tumblr_l3x8bxMbLb1qzv802

Dirty Three/Low – “Down By The River”
In The Fish Tank

This fruitful collaboration seemed to me at first to be a strange match-up. The personal, immediate songwriting of Low struck me as a poor match for the itinerant chamber improvisations of Dirty Three — but as it turns out, they supply each other’s wants quite satisfactorily, as this rendition of “Down By The River” demonstrates. Low occasionally wants atmosphere, Dirty Three occasionally wants direction. I hear a lot of both in this song, though many will disagree.

tumblr_l3ilww80CH1qzv802

Tame Impala – “Island Walking”
Innerspeaker

Saw these guys on Pitchfork and thought I’d give them a go. It’s pleasantly surprising — with the feeling of both a throwback and a modern album. This is one of the more modern songs, an instrumental with shades of Tortoise and maybe even a little Mogwai. But the rest of the album sounds a bit like psychedelic-era Beatles meets Japandroids or No Age. That’s way too many name drops already, so I’m just going to stop.

tumblr_l3gnu34c4k1qzv802

Broken Social Scene – “Meet Me in the Basement”
Forgiveness Rock Record

While I doubt BSS will be returning to the supreme glory of You Forgot It In People, one of my favorite albums of the last decade, this new album is at least better than their muddy and directionless self-titled sophomore effort. They haven’t let go of the terrible vocal harmony style they introduced on that record, though, so this instrumental track makes for a nice break. Dynamic, punchy, and triumphant, this reminds me of the fun all-out jams they used to break out into during live performances.

tumblr_l3d6fervUJ1qzv802

Field Music – “Precious Plans”
Measure

This is a track which, like “Darker Still,” seems to slip by and be done before you realize you’ve been listening. I couldn’t even really describe “Precious Plans” to you, but it’s really easy to like, and keeps elaboration to a minimum. (insound)

tumblr_l3bajmKZnj1qzv802

Tricky – “Pumpkin”
Maxinquaye

Like many people, I had a trip hop period – during which time I only listened to Tricky, Massive Attack, and… that’s pretty much all. Dark days indeed. It didn’t last long, but the early 2000s were a golden age for the much-maligned genre. Maxinquaye would have caught my attention regardless, with tracks like “Pumpkin” and “Hell is Round the Corner” to its credit. Maxine’s voice in the former, making nonsense syllables out of actual lyrics, is so smoky and mysterious that it completely overshadows the slightly underwhelming backing track.

tumblr_l2opi9HuTl1qzv802

Flying Lotus (ft. Laura Darlington) – “Table Tennis”
Cosmogramma

If you like this track, a kind of dreamy cross between Manitoba and Stereolab, be aware that the rest of the album doesn’t really sound like this at all. It’s all over the place, really — but there there lots of high points like this which don’t seem to correspond to each other at all. Delicately plucked guitar gives way to drill and bass in a moment, and then segues into a choppy Thom Yorke vehicle. It’s all a bit weird, but interesting the whole way through. Plus: awesome cover art. (insound)

tumblr_l2n1pvcJBg1qzv802

Grails – “Doomsdayer’s Holiday”
Doomsdayer’s Holiday

Though slightly terrifying, this is a great opener. The slow-burn east-west fusion of Burning Off Impurities is completely absent, replaced by monolithic riffs and crashing cymbals. The off-kilter arrangements return in the next track, but “Doomsdayer’s Holiday” is a great shock to the senses; it makes you pay attention, because you’re afraid the music might reach out and strangle you at any moment. (insound)

tumblr_l2ktyrB9Ar1qzv802

Air – “Modular Mix”
Premiers Symptomes

Although Air has pretty much completely abandoned the sound of their early days (this collection of singles came out in 1997), this is still my favorite album of theirs. And “Modular Mix,” their first single, is one of their best songs. It’s funny how I can dislike much music that is superficially similar to these tracks (Thievery Corporation comes to mind) — but the difference in quality really is there, in my opinion, even if the laid-back vibe is identical.

tumblr_l27vd3YG4Q1qzv802

Yellow Swans – “Our Oases”
At All Ends

Only noise fans need apply. At All Ends is a surprisingly approachable album, like a very noisy hybrid between Growing and Tim Hecker. It’s still abrasive and loud as hell, but in songs like “Mass Mirage” you have periods of unexpected calm and a current of melody running beneath the whole thing. Definitely a must-listen for fans of drone and noise. (insound)

tumblr_l20xi9pjWm1qzv802

The Clientele – “K”
Strange Geometry

The singer for the Clientele obviously had it bad for a girl known only as “K,” who has (we are informed in the first track) gotten over him, resulting in the strange geometry of the album title. The music doesn’t depart much from the hazy, gossamer, reverb-drenched style they nailed in The Violet Hour, but it’s so pleasant that you can never really have too much. This track is a bit different from the rest, being shorter than the rest yet sporting an extended intro. (insound)