David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights "Bonnie’s A Girl (Merge)"
Imagine being 4 decades into your career and still surprising people? No–I don’t mean like an office prankster that keeps finding new ways to hide a cupcake at your desk (though i’d happily welcome such a co-worker with open arms and a mouth full of cupcake). I mean David Kilgour! His latest, Bonnie’s A Girl (Merge) is a gentle, pastoral collection of mostly acoustic ‘60s inspired psychedelica. For a full-time jangle-rocker… well, count me as surprised. Also, count me as delighted. What a lovely album this is! Check out the Stereolab meets Neil Young sounds of “Looks Like I’m Running Out.”
M83 "Digital Shades Vol. 2 (Mute)"
Anthony Gonzalez and the rest of the M83ers wanted a place to release music as M83, but not get the hopes up of the pop-loving section of their fan base. So they created the Digital Shades series of releases. Meant to stand alone from their discography while also existing within it, this is where they are able to indulge their nostalgic fantasies of Dungeons & Dragons, video games, and more. For Digital Shades Vol. 2 they basically made video game music for retro games that don’t exist. Performed and recorded entirely on analog equipment, the whole this is a glorious nod to days past. The whole affair reminds me of early ‘80s fantasy/sci-fi movies, some of the lesser-known releases by Mike Oldfield, and of course-retro video game music. Simultaneously cinematic in scope and as intimate as a record you fall asleep to can be-this very well might stand as underground a classic as can exist for a band as popular as M83. So dust of your NES controllers, call your Mom and ask if she threw your D&D rulebooks away yet, and maybe buy a van with a wizard painted on the side of it. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the triumphant “Hell Riders.”
Sequoyah Murray "Before You Begin (Thrill Jockey)"
At the ripe young age of 22, Sequoyah Murray’s full-length debut Before You Begin (Thrill Jockey) is as singular a musical statement as I’ve ever heard. A mixture of R&B, electronica, gospel, African polyrhythmic music, Tropicália, psychedelic music, modern hip-hop and trap, jazz, and everything else an amazing record collection should include-this is truly a journey through the future of music. Consisting of sounds played and made almost entirely by Sequoyah, be it via instrument or with his THREE-OCTAVE RANGE VOICE… yeah, I said it. I mean it too, his voice is a wonder. This is normally the part of the blurb where I try to come up with a sound-alike comparison. A shorthand to give you an idea of what this record sounds like. But… man is it tough in this instance. The closest I can get? George Michael covering Bjork. Does that actually work? Well, you tell me and check out the stunning, otherworldly “Penalties Of Love.”
Long Beard "Means To Me (Double Double Whammy)"
Means To Me (Double Double Whammy), the sophomore release by Long Beard, is a “dreamlike space that weaves between shoegaze-tinged guitars and upbeat, jangly pop” (and allow me to thank Double Double Whammy for not only releasing this beauty of an LP but also making my job a little easier by writing in the PR so succinctly what I was attempting to put into words right then). Leslie Bear (who IS Long Beard) moved back to her hometown while making this record (shout out Jersey pride!)–that examines what it is to call a place “home.” (For me, it’s wherever Hazel barks at the door of the balcony protecting us from any dog she can hear anywhere in Hoboken – thanks Hazel….). Co-produced by Craig Hendrix of Japanese Breakfast, this is a haunting, dreamy shimmer of an album. Check out “Getting By.”