Mister Heavenly "Boxing The Moonlight (Polyvinyl)"
If I told you there was a band that sited Krautrock band Faust as a major influence, as well as hip-hop production of the ‘80s and ‘90s, you’d be interested. If I also told you that the band included members of Man Man, Honus Honus, Islands, Unicorns, Cold War Kids, Modest Mouse, and the Shins, you’d likely either do one of two things. 1.) You’d freak out and push me down the steps to get ahold of a copy of their album (shame on you! I was about to give it to you anyway). 2.) You’d say “Oh, Mister Heavenly have a new album out? I’m a HUGE fan!” Hopefully you fall into the latter, non-violent group. If that’s the case, get your ears wrapped around Boxing The Moonlight (Polyvinyl), the newest from the eclectic Mister Heavenly! Check out the electrifying electro-janglewave sounds of “Makin’ Excuses.”
Silver Torches "Let It Be A Dream"
If you are a fan of hazy, wistful Americana indie pop, then you can’t do better than Erik Walters and the rest of Silver Torches. If Ida did a collection of Jackson Brown covers, then it would likely resemble Let It Be A Dream, the latest from Silver Torches. Dreamy slide guitar mixed with ELO-esque acoustic strumming, Erik’s unmistakable raspy vocals, and occasionally bombastic percussion all mix together to create this nostalgic yet forward looking take on pop music. Like a sunset ride in a convertible, it’ll make you feel like the whole world is ahead of you-which, technically, I guess it always is? Unless that flat-earth FB group your weird uncle belongs to is actually right. Except they aren’t. I know at least two things to be facts. The world is round and this new Silver Torches album is a delight. Check out Springsteen-esque “If I Reach.”
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.”
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.”