Jay Som "Turn Into"
Turn Into is a reissue of Jay Som’s pre-debut odds and sods collection. In 2015, after too much Thanksgiving wine, Melina (the woman behind Jay Som) decided to upload a year and a half’s worth of finished and unfinished songs onto Bandcamp. Proving once again that being drunk on tryptophan is always a good idea, this is a gorgeous collection. It’s impossible to figure out what is “unfinished” about these songs, as they are as fully realized as any you’ve likely heard in a while. An obvious music fanatic, her influences come fast and furious: The Kinks, ‘90s indie and dream-pop, psychedelic music. Really, if these amazing tunes are unfinished, I can’t imagine what surprises her debut next year will hold. Imagine along with me while you check out the REM meets Apples In Stereo swirl of the super-hook-y “Ghost.”
E "E"
There are a few things that you can guarantee someone in the BRM office is talking about daily. The tastiness of chocolate combined with peanut butter is one. The benefits of wearing bajas is another. When it comes to music, one of our very hot topics is how criminally underrated Thalia Zedek is. Seriously. There should be a Mount Rushmore of influential guitarists somewhere that’s just Neil Young and three Thalia Zedek heads. This time around, she has started a new band called E, and their self-titled debut is a masterclass in squeal-y, harmonious guitar noise. She has paired herself with Neptune’s Jason Sanford and Karate’s Gavin McCarthy. No bass, just drums and two guitars, and two of the most distinct voices in rock music. A little like The Bad Seeds and Tom Waits later works mixed with Sonic Youth’s experimentation, this is sure to please the ‘90s indie rock fans longing for some guitar power. Check out the punishingly good “Great Light.”
Papa M "Highway Songs"
David Pajo of Slint and Tortoise fame is back with his first solo record since 2009, and his first record as Papa M since 2004. Highway Songs (Drag City) is a hodgepodge of genres, as Pajo decided to let the songs go wherever they wanted to this time around. There are metal burners, experimental folk tunes, and electro-freak outs, but the thing that holds them all together cohesively is David’s ability to find the emotional thru line on just about any kind of music. Seeing as how he recorded this album at home, recovering from a motorcycle accident that almost cost him his leg, emotions run high throughout. Check out the pastoral experimental folk of “Walking on Coronado.”
The Silence "Nine Suns, One Morning"
Japan’s The Silence is now three albums into a musical career where the only constant is a constantly changing sound. Nine Suns, One Morning (Drag City) is a jazzy, funky, rock record. Occasional hints of previous psych-folk sounds are here, along with a no wave-esque experimental saxophone-including freak out style that’s blossomed since their last record. It’s as if Morphine and Mr. Bungle formed some sort of supergroup while I was in college and made all of my (at the time) dreams come true. Make all of your dreams come true and check out “Ritual of the Sun (Worm Hole to the Universe).”