Sean O'Hagan "Radum Calls, Radum Calls (Drag City)"
For only the second time in his 30 year career, Sean O’Hagan has made a solo album. Though you may not know his name, you’ll recognize his singular sounds. He’s worked with both The High Llamas and Stereolab, and Radum Calls, Radum Calls (Drag City) sounds like, well… both of those things. If Stereolab were a chamber music group, or if The High Llamas were a little more delicate. Sort of a retro-pop collection, with hints of exotica and lounge music. This are jams that are familiar and brand new at the same time. He did all that without a time machine too. Quite a trick, eh? So check out the first single from the album, the blissful “On A Lonely Day (Ding, Dong).”
Little Scream "Speed Queen (Merge)"
Little Scream is back with their most vital, zeitgeist-y record yet. Speed Queen (Merge) is… well. The first track is called “Deal Leader” so… yeah… recent Canadian Laurel Sprendelmeyer’s head is sorta where all of our heads are at too. But don’t let possible politics sour you here. This is a sonically beautiful album. Rich, harmonious tunes filled to the rafters with strings, choral touches, band trappings, and other such audio wonderments-pay close attention to the intimate, bouncy bass throughout the album. Maybe it’s these new headphones I just got but DAMN this record just, you know, SOUNDS good. So check out the aforementioned “Dear Leader” or the late-era new wave meets disco-pop vibes of “Still Life” and let me know for sure it’s not just me.
Dominic Sen "Visitor (Roll Call)"
Dominic Sen is an actual alien. That’s right, a life from outer space. But something about our silly little planet stopped them in their interstellar tracks. They caught some radio transmissions and fell in love with our pop culture from the 80s and 90s. Visitor (Roll Call), their debut album, is like an art-pop Ziggy Stardust. A “hook-laden and dance-inspiring concept album (that) pulls from the sounds of our recent past to tell the story of another visitor to Earth.” Check out the laid back, sexy “Natural History.”
Vancouver Sleep Clinic "Onward To Zion"
If there is such a thing as a middle ground between ambient music and modern and soulful R&B its because of Vancouver Sleep Clinic that that middle ground exists. On Onward To Zion, his second album as VSC, mastermind Tim Bettison combines the aforementioned genres and mixes in some jazz samples, guitar and piano, meditative, contemplative sounds and… well… it’s just about everything you’d want from an artist that goes by a name as fantastic as Vancouver Sleep Clinic. So connect some like diodes to your head and spend the night at the sleep[ clinic! Check out the ethereal, guitar-heavy (and by guitar-heavy, I mean lots of gentle touch acoustic guitars. not like heavy guitars. although I didn’t have a chance to weigh them, sorry… I’m like 2 “joke” premises in here. Let’s reset.) Check out the guitar-heavy “Fever” and see what we mean!