ALBUM REVIEWS - MAY 2016

I've been flat out with uni but luckily May provided a bunch of solid albums to accompany the late nights and stress. Below are a few you may* have missed. Give em a listen :)
*groan

Hunter as a Horse - The Two Magics, Vol. 1

Genre: alternative, electronic, folk, dream pop

Favourite tracks: 'The Abyss', 'The Passenger', 'Fallen Leaves'

This is the debut EP from Hunter as a Horse, an up and coming alternative and electronic duo from Germany.  This is a short one, clocking in at just under 20 minutes but I thought I'd give it a mention since I think there's some real promise in the tracks on this EP. 

The whole EP oozes this distinct character. It's dark but free flowing and lively with layers of synthesizers and tightly produced drums. The vocals are soothing and do their job of fleshing out these tracks, despite occasionally sounding a little too emotionless and disconnected. On the one hand this vocal style doesn't show a lot of range and I'm concerned about how this style would carry on a full length release, but on the other hand it fits the tone of the songs pretty well.

A couple of the lyrical hooks are a bit cliché or repetitive, but I really dig this EP for the unique little bunch of songs that it is. I'm keen to see what these guys do next. 

You can listen to 'The Passenger' here:

Marissa Nadler - Strangers

Genre: singer-songwriter, dream pop

Favourite tracks: 'Katie I Know', 'Hungry is the Ghost', 'Strangers', 'Janie in Love', 'Nothing Feels the Same', 'Dissolve'

This is my first proper dive into the music of singer-songwriter Marissa Nadler. At its core, this album is a collection of solid, well written songs that I imagine would be just as suited to an acoustic set as they are to the dreamy sonic backdrops on this LP.

What sets this album apart is the detailed instrumentation and reverb-laden production that gives the whole album an ethereal air of melancholic introspection. The solid song writing meets this slightly dark shade of dream pop that perfectly complements Marissa's voice and acoustic guitar playing. I really like how her voice is processed, especially on the tracks that involve some clever overdubbing as Marissa's voice is stacked into glorious harmonies. It never feels too busy and lets her vocals and the songs themselves sing through during the more sonically sparse moments on the album. 

If you're in the mood for something a little slow and dreamy, I'd highly recommend giving this one a go. 

You can listen to 'Janie in Love' here:

Andy Stott - Too Many Voices

Genre: electronic, IDM

Favourite tracks: 'Butterflies', 'Forgotten', 'Selfish', 'On My Mind', 'Too Many Voices'

Andy Stott made waves in the IDM world with his last two albums, 'Luxury Problems' and 'Faith in Strangers'. His music has been fairly recognisable for its sluggish tempos, hard thumping bass, and whispery vocals. While Andy's previous work has always featured long, minimalist build ups before crashing waves of bass and layered textures, this new album mostly favours a more open sound. The tracks on this album feature far more spacious mixes that are far less heavy and aggressive in the bottom end. There's not quite as much going on as there usually is in Andy's music, but that's not always a bad thing. 

This makes for an overall package that some might say is just a collection of underdeveloped ideas, and in regard to some of these tracks that might be a fair call. I personally think the more minimal approach and open, breathing mixes give this album a kind of quirk and personality that sets it apart from Andy's previous work. For me, the real crowning jewel of this project is the title track 'Too Many Voices'. It's like the work of some slightly deranged synthetic choir, layering voices on top of voices with no way of telling what's an actual vocal performance and what is chopped and edited samples. The whole track is brilliantly crafted and mesmerising in its own weirdly catchy way.

This album isn't amazing the whole way through, but I personally like this detour from Andy Stott's usual sound and there are some great tracks to be found here. 

You can listen to 'Too Many Voices' here:

Death Grips - Bottomless Pit

Genre: experimental hip-hop, industrial, noise

Favourite tracks: 'Giving Bad People Good Ideas', 'Hot Head', 'Spikes', 'Eh', 'Trash', 'BB Poison', 'Three Bedrooms in a Good Neighborhood', '80808'

I know that people interested in the genre are probably all over this one already but it would be wrong to omit this album from this list. This is another savage, relentless and undeniably consistent album from the critically renowned experimental hip hop group Death Grips. 

I'll be honest, it's hard to articulate exactly what it is about their music that I find so appealing. It's loud, aggressive, and downright filthy but manages to also be catchy and sonically pleasing at the same time. I think it's the way their music is so unrestrained yet simultaneously so focussed that makes Death Grips unlike anyone else out there right now. This whole album is exactly what Death Grips fans have come to expect and not a single track disappoints. It's the perfectly measured levels of ferocity and abrasiveness that make this album, much like their previous releases, a listening experience like no other. Death Grips continue to be the most innovative group in hip hop. 

If you're a hip hop fan that has somehow missed the experimental juggernaut of Death Grips thus far, jumping on this album would be a good idea.

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There were a couple of albums that dropped in the last week of May that I'll include next month. 

If you enjoyed this selection of albums or think there was a gem I missed let me know. And if you share this post with your friends you will get a lifetime supply of chicken nuggets. As usual, 100% legit no scam offer.*

*by that I mean 100% bullshit, this joke isn't even funny any more