. But putting on this whimsically silly album certainly melted the constantly clenched deadpan expression I am usually adorned with. Think of it like Jerry Paper without as much tongue-and-cheek pseudo irony but still a carefree willingness to plink and plonk across a variety of childlike sample libraries. Chalk up another win for the Aussies!
Pirouette by Model/Actriz
If you miss Xiu Xiu when it was a simple equation of noise pop and homoerotic confessions, the new Model/Actriz is for you. I was really blown away by their singles a few year back and while this doesn’t feel as abrasive as they did coming hot out the gates (this was before they signed to Matador after all) it is a very nuanced and enjoyable listen.
Fixe Idee by Eric Arn
If you see an American Primitive album get distributed through Feeding Tube Records, just know I’m probably going to like it. There’s a lotta jangly dangly bits that don’t quite allow the listener to space out in a true John Fahey-style trance – but that just means this isn’t supposed to be background music.
Better Dreaming by Tune-Yards
Having Tune-Yards return is like running into your favorite elementary school art teacher at the grocery store and having the comforting reality check that they’re just as upbeat and colorful as you remembered. There’s of course some overly schmaltzy moments that (while not uncommon for the band as a whole) make your eyes do minor rolls, but you can shrug them off as collectively album is groovy to its core.
My Version Of Desire by Labrador
The curse of the alt-country scene strikes again! This time though I honestly feel like it has far more to do with marketing than anything else. Like the band is selling shirts that say “Maximum Alt-Country” not only as a means to get some semblance of a return on investment in the arid days of digital streaming but also as a signifier that they are on trend. While this is a very cynical introduction to an album and band I do like, I think the reason I do like them is that they are not what they say they are. Sure there are moments that are clearly inspired by The Band, but the incredibly transparent “poetic through no poetic” style of lyricisms make it feel so much like a folk punk record in my eyes. It’s boisterous but soft-bellied. It’s shouting about the eternal yet being hyper granular. Please let the kids have folk punk back – even if AJJ isn't just an acronym and all the crusties in the Bloomington have learned to bathe.
Lr by Other Nothing
I’m sure I’m missing the cypher to fully unlock the naming scheme of this unassuming little record, but even in taking things at its most surface level what follows is a warm and breathy embrace from fuzzy analog.
Honerable mentions: Dead Star City Tours by Petite League, Pirouette by Model/Actriz, Maravilhosamente Bem by Julia Mestre, Big city life by Smerz, Split by Autumn Sonata/Cash Only Tony's, Remscéla by Milkweed, A Place Outside of Time by The Bird's Companion, Instruments by Water Damage, the grimorian tapes by she spread sorrow & luca sigurtà, It's Closeness, It's Easy by Planning For Burial, Go Mutant by Search Results
