17 by Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her
Recommended by: Niamh
I feel kind of silly saying this, but this album has me doing a Knives Chau "I didn't even know punk music could have emotional range!" Sweet and quiet, sexy and assertive, meandering and contemplative. It's all very jumbled up and feels like a long emotional roller coaster of a day. Found myself relistening to this one immediately, big win.
Rating: *****/*****
Heaven or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins
Recommended by: Dia
I had to ask Dia 2/3 into this album if my uncultured American ear just had a hard time with Scottish accents or if I wasn't supposed to really understand what was being sung about at any given moment. Turns out that Cocteau Twins seemingly exist on a spectrum of legibility, and this album is nearing the inflection point away from a distorted, gauzy vibe. I do like the vibe, though, I think it's rich and feels like being pulled into something like a warm dream state. Want to listen to more of this band.
Rating: ****/*****
Exit Planet Dust by The Chemical Brothers
Recommended by: Madiha
I feel like there's an ambient vibe to this album that makes it hard to just sit down and listen to. It's great music to work to, but I feel like in its better moments it asks to pay attention to it and when I do it slips out of my brain. I don't dislike it, perfectly good to have on while writing or something, but I feel kind of ambivalent about the whole experience.
Rating: ***/*****
Soul Mining by The The
Recommended by: Dia
This sort of synth-pop isn't always my thing, I like my music a little more up tempo than this. Also, I can't think of a single album I really love that has nearly as much clapping as this album. That said, I found myself taken with the lyrics, which just seem to be moodier and more considered than I was expecting. This is one I want to relisten to a few times before I render final judgement, one to chew on.
Rating: ***?/*****
Scott 4 by Scott Walker
Recommended by: Destiny
There's something about these sorts of 60s/70s rich vocalist albums that makes me think they are the soundtrack to an end of the world that could have happened, a kinda-pop, kinda-spaghetti western apocalypse we just missed landing in. A place that's kind of sci-fi, but everything's dirty, and not in a star wars way. This album absolutely fucks.
Rating: *****/*****
Adrian Younge presents The Delfonics by The Delfonics
Recommended by: nobody, just a fav of mine I slipped in
This is one of my absolute favorites, been getting regular play for a decade. When I have new headphones, this is one of the albums that gets played first. A real rain or shine work for me. Also, it's one of the greatest lion in winter albums ever made. This hazy, half-remembered dream of 70s R&B really is just the stuff. William Hart was an icon.
Rating: *****/*****
XTREME by USAO
Recommended by: Madiha
Every song is a top difficulty stepmania chart, they're all punchy and clean and get the blood pumping. As a full album I'm actively listening to it can be overwhelming but this is music to achieve peak human performance to. Could outdance the devil, kill god, and finish my homework all to any of the tracks.
Rating: ****/*****
Blueberry Boatby The Fiery Furnaces
Recommended by: Wes
Remember the clapcast (FatT's patreon show) episode about the least desirable song? This is a whole album of those, but doesn't even have the kitsch of the advertainment aesthetic of the least desirable song to fall back on. I felt insane in new ways with every new track and every new genre popping up like a demented jack in the box of every track. Madness.
Rating: */*****
Charlie by Melt-Banana
Recommended by: Niamh
This isn't music to be reading to, which is how I first listened to it, but I appreciate the cacophony. I looked up the lyrics to two sounds because I couldn't make out the words and it turns it it truly doesn't matter. That's fine by me, it's all a vibe. Makes me wanna dance.
Rating: ****/*****