Sidi Touré "Toubalbero (Thrill Jockey)"
Mali musician extraordinaire Sidi Touré is back with another joyous, optimistic collection of songs on Toubalbero (Thrill Jockey). Generally, I don’t think I’m smart enough to describe world music. Thankfully someone at Thrill Jockey is. “Touré has created a danceable, dynamic, and joyous album played with some of the most exciting new faces on the Mailian music scene. A revered leader who has his feet deep in the Northern Mali music tradition has created an album, despite the region’s significant political challenges, that brims with optimism.” Thanks TJ! Seriously though, this is as much fun as you can have listening to music. Just try and not let a smile take over your face as you check out the blissful “Heyyyeya.”
Hawthonn "Red Goddess (Of This Men Shall Know Nothing) (Ba Da Bing!)"
I cannot tell a lie. Hawthonn’s new LP Red Godess (Of This Men Shall Know Nothing) is in turns frightening and hauntingly beautiful. So at times, it can take you to a place of serene calm with passages that ache with the gorgeousness of sunsets. Other times, it’s gonna sound like a murder man has you tied up in his damp basement and this is the soundtrack he’s gonna play as he decides how miserable he’s gonna make your last remaining minutes. So yeah, it’s a little from column A and a little from column B. But both columns are fun, as is evidenced by the Philip Glass meets Buffalo Bill sounds of “Misandrist.”
of Montreal "White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood (Polyvinyl)"
Like a lot of people, the last election cycle effected Kevin Barnes of of Montreal profoundly. Turned him deeply paranoid. But another thing happened. He fell in love. These two opposites make up the backstory for his latest stunner White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood (Polyvinyl). Also, he rediscovered his love of the extended dance mixes of pop hits of the ‘80s. The long versions of songs that you ould only hear if you went to the club. So he set out to make this LP sound like it was the extended mixes of the songs found here. The result is somewhere between Bowie’s Berlin era and extended mixes of Prince’s most beloved albums. Check out the eff-word heavy “Paranoiac Intervals-Body Dysmorphia.”
Erasure "World Beyond (Mute)"
If you were a fan of Erasure’s last album World Be Gone, then do I have good news for you! It’s back! In POG form. Ok, now that I’ve got your attention with talk of Erasure and Simpsons references, let’s get down to business. World Beyond (Mute), the newest LP from the long-lasting Erasure, is a post-classical reworking of their last LP World Be Gone. The arrangements of these songs have been stripped down to fit the seven players from Echo Collective that Vince and Andy worked with. The result is a sophisticated take on already sophisticated music. This collection of reflective songs have plenty of space here to breathe, and Andy can really dig into his vocals here. Check out the haunting strains of “Oh What A World.”