Trunk Records release Bruton Brutoff, excavating pastoral, hauntological loveliness on their new compilation of music from the Bruton library catalogue. One of the more peculiar by-products of what Simon Reynolds calls ‘retromania’ has been the flood of interest in the enigmatic world of library music amongst avid crate-diggers and connoisseurs of rare booty: predominantly … [Read more...] about Bruton Brutoff – The Ambient, Electronic and Pastoral Sounds of The Bruton Library Catalogue
Fleet Foxes: Shore – Album Review
Unleashed for the autumn equinox, the fourth, long-awaited and striking album from Robin Pecknold folds the Fleet Foxes sound into gorgeously melodic and soulful folk-rock shapes which promise solace and rejuvenation amidst the tumult of a worldwide pandemic. The lush folk-rock harmonies and crystalline melodies of Fleet Foxes cast a looming shadow over much early 2010’s … [Read more...] about Fleet Foxes: Shore – Album Review
Sarah Davachi: Cantus, Descant – Review
Minimalist composer Sarah Davachi revels in dreamy and furry atmospherics; attentive listeners can dive into her sprawling new album and discover an eerie and generative beauty which takes its time to unfold. The Canadian minimalist composer Sarah Davachi is a skilful and seasoned purveyor of sparse, drone-based, analogue synthesiser music that’s heavy on mood and plays out … [Read more...] about Sarah Davachi: Cantus, Descant – Review
Sufjan Stevens: The Ascension – Review
Whisper-voiced genre-hopper Sufjan Stevens serves up a cyborg soundscape of rage, conviction and disenchantment, flecked with moments of joy and levity, which will entice even the most casual listener. A new song-based Sufjan Stevens release is always a cause for celebration, and the idiosyncratic singer-songwriter’s ninth solo album, The Ascension, comes as sweet-honeyed … [Read more...] about Sufjan Stevens: The Ascension – Review
The Flaming Lips: American Head – Review
Veteran psych-rockers The Flaming Lips' hallucinogenic new opus documents lead singer Wayne Coyne’s adolescence via a tribute to Tom Petty’s pre-Heartbreakers outfit, garlanding its trippy reminiscences with lavish orchestrations and a dreamy haze. Arriving only a year after 2019’s sublime King’s Mouth, the brand new offering by Oklahoma’s premier purveyors of psych-pop … [Read more...] about The Flaming Lips: American Head – Review
Angel Olsen: Whole New Mess – Review
Angel Olsen pursues a pared-down, LockDown style on her new release, ditching orchestral drama for icy, isolationist introspection and bare musical bones. Angel Olsen made something of a major break-through with last year’s All Mirrors album, an opulent production which draped her discomfiting tales of love and loss in richly cinematic arrangements and felt like the … [Read more...] about Angel Olsen: Whole New Mess – Review