Dmitry Evgrafov "Comprehension Of Light (Fat Cat)"
Moscow-based composer Dmitry Evgrafov, who is completely self-taught, has been releasing music since he was a seventeen year old putting out music by himself. Now we find him signed to Fat Cat’s wonderful modern classical imprint 130701, and poised to release his most mature, haunting collection to date. Comprehension Of Light supposes to tell a cohesive story from start to finish, “a story of a long and difficult personal journey from darkness to light.” The result is at times breathtaking in it’s beauty. If you are a fan of other modern classical composers like Hauschka, Jóhann Jóhannsson, or Max Richter, than this album is definitely for you. Working with the Iskra String Quartet here, the sound is rich and full, sophisticated and lovely. Check out the hopeful, ambient “Znanie.”
Blis. "No One Loves You (Sargent House)"
Are you as excited for the full-length debut from Blis. as NPR’s All Songs Considered host Robin Hilton is? Well you should be. After all, they are one of his “favorite new discoveries” (good taste Robin!) So here is Blis. fulfilling the rock ’n’ roll promise they made to us all on their 2015 EP. No One Loves You (Sargent House) is “an ambitious rock record about love, religion, and surviving life’s most painful hardships.” (NPR) Check out the Pixies meets A Place To Bury Strangers sounds of “Old Man.”
Canon Blue "Lasso Yo (Temporary Residence)"
Recorded over the last 6 years, during Daniel Johnson’s increasing bouts of isolation as brought on by deepening anxiety and depression, Lasso Yo (Temporary Residence), the new one from Canon Blue, betrays its weighty back story with it’s transcendent, ethereal sound that falls somewhere between ‘80s art-synth-pop a la The Eurythmics, solo Peter Gabriel, late ‘80s Beach Boys, and modern indie sultriness a la CANT (you know, Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear’s solo project). I know, that’s a weird combination, but when a record gets as personal as this one, some strange bedfellows are bound to turn up. Check out the anxious build of “Beholden.”
Ben Frost "The Centre Cannot Hold (Mute)"
I learned a thing or two in reading Mute’s PR for Ben Frost’s new LP The Centre Cannot Hold. The first thing is: the legendary Steve Albini recorded it. That’s the kind of thing I can wrap my mind around pretty easily. Less easy for my feeble brain is the second thing I learned: This album is “an attempt at transcribing a spectrum of glowing ultramarine into sound.” I could have had all day to list words I would use to describe this album, and I never would have gotten anywhere close to “blue.” I would have said things like “adventurous, anxious and harmonious, distant, hypnotic, lovely.” Sure, this is a collection of opposing words, but I would say that this is an album of contradictions. Like if Fripp/Eno decided to make as beautiful an album as they could while Aphex Twin tried to defrag it the whole time. Check out the haunting first single, “Threshold Of Faith.”