Picked!

Picked!

Selected as release of the week

Picked!

Stereo MC's have always been interpreting contemporary dance music styles, so the indie dance pop direction of 'Emperor's Nightingale' is not really the surprise some have made it out to be. It's a concept that works best when Underworld-like stadium vibes are balanced out by a New Order style melancholy. Solid.

Iceland's Sóley Stefánsdóttir, member of Seabear and Sin Fang shows a hugely impressive depth in her solo debut album. Somewhere in between Sigur Rós, Múm and Joanna Newsom, the piano and voice, creaky atmospheres and melancholy melodies, expose a beautiful delicacy in her songwriting.

Picked!

The new moniker of Grizzly Bear vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Chris Taylor, aided by labelmate George Lewis Jr. of Twin Shadows produce this striking debut album. Slow synths and nimble drum programming provide the strongest tracks, a few indie ballads for the Grizzly fans too. Nice.

Picked!

Trentemøller dresses Darkness Falls in a similarly 60s-inspired sound aesthetics as his last solo album. Reverberating vocals meet phase-shifted guitars, psychedelic wall-of-sound production and just a touch of modern day dance music. Keeping things interesting over 13 tracks, 'Alive In Us' is a solid debut for the Danish duo.

David Lynch seems serious enough about his foray into music to follow up his 'Good Day Today' single with an entire album. 'Crazy Clown Time' further explores the grey area between vocoded electro pop and dramatic guitar tremolos, in its best moments rivalling his film's eccentricity levels.

'Conatus' is already the third album of super-talented 22-year-old Zola Jesus and convinces with a finely balanced blend of witch house inspired song writing, melancholic synth pop and Nika Roza Danilova’s highly distinctive singing style. Much hyped at the moment and rightfully so.

Picked!

Mika Vainio's latest album sees the guitar featuring heavily, ever-skillfully asserting his abrasive sound-world. A hint at more traditional guitar usages is seen in a haunting cover of The Stooges 'Open Up And Bleed', whilst his incredible use of drones, textured noises and spaces make a gripping album.

Originating from the same session as 'Drums Between the Bells', Eno's recent collaboration album with the poet Rick Holland, 'Panic of Looking' sonifies Holland's (mainly) spoken word poetry using a range of styles and impressive production tricks, from angelic choirs to noisy loops. Interesting.

'Night in the Ocean' is the second single from NYC-via-Australia electro-pop outfit Young Magic: Two tracks of echo-drenched chill-wave-inspired psych-pop with a touch of Jamie-xx-style steel drums going on on the flip-side, 'Slip Time'. Recommended.