Yagya "Old Dreams And Memories" (2020)

Given my utter disappointment with last years Stormur, I almost let this one pass me by but alas I had to find out if the Icelandic musician Yagya would kindle his particular breed of calming magic again. I'm please to report the answer is yes. It is a return to form but also no measure of anything unheard before. After much consumption, it essentially confines Old Dreams And Memories to the playlist along with his other works when seeking the relaxing mood of his soft and dreamy atmospheres.

Toying a little with tense strings on occasional tracks, the usual remedy of dub baselines resonating slow club grooves below cloudy synths gets a little flavor to define it. Many of the usual tones, synths and drum sounds in his pallet resurface alongside these Classical elements, bringing about a sorrowful and saddening tone to otherwise carefree and indulgent sound. Its rainy, glum, yet entrancing and beautiful as  sombre violins usher in a seriousness on its select tracks.

The voice of what I presume to be a Japanese woman crops up throughout the record. Her soft spoken word creates an intimate feeling of something serious. Given the nature of the music it has less of a manifestation into theme but adds a little mystery to the records vibe. All in all the new songs have provided the Yagya experience again but with nothing remarkable going on. As always this music is fresh on first listen but quickly its ambience and atmosphere confines it to the background.

Rating: 5/10

Grimes "Art Angels" (2015)

Wildly individual yet accommodatingly familiar, Canadian singer and composer Grimes has blown me away with this critically acclaimed record I'm just catching up to. It was her appearance on the Mindscape podcast that prompted me to finally get around a name I've been hearing over and over this past decade. Definitively self-taught and devilishly expressive, her music in this instance is a free formed tapestry of creativity, musical ideas colliding yet landing with grace. Everything eccentric, experimental and fun works its way into the cracks of commonality. Given its her forth album, it might have been a journey to arrive at this exceptional moment. Something I'll learn soon.

Opening with a couple mysterious machinations of obscurities, best exemplified on the jaunting Scream, Art Angels drops into swooning currents of uplifting Dream Pop, rolling out cheerful, chirpy and artistic pop songs one after the other. With a unique flavor, she unexpectedly rolls out experimental and otherwise unusual constructs, often percussive, that gel effortlessly. Occasionally Ethereal, often grooving, the music's sea of influences swell in the later half with these Club music temperaments of Dance and Rave propelling this mesmerizing and indulgent atmosphere.

Grimes brings in her sometimes childish, playful and innocent voice that transforms to a mature and spirited swoon, ascending to a heavenly dimension as she soars with a freedom in the crescendos. Cruising through the clouds and leaving all earthly weight behind, she births many an entrancing passage when reaching to the peaks of her singing. Its in these climatic moments you'll forget everything. Its liberating.

My journey into the record was interesting in retrospect. What just seemed like good and cheery music in the beginning steadily indulged with familiarity and blossomed into a wonderful experience that I can't get enough of. I'm so impressed by the individuality of Grimes, in her compositions and singing she can be so welcoming and warm in tone it almost masks the beautiful and intricate world of her music that you end up trapped inside of. All to easy to hear it as generic but with a closer ear you'll get locked inside her imaginative realm, never wanting to leave.

Favorite Tracks: Scream, Flesh Without Blood, Artangels, World Princess Part II, Venus Fly, Buttefly

Rating: 9/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "Englelícra" (2019)

 

Somehow, someway, I missed this release last year by one of my favorite bands! I think I've struggled to enjoy their recent records as much due to a shift in direction and lack of evolution that's left one of the duo's most charming aspects, the singing of lyrics, in the dust. However going into this, their twelfth studio record, I was essentially prepared to embrace whatever it was. With that relinquish of expectation I found my self absorbed by the moody sombre beauty of their established sound once again.

With no surprises Scott Ferrell plucks out eight constructs of lavish instrumentation, all oozing in echos and reverberations. His shimmering guitars birth a luscious tropical darkness both beautiful and melancholy, a colorful sound that drifts into the pale. Driven along by soft but firm driving baselines and simple looping arrangements of cavernous drum patterns, the songs tend to exchange their complimenting sections back and forth before the run time concludes the song with no crescendo.

Singer Erin Welton lends her voice to the music more so as an instrument, singing just notes with a sweet and soft delicacy, coming in like a wind gusting through and fading back into the silence. Of course she is given a fair helping of reverb to achieve this ghostly yet beautiful tone. She tends to deploy melodies the likes of a synth would do, dropping on top of the instrumental with short notation loops to layer up the harmony. Their are occasions of experimentation and vocal dexterity but its mostly simple.

All the songs tend to echo the shades of previous songs as the formula has barely shifted and given the relatively simple song structures and lack of complexity the album really hinges on mood and atmosphere. To no surprise that is where they excel and so this record was warm and welcoming to dive into, getting exactly what you'd expect, an engrossing Ethereal feeling. I would still very much like to see them diversify and experiment but no complaints from me if this is all we get!

Rating: 7/10

Alcest "Spiritual Instinct" (2019)

Years on from the serine glory of Les Voyages De L'Âme, I find myself poised in a spot many bands put me in when they stick with an established sound. Spiritual Instinct is French Black Metal band Alcest's sixth full length album and it predictably retains its harmony between hazy, atmospheric Black Metal and melodic Shoegazing. It sways between the darkness of cold metallic aggression and upheavals of sunny relief to birth magic in the union of previously juxtaposed musical ideas.

Its the band at their best however the now established sound fails to dig in deep, many of its songs birth the same settings and moods that have graced us before. If anything is to be said of this latest installment it is perhaps the meanest at times with guitar distortions a touch more textured and gritty. There are also a handful of plunges into the shadows as the shrill howling screams come around with more frequency between the more common middle ground of opposing styles in unison.

Sapphire and the closing title tracks do hinge into lighter territories with Post-Metal guitars loosening up the intensity for the vulnerable melodic singing to muster spurs of lush and delicate emotional movements. Protection stands out as its mid section has a fantastic building of intensity. Maniacal string swell in the background, driving the music to its highest crescendo. Perhaps the one defining moment of the whole record because otherwise it is wholly enjoyable but lacks a challenge or shift.

Favorite Track: Protection

Rating: 6/10

Warpaint "Warpaint" (2014)

It took not but a few songs to be overcome with the feeling of adoration. I knew that this record would be enjoyed immensely and serve as a "go too" for a mood alteration, much like a Fever Ray or Feel It Break. Now that I make those comparisons I realize how much Dream and Art Pop vibes are on display. Initially I felt Post-Punk moods from the warm pulsing baselines that patrol and measured drum patterns. Those moments arise in due time but a lot of the record goes into a luscious Ethereal tangent. Either way its stirring up my favorite ingredients in the musical pot.

Warpaint are a four piece outfit from Los Angeles who I had not encountered before a recommendation for this self titled record, which is their second. Its a scenic collection of tracks with calm, soothing indulgences of the dreamy and slightly psychedelic variety that shuffle into bursts of hurried and pushed temperaments that create a slight tension and unease, mainly enforced by pulsing, filling baselines and drums with a sharp edge to cut through. The contrast does much for the records flow as it mostly musters its way through different measures of a similar medium.

With everyone pitching in vocals, the music is constantly graced by soft effeminate singing, layered and harmonious. Both are complimentary and crucial too the dreamy persuasions the music sways through. Its key melodies are often bare but illusive, drifting into the wash of sounds and occasionaly jumping up front to great effect like at the beginning of Biggy. With attentive ears one can dress down the foggy, reverberated sounds and hear quite a keen and straight forward arrangements of looping melodies that may have not been as charming without this merging setting.

Although I have really enjoyed the record, it is mostly its tone, mood and setting that I adore, a sign of becoming more at home with these Dream Pop and Ethereal styles. Its charm is more so with my want for this sound. It is undoubtedly a strong, consistent record but all its songs are suspended between good and great, never quite leaping off the page so to speak. It has many fond, engrossing passageways but none that quite peak the senses. Either way I have enjoyed it and will seek out more!

Favorite Tracks: Love Is To Die, Biggy, Disco

Rating: 7/10

Anna Von Hausswolff "Dead Magic" (2018)

This is my first record from Swedish singer Anna Von Hausswolff and It wont be my last! Her timeless vocals and meditative music an instant connection that's stoked the flames of emotion as her deeply resonate voice taps into the human life stream. She reminds me fondly of Lisa Gerrard who embodies worldly, cultural tones, however Anna has a voice that's strong, powerful and enigmatic yet caught in a blissful limbo of solace and sorrow. The music feels like the perfect setting for her haunting and grieving words to play out through spiritual, monotonous instrumentals that conjure earthly visions of nature alongside ambiguous echos of magical, evaded dangers. Its a unique cast of ideas heard in much of the music I enjoy. Here it comes together with a potent chemistry, a special touch that I simply adore.

The music has a fantastic droning quality, each song holds its moments together with a looping percussive momentum, letting shifts, turns and inclinations in intensity feel wholly natural and with true purpose. The deep pipe organs and embrace of droning synths smothered in reverb give each track its ambiguous belly as the drums come with tribal poundings to guide the flow. Rumbling, gritty, droning guitar distortions texture the mood on one track where another achieves this with acoustic chords and tambourine. String instruments weep there sorrow and synthesizers add to the Ethereal soundscapes along with many other sounds in the details.

The album starts in a warm place with a playful beat and two note melody guiding the musics into gleaming shifts of uplifting chords, chiming with her voice. The lengthy song collapses into an echo chamber of reflections as the pipe organ leads us to a dramatic and spiritual climax. It sets the stage for things to continuously darken as Anna exchanges her words between a gorgeously illusive and mysterious shimmering sound that drifts in and out of focus like a ghostly magic in the distance.

With Ugly And Vengeful we go on a dark journey, steadily descending into the depths on a sixteen minute epic that builds to an almighty, menacing atmosphere peaked by a unforgiving melody. The Marble eye is a beautiful pipe organ solo piece that gives one a sense of aftermath and loss with a creak of hope in its tone. The albums final track rolls out more of this feeling, bringing in her voice again with some wretched gritty noises of suffering buried deep under the organs brooding tone.

Dead Magic has been a recent addiction, a record I know I will treasure for times to come. A phenomenal spell is cast somewhere between her burdened voice and the brilliant instrumentals. With a meditative quality one embarks on a spiritual journey, each listen steers itself from knowing and embraces the abandon around her sorrow swept lyrics. It has a darkness far from evil or horror that's oddly comforting and unique given all the shades of shadows I enjoy. Wonderful record, would have been high up on My Top 10 Albums Of 2018 list. Now to get her other two albums!

Rating: 9/10

Sarah Longfield "Disparity" (2018)

Following up on the captivating Collapse // Expand record, talented Guitarist Sarah Longfield takes a freeing step forward with Disparity, an album that further unshackles the chains of this colorful Post-Djent sound. With a notably more polished production Sarah lets her creativity and vision flourish in directions that feel unconstrained as her monstrous 8-string guitar drifts from focus and the other instruments, often electronic and welcoming, blossom into various avenues of exotic and cultural sound.

There are still two tracks that revolve around her excellent guitar playing. Cataclysm spurs up the dizzying Gru melodies and the following Sun has a noticeable gleaming guitar lead reminiscent of Sithu Aye. Sun, however, entangles its lead guitar with goosebumps conjuring exotic, alluring xylophone chords. They resonate with a summery warmth as the song then pivots with a Smooth Jazz saxophone lick, its reminiscent of 90s daytime TV theme songs to be heard again on the next two.

These are just a couple of examples in this stunning record loaded with bright, colorful, warm and harmonious instruments diving into luscious avenues over and over again. Every track has its own flavor and they are held together with recurring electronic tones and a slightly Ethereal vibe enhanced by Sarah's singing. She finds a new vocal approach, with a layering and harmony that reminds me fondly of Autumn's Grey Solace. Its mostly instrumental but she pops in at just the attune times.

The music offers so much and her percussive composure is exquisite, rarely falling into a simple beat, commanding momentum with shifts and turns that utilize other instruments in its build up. The drums often mingle in with the various electronic tones and uncommon percussive sounds too. Their is cohesion on all fronts and my only criticism may be that these songs never escape the three to four minute range. That may be a conscious decision but given the sheer excellent compositions at work, it feels like a time constraint of sorts given the progressive and expansive style of sound at play. This is the sort of record that's hard to tire yourself of. I can't get enough of it!

Favorite Tracks: Sun, The Fall

Rating: 8/10

Marissa Nadler "For My Crimes" (2018)

Bleak, dreary, full of sorrow, this latest record from American singer, songwriter Marissa Nadler drags us through the dwelling of her melancholy. Disguised by a beautiful, timeless voice and soft, sombre acoustics the details of her torment and pain escape in this frightfully dark journey through personal and emotional struggles. Its calm, ethereal demeanor lures one in as strummed acoustic chords sing their harmony underneath her bare, vulnerable words. Mournful strings occasionally creep in as the songs grow, twisting tone and mood as they chime in with shadowing conclusions for her illustrious stasis of beautiful despair.

Its her lyrics that twist the knife. The instrumentals and her voice are poised in that precarious position, devoid of jollity, caught between beauty and sorrow, suspended in a timeless space of reflection turned to light. As one listens closer to her words moan a great sorrow as pain emerges, heartbreak, separation and distance ache sorely. Journeying deeper into its final tracks, the words take on darker tones as fractions of paranoia and an abusive relationship rears its ugly head through the poetry. It may be a far to literal interpretation on my part. Music as art can often be a ventilation that takes a different form on exit but her open and vulnerable singing within this ethereal state of reflection sends shivers down the spine. "You're only harmless when you sleep".

Its a moody, introspective record and that's what I like. I take great solace in these calming, shadowy records and as an artist she strikes me as the sort to channel this single part of herself. It culminates to a vivid and alluring state of hyper reality when opening up to the poetry of her words. I'm fondly reminded of Mazzy Star and Chelsea Wolfe listening to this newest release and also remember her music having a far more "happy" vibe. Its why I had not gotten into her records that deep before but this turn of pace since I last heard her just happens to be my cup of tea.

Favorite Tracks: For My Crimes, You're Only Harmless When You Sleep, Said Goodbye To That Car

Rating: 7/10

Lycia "In Flickers" (2018)

I'll always be interested in some Ethereal Darkwave from Lycia. If its their classic Cold or the more recent A Line That Connects, it conjures a meditative mood Ive truly grown to love. They were one of a handful of bands to drew me to this cold, soothing and introspective sound that tinges on psychedelia. In Flickers has the experience I expected, forty three minutes of bleak, gloomy and forever drifting music. Its gentle and sombre in its pacing, soothing and indulgent with its reverb soaked instruments. We float precariously in a stasis of limbo, with purgatory just beyond our vision. Its a beautiful place that does not need anything happy or upbeat to be so.

For a moment the record surprised me as its second song, A Failure, includes the use of bold buzz saw synths and a punchier precussive beat that gives it a little feet moving dance and gusto. This shaped up my expectation to potentially hear an unleashing of a potent twist on the bands well defined sound. Unfortunately it wasn't so. Another one, Mist, returns to the idea for its almost five minute duration but two out of ten tracks leaves a musical idea that clearly works thoroughly unexplored. The chemistry only seems to give another dimension without taking anything away.

Through its shades of intensity and reworkings of the slow, dreary gothic soundscapes each song possesses, Rewrite stands out for its embracing of of a thick, distant and haunting sound at the heart of the song. Possibly a distortion guitar, the sound is lavished in effect pedals and comes through dense wall of ambiguous shadows. Its climatic melody soars with an unsettling darkness. Its forever marching baseline drives the song stride forward through this darkness in epic wonder.

In Flickers has all the hallmarks, slow and soft drums patter at humble pacing. Reverberated synths build snowy, chilling atmospheres and the singing of duo Mike and Tara bring arcane chorals and deeply spoken words to the fold within the composition style. Its very enjoyable and suited to its particular mood, with only a few sparks that transcend expectation Id say its a fair record, one for fans of the sound and a great introduction for those curios in Darkwave and Ethereal music.

Favorite Tracks: A Failure, Mist, 34 Palms, Rewrite, Autumn Into Winter

Rating: 6/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "Eocene" (2018)

The consistency continues! Autumn's Grey Solace are one of my favorite groups from this "youtube era" of my musical addiction, maintaining a steady output of records through the years. After the disappointing Monajjfyllen I have been left thinking that the duo have essentially run out of ideas with little of their music feeling new or fresh. I also ponder if the powers of mood and timing play a roll in enjoying their unique Ethereal sound I adore so much. This new release Eocene embodies all that I feared in terms of originality yet it has been an absolute delight to indulge in.

Not a fraction of this record attempts anything unexpected. I know each of their other ten albums inside out and listen to this new shapter as if it were a greatest hits record. Singer Erin Welton once again blesses us with her lush and serine voice, indulging in lavish reverbs with the usual timings, demeanor and lack of lyrics. On most the songs she just cruises notes with her chords but on occasions her words are lost to a wall of reverb that quite often fills a small frequency range into a soft white noise keen ears will pick up on. Scott Ferrell again shimmers and glistens away on his effects soaked guitars. His production technique brings it altogether in an ooze of dreamy Ethereal sweetness, succulent in its helping of serine colorful melodies fit for the night.

For one reason or another the songs do indeed resonate with the best of what Ive heard them do before. Not every track tho, Untamed Flora for example sounds a little thin and short on composition. Its lack of depth lets its lead melodies stray into lulls. Most the songs transcend their parts and hit the emotions, which has been a problem for me when I understand the construct of their unchanging sound so well. Each song becomes a break down of previous drum patterns, vocal arrangements and exotic guitar sounds reassembled. This time it worked making for many indulgent listens.

Favorite Tracks: Gazing Across An Endless Sea, Echoland, Extinction

Rating: 7/10

Mazzy Star "Still" (2018)

I have mixed feelings about this record. After a fifteen year gap I was dead excited to get my hands on this new Mazzy Star record, however whats new about it is a little bit fuzzy. Consisting of just four tracks we have an alternate take to the noisy and psychedelic trip So Tonight That I Might See, admittedly the texture and mix of this performance is far more dynamic and engrossing. The first two tracks have been performed live for many years which leaves us with the title track Still, just two minutes of new material that doesn't make much of an impact alongside these other songs. I haven't read up on the status of the group, I am hoping this short EP is just a warm up for a record, getting back into the swing of things and letting fans known things are happening but I'm not hopeful.

Nothing about these four songs is out of the ordinary, the Californian group revive their breezy, soothing sound once again. Channeled through the quiet, soft and beautiful voice of Hope Sandoval the accompanying muted instrumentation plays with a cushioned grace, strumming gentle chords quietly and softly tapping of the keys of a piano, you may not even notice the drummer if it wasn't for the snare which pops in on time cautiously. It gets exciting when the final track rolls in, mustering moments of distortion guitar madness over its thick and foggy organ gloom, Hope whispering murmurs into the background, we have heard it before but it is far more absorbing in this re-recording. Although I love their sound this felt far to similar to just spinning an old record of theirs, hearing whats been heard before.

Rating: 3/10

Winterfylleth "The Hallowing Of Heirdom" (2018)

Hailing from the city of Manchester, Winterfylleth have harvested a reputation as being one of English Black Metal's more exciting bands, maybe even the UK's Metal scene in general as they have made a name for themselves, embracing the lands heritage with their music. I'm somewhat ignorant to them, having only briefly listened to some of their previous records. I thought I'd give this new one try and It was not what I was expected for they have done what many bands before have done and entirely removed all of the Metal from their sound, leaving them to explore their influences and inspirations with lush instrumentation of acoustic, cultural instruments that echo visions of eras gone by.

The Hallowing Of Heirdom is a transformative listen, its earthly, mellow choral chants underline and uplift these songs with its heathen roots as worrisome stringed instruments sing the blues and hardships of rural life. With serine acoustic guitars and an inspired composition of cultural instrumentation the atmosphere becomes vivid with the mild and moody weather of England's restless shores. Across these twelve songs we travel through different temperaments, exploring imagination as these beautiful and quaint melodies inspire visions of natural beauty and the mythic culture of simpler times ravaged by the cruelty of mother natures embrace.

The opening track The Shepherd makes a remarkable entrance as the albums most gorgeous and charming song, it is also the records most involved and "complex" as we explore this world through songs that mostly become somewhat stripped back in comparison, perhaps leaning on the acoustic guitar or singular instruments. It feels fitting of the albums vision to not always lean to the most engrossing moments where the music essentially crescendos as all the voices line up together but through the record it finds its way to these peaks a fair few times.

Although a wonderfully indulgent experience it is not without its lulls, moments where it drifts off into itself however that feels unavoidable given the select handful of instruments that make up this clear and potent sound. Initially I was in awe of its beauty but then it hit me, I have visited this pagan realm before. The Nymph sparked my memory, its composition very akin to Agalloch's The White record. Both are wonderful listens but this one stretches itself a little thin in comparison however that's no reason not to enjoy this wonderfully scenic and soulful music.

Favorite Tracks: The Shepherd, Elder Mother, The Nymph

Rating: 7/10

Dead Can Dance "Spleen And Ideal" (1986)

Freeing themselves of the Post-Punk shackles their Self Titled debut was wrapped within, the Australian duo take a shy stride toward the vivid world they would come to inhabit on Within The Realm. This humble and quaint beginning is an exploration of imagination with a striking sense of nostalgia from cultures lost to the perils of time. Whatever the duos inspiration and vision for their music was, I find myself always overcome by a sense of worldly, earthly epic within the roots of a simpler existence, close to mother nature yet drawn to mystic and esoteric.

Initially the record strikes me as a half way house, a transition of sound but so swiftly do the supposed short comings of this record evaporate as its atmosphere engrosses with its rolling repetition. Drum arrangements and especially the baselines have hang overs from the Post-Punk record beforehand. The base guitar pops and plucks at a steady, unshakable pace on almost every song as if it were backing thick walls of distortion guitar. The drum patterns are somewhat stiff and repetitive, always churning away as if a requirement. Ironically it maybe these droning elements that help conjure the atmosphere as they provide a sturdy hypnotic backbone for the duos voices and spell bounding keyboard melodies.

With higher fidelity production and a richer array of synthesized instruments the spark is ignited. Gerrard's resonating voice memorizes without dense guitars muddying the rapid vibrato texture in her singing. Perry's deep and wholesome words relish in the reverb afforded to him in a more spacious production. It all amounts to a wonderfully relaxing and vivid experience of simpler lives yet beneath it all lurks an undercurrent of something eerie and haunting that never surfaces, always lurking in distant shadows. Despite the sense of mortal coil it remains a rather warm and endearing listen.

Favorite Tracks: Advent, Indoctrination
Rating: 7/10

Mastodon "Cold Dark Place" (2017)

Hot of the back of the desert sun soaked "Emperor Of Sand", American Sludge Metal rockers Mastodon bring us four songs I hoped were b-sides from their album released earlier this year. I say that because It has grown on me greatly over the months, Mastodon have the experience and talent to write music with depth that lasts. The same could be said of these four songs however, as the title suggests, they have moved on from the warm summery sound into a "Cold Dark Place", with exception to "Toe To Toes", that song would fit snugly into Emperor Of Sand.

Climate, temperature and luminosity are highly suggestive ideas in music. The record certainly kicks off with a chilling tone, its quaint aesthetics let bustling acoustics resonate of a flute line as the song jumps straight into its moment with earthly singing, the two voices chiming with a catchy quirkiness given the sombreness setting. Its a spooky, ethereal place we drift through with an odd moment of Funk as a upbeat jive manages to penetrate this melancholic place as the song unleashes its guitar solos. The groove is rather reminiscent of CKY given the style of singing and flexing riff beneath.

"Blue Walsh" and "Cold Dark Place" are in the same realm of eerie, dark melancholy without any heavy or blunt metallic riffage. Everything is a tapestry of thoughtful riffs layers to resonate and on the first mentioned song, a rather soothing, relaxing atmosphere is conjured with strong plentiful reverberation on the vocals the drifts over the instrumentals like a graceful ghost lost in memory.

Unfortunately, this is Mastodon and so the spell of our three darker tracks are often interspersed with technically dazzling riffs that scale the fret board with pace but in doing so break the spell of this shadowy, chilling setting. The same could be said of the solos too, when the distortion picks up and the more human Rock elements come to the front, it pushes the sombre setting out of mind. I really have enjoyed this record but its kind of bitter sweet as they don't fully embrace the mysterious atmosphere they create on three of the four songs.

Favorite Tracks: North Side Star, Blue Walsh, Toe To Toes

Rating: 5/10

Autumn's Grey Solace "Celestial Realms" (2017)

This post will be short and sweet. Autumn's Grey Solace are one of my favorite bands. Their dark yet luminous, soft and sorrowful spell of Ethereal indulgence is an absolute treat. Serene and tranquil, the heavy washing of reverberated sounds lets the alluring vocals of Erin Welton soar graciously through gorgeous synths and shimmering guitars that meld into an ooze of soothing noise, sounding both luscious, ripe and harmonious. In the first few years of being heavily into their music, rotating it often, I grew to adore their releases but after 2012's stunning "Divinian", "Monajjfyllen" and "Windumæra" couldn't quite do it for me. With this release I fear the same fate, these songs are just unable to make an impact on me.

As a listener the problem is in predictability and similarity, not a moment passes by that feels unexpected or surprising, every strum of the guitar, chord arrangement or note sung feels like pieces of the puzzle re-arranged. No song here was a stranger, from start to end It feels like Déjà vu, all Ive heard before and that makes it harder to leave an impression. The records tone, production and aesthetic is sublime, one of their best sounding records but the music is so distinctively typical and within the usual tropes they perform it fails to make itself known or unique. After many enjoyable listens I feel as if I could of been listening to anyone of their recent releases, it lacks distinction or something to separate and call its own.

Favorite Track: Andromedea

Rating: 5/10

Lorde "Melodrama" (2017)

Fun fact for you, Lorde is the first musician in my archive from New Zealand! The young singer made her mark on pop music a few years back as a raw talent and teenage sensation, however this record is the first Ive heard of her. Written alongside Jack Antanoff "Melodrama" is fundamentally an introspection of party life, drinking culture, relationships and breakups, dramatized and illuminated in the ever passing Ethereal haze of glossy, reverberated instruments and Lorde's breathy soft yet strong voice. Its written and performed beautifully, playing with an ever growing sense of meaning as the record builds upon itself, climaxing with a couple of great songs at the end.

This introspection is a poetic rendition of moments that matter, its a glorification and resolve simultaneously as Lorde works through the two themes that clash in my mind. Between the cracks of party culture and substance euphoria, Lorde finds some stunning sentiments, "I'll love you till you call the cops on me" when the record swings back to her heartbreak. Inspired moments like this come through both lyrically and musically, a strength that frequents as moving lyrics collide with swooning instrumentation and she immortalizes her pain.

The concurrence of a smooth, bright piano makes it way though the songs, alongside Lorde, as contractions of muffled slow dance beats shuffle the tone and tempo. A frequent of click beats guide many of the percussive tracks and the emergence of dense synths and electronic jitters make up the sounds that character the record and develop its songs, often wrapped in shapely reverbs that craft the atmosphere. Its chemistry matches the range for vulnerability and strength as the emotions come through in sturdily sung notes of resilience and the moments where her singing collapses to a breathy talk in the wake of her words.

Its a powerful performance that hits you on the personal level with tracks like "Liability" and can lift your mood up with timeless hooks like the chorus of "Perfect Places", an elevating end to a fine record that has little to fault other than your preference of subject matter. Its a cleverly crafted, inspired piece of genuine "pop" or "popular appeal" music that almost anyone could get their teeth into. Considering words are often a weak point for me with music It probably a testament to the strength of her articulation, I'll end this ramble with one of my favorite lines "I am a toy, that people enjoy, until the tricks don't work anymore". Beautiful musings.

Favorite Tracks: Liability, Winter In The Dark, Liability (Reprise), Perfect Places

Rating: 8/10

Slowdive "Slowdive" (2017)

Waiting for Run The Jewels to headline Field Day in London, my ears were captivated by a beautiful haze of Ethereal droning coming the rammed tent where Death Grips had played earlier in the day. As I shuffled my way over, nursing a hot tea, the bands logo hung in massive letters, dwarfing the band members and I found myself in awe yet unable to stay. It looked like one heck of a show but I wanted to see them properly, not just for fifteen minutes before Id have to charge over to the main stage. I covered their EP Blue Day a while back but never got around to the rest of their discography. They were a short lived band in the boom of 90s shoe-gazing and couple of years back reformed, resulting a new self titled full length, notably their debut record was also named Slowdive.

The album bleeds into itself, in the same way the music does. Every moment drones on with lush melodies, falling into shimmering reverberations as soft serene singing ushering in a lullaby state of relaxation. Where these songs retain themselves in an eternal moment found through blissful shoe-gazing, the album consequently feels as if its without progression or direction. Whatever song is playing, that is the moment right now, any order of songs could of proceeded. I love how consistently soothing the calming mood and hazy tone of the record is. Its as if its without start or end, forever stagnating within its own slice of time.

As one singular experience there's barely any strong or weak points, its all very steady and even. A few songs start with the bare bones, slow, cushioning drums and warm baselines wait for the eruption of epic scaling guitars to come crashing in with a thick wave of echoing wonder. Its all rather somber and melancholy yet the flickering of tuneful melodies shining through the walls of sound give it a warm uplifting air. The voices of the two singers, Neil and Rachel, bouncing off one another resonates deeply into the music and can often be "that moment" in a song when there words peak through the haze of sounds. For forty six minutes it is a sweet musical indulgence, one that could of gone on for longer. As I mentioned this record is like one continuing moment, if your in the mood for its meditative vibes then its a real treat to be enjoyed.

Rating: 7/10

Daryl Donald "Solitude" (2017)

From the northern chills of Edinburgh Scotland comes a producer with an ear for laid back, chilled out, summer breeze Jazz Hop. Solitude is Daryl Donald's debut record and what a fine, easily enjoyable and inviting experience is is. From the first listen one can instantly identify the vibes, smooth and mellow samples, steady grooving, temperate drum loops. The songs have a dreamy, ethereal edge drawn in through airy synths, production style and reverbs that give the record a cool, atmospheric indulgence.

The fifteen tracks just pass the thirty minute mark and even with an average duration of two minutes many of the songs end with additional loops and beats that have the experience breeze by, never a dull moment as the record chops and changes, yet firmly holding the same vibe from one track to the next. I can only say hats off to such a consistent and interesting production. Where the record becomes a point of contention is the accommodating vocal samples which seem to pull it in different directions and to what extent I am unsure as it certainly doesn't suffer from these additional layers yet they are quite different from one another.

Firstly, a lot of beats are abruptly moved on with lively vocal snippets of what I can only describe as Speedy Gonzales "Arriba" crys. They are unusual but I became accustom to them. Second, there are pitch shifted accapella raps, I believe from a De La Soul record, they add a fitting voice to the beats but given they only feature in one or two spots seems unusual. Other talking snippets from what I presume are old TV shows about music and advertisements are sliced in, again seeming unusual yet they work.

On reflection of writing out my thoughts, the short songs, continually moving forward and undergoing seemingly odd sample snippets are what made this record so great. It goes against expectations and that difference makes it stand out from regular records. I can only think of one frustrating moment, the end of "Still Life" ends with an interluding mini beat, a gorgeous Jazz piano starts to swoon and it ends all too soon, fizzling out with a swift fade out after the key change, I would of really liked to hear it fleshed out more. Other than that its a cracking, laid back listen to mellow out to.

Rating: 7/10

Palms "Palms" (2013)

Labeled as a "super group", Palms consists of three members from the Post-Metal band Isis and vocalist Chino Moreno of Deftones. The two forces come together effortlessly as the group indulge in atmospheric, awe-inspiring Post-Metal with electronics and Ethereal styles, graced by the man who's voice has given such distinction to his main ambition. Its the only release from the group so far, a six track record that I really enjoyed a few years back and given their silence since I decided to dig it out for another listen.

Palms is effortless, easy on the ears, gorgeous and serine. Gleaming guitar tones echo out through lofty luscious reverbs, as if soaking in the gaze of the sun. In true Post-Metal style the band transition between golden acoustic tones and hazy, mesmerizing distortions as the rattle of chords drift and glide over one another in grandiose splendor. Much like the records cover there is the bright warmth of sunlight in the bands sound, yet the skies are overcast and this is very reflective of the sound which feels as if something beautiful is burgeoning from a smothering, gloomy setting.

Chino's charming voice focus's on his softer side, often with subtle light echos transforming the dimension of his voice, with it he fits sweetly into the soundscape. Low, deep thudding baselines and tight shuffling drum patterns mold the backbone for the guitars to cast their light across the stage. Its scenic music, warm moments pass us by, beautiful emotions resolve with a streak of sorrow, illuminating itself with the craft and vision the band members give to it.

A couple of tracks feel as if they could slip into a Deftones record, not to any fault. The electronics bring drum kits and special effects into the fold but only a keen ear would notice when they crop up as the bands sound feels so effortless and organic were acoustic and electronic forces are both at work in different measures. There's nothing to falter here and I haven't grown old of it over the years, its got its Ethereal moments too, reminding me of favorite records by groups like Autumn's Grey Solace, Lycia and Love Spirals Downwards. It certainly fits a similar mood however with a bolder metallic overtone.

Rating: 8/10

Dead Can Dance "Dead Can Dance" (1984)

Going back to the roots of Australian duo Dead Can Dance, we find an interesting debut record that makes much sense of their future linage, yet is firmly rooted within a Post-Punk sound. It has come to be one of the most interesting genres for me in recent years, although a broad term it captures the creative freedom and artistic diversity that came after the DIY Punk scene changed the rules for popular music. On the record we hear hints of whats to come, however it is masked by a rather gloomy Gothic Rock overtone and an Ethereal touch that makes it easy to indulge in.

Mood, tone, atmosphere, very much the charisma of this record without being overt or overly ambitious, its mid tempo, calming, indulgent and far from a lull but without any big, memorable moments it can pass you by. The dissonant guitars murmur through tonal riffs, steadily droning in the background with a fuzzy tone that never lets the life it has really jump out or create much of an impact. Often they dial it down to a more acoustic tone but even then it feels so subdued.

These are typical Post-Punk ideas, provided we are talking about the same niche, guitar riffs that focus on tone and mood rather than rhythm and melody. Bouncy baselines rumble underneath and the drumming is simple, repetitive, Industrial in some cases. The drums are the first noticeable instance of their future direction to come. The opening track "The Fatal Impact" and "Frontier" have tribal sounding drum patterns, hinting at Medieval or historical themes.

These ideas are yet to flourish and the two's singing voices are barely dissimilar from future trajectory. Its obviously is a big thinking point for me with this music and maybe being blind to it, something different could of emerged but the reality is its a reasonable record, enjoyable but not riveting. It has one burst of light with "A Passage In Time" however the repetitions in song structure really unwind the power of the music given the rather quiet, meek and passable production that makes for quite a bland sound where the music itself is clearly more deserving.

Rating: 5/10