Reviews, Part 2

The next batch of reviews covers everything I reviewed for the radio station for the last two weeks of September.

Download Here (30:21)

1. Julianna Barwick - Anjos

In a world where Britney Spears could be called a great singer, shouldn't we honor those with even better voices? Julianna Barwick is nowhere near as famous as anyone in the pop world (she self-releases her music in limited runs), nor does she sound anything like what is popular. But Julianna, I can say without a doubt, sings and writes better songs than almost anyone in popular music. This EP, Florine, is based around her voice, which she loops and overlaps into dense yet minimal soundscapes. The song featured here is an oddity for her - it barely features her voice - but its beauty is exceptional.

2. múm - Show Me

I know that many people were disappointed when múm started transitioning away from their Aphex Twin influenced electronica to a more organic, live instrument sound. I personally still enjoy their music just as much as before. Some might be pleased to hear that on their 5th album, Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know, there is a very, very faint return to electronica, albeit through (what sounds like) cheap casio keyboards. I preferred the tracks without those - these tracks produce still, serene beauty.

3. The Pastels/Tenniscoats - Boats

Best known as a twee pop band, The Pastels have been shying away from that description since the early 1990's. True, Stephen Pastel can't sing very well (in an adorable way), nor can he play guitar all that well, but their music has been much more sophisticated and well written than, say, Beat Happening. On this collaboration with the Japanese duo Tenniscoats, the group shines at creating atmospheric ballads. Two Sunsets feels like a perfect album for a sad autumn evening.

4. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Shy

I'm not going to lie - the latest A Sunny Day in Glasgow was painful to sit through. Every track seemed like some sort of interlude to another song, but it seemed like there weren't that many fully formed songs. Ashes Grammar almost seemed like a half hearted attempt at dream pop.

5. Darlings - Eviction Party

I also wasn't thrilled to review Darling's debut album, Yeah, I Know, whose blatant overusage of the Helvetica font and semi-ironic black and white photos of various domestic scenes. I mean, how many mediocre hipster bands do we need? Even worse, how many do we need that are co-opting Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers? But still, I have to admit, this song gets stuck in my head quite frequently.

6. Six Organs of Admittance - Actaeon's Fall

At first, I was kind of disappointed by the latest release by Ben Chasny's solo project. Luminous Night seemed to continue the more drab sounds of his last album, Shelter From the Ash. But after further listens, I realized that Chasny is using minimal finger picking to create a different sort of psychedelic music than his earlier albums. Here, he doesn't even bother with guitar drones that often, instead relying on Eyvind Kang's viola and keyboards. Still, a really solid album.

7. Castanets - Dance, Dance

What can I say? Ray Raposa knows how to write a good country tune. Maybe Texas Rose, The Thaw, and the Beasts isn't as diverse in sound as his earlier albums, but it's still worth listening to.