John Boles talks a good game. He recommends ‘On a Spiral’, only his second album as Align In Time in the last decade, for fans of Maybeshewill, Caspian and Tides of Man. Unfortunately, he talks himself into a hole. There’s little of the rare, vivid qualities so easily associated with any of those acts here. Instead, from the careful beginning […]
Read moreThis, the debut effort from Ultimate Overshare, starts in the way most other indie rock records end- a big, raucous riff, wailing lead guitar, and arms-in-the-air exuberance. It’s big, ballsy, and beautiful. And it’s not a one-off. Over the subsequent 20-something minutes, the Virginia quintet prove to have a knack for the unexpected. ‘Rumble Pak’ features shimmering reverb swirling around […]
Read moreVanlock aren’t really newcomers- the French outfit feature former members of Tölva in their ranks- but this is still a strikingly accomplished debut. ‘Tiny Squares’ is, in fact, huge. It starts with what sounds like a synth swell or maybe a bowed guitar (or maybe both) but really what it brings to mind is storm clouds, empty stretches of black […]
Read moreListen, this whole thing has been horrible. There really are no bright sides to a global pandemic. But maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to hear some music that might not otherwise have been made. Châtelet is one such example. This solo electronic project from erstwhile Maybeshewill member John Helps was actually conceived a decade ago but has lain largely dormant until […]
Read moreThundercat’s last album was his masterwork. The man otherwise known as Stephen Bruner had hit high notes before of course, he’s been one to watch since his honeydew debut, but 2017’s ‘Drunk’ was a fizzy, dizzy collection of sugar-rush funk, electric soul, and killer slow jams that felt like the greatest mixtape ever made. It somehow scratched Bruner’s itch for […]
Read moreThis thing should come with a “hazardous contents” warning. Oh, there were clues to the destructive power of Heavy Harvest on their debut, but ‘Iron Lung’ makes the mix even more volatile. The Swiss trio do a bunch of different things well- noise rock stomp, punk rock attitude, earworm riffs, and hot-vent vocals that stomp the line between alt rock […]
Read moreConstants didn’t exactly go out with a bang. After four records of increasingly sturdy post-rock, the band employed a repetitive dream pop sound for 2012’s ‘Pasiflora’ full-length and seemed to fade away. They certainly became less of a concern for main man Will Benoit, who moved into the producer’s chair for the likes of Caspian, Junius, and believe it or […]
Read moreWhen Kris Rochelle plays drums for Listener, he pounds out fidgety rhythms, anxious beats and a little chaos. They are a band that sound like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. When he steps out from behind the kit for Red Sweater Lullaby however, he slots into a more direct, easy-going groove. His second full-length is […]
Read moreThat cover art is worth a thousand words. On his second outing as Eerie Gaits, erstwhile Wild Pink frontman John Ross employs babbling brook bass, warm breeze synths, hazy atmosphere, and soft ambience that settles like a mist. If Ross already seemed to revel in the majesty of the wilderness during his day job, these nine instrumental tracks find him […]
Read moreSuntitle are stepping out of the shadows. While the New Jersey outfit’s first EP showed talent and potential, it felt like it was in black-or-white or something. Weighed down, frowning. It wasn’t tough to listen to, but it wasn’t exactly easy either. ‘Pure Forever’ is made of many of the same alt rock ingredients but, essentially, finds the band letting […]
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