This week’s track is an indie banger from one of the freshest all-female bands in the scene right now. Wet Leg brings some comedic, off-the-cuff lyrics and a nice structure on ‘Chaise Longue’, with the instruments all dropping out for the verses creating a really nice contrast for the riff that really picks the track up by the scruff of its neck. Alongside a very blasé, spoken word vocal delivery and some well timed ad-libs, the effect focuses on the core part of each section. Whilst the lyrics in the chorus could have been more developed, the intention is to focus on the music which by all accounts is the most ear-catching aspect of the track.
Check out the track below and remember to add to the Community Playlist to see your favourite track reviewed here!
After a bit of a hiatus we’re back with another deluxe update of the Monthly Playlist. Summer is finally here and so far it’s still lacking that hit album. Jack Harlow and Drake’s latest efforts to seize the summer have fallen extremely flat and whilst Kendrick’s album was incredible, it doesn’t really capture that summer energy. However there is still plenty of time for the right album to claim Summer ’22 as its own, and we all know that Beyonce drop/house rene is right around the corner.
Now while there isn’t a hit summer album, this month’s playlist is packed full of them. With tracks from ENNY, Wet Leg and Beyoncé, take advantage of the good weather, get outside, touch some grass and relax to some impeccable tunes.
Check out the playlist below and make sure you add to the Community Playlist!
Sometimes is takes a while for me to warm up to a track before I can fully appreciate its artistry, but when I first heard Locket it was not one of those times. The instrumentation on this song progresses so fluidly throughout; every part gets their own time to shine, with the keys, guitars, bass, drums all having notable sections. It almost seems like the vocals are the base that the rest of the track is built on instead of the other way around. The outro almost sounds like it’s completely improvised like they ran out of ideas on this monumental track.
RE-ANIMATOR was a bit of an unusual choice to review this month since I rarely listen to them and they haven’t really been on my radar for the past few years. But when I heard the first song from the album, “Lost Powers”, I just had a feeling the album would give me food for thought.
On my first listen I was very impressed. The structure of each track seemed perfectly put together with well developed melodies and nicely placed effects and motifs throughout. This was all on show from the first track which definitely guided my opinion of the rest of the album. There is an almost monumental suspense created when the guitar parts start layering up and you can feel each track reaching its peak. This is in stark contrast to their previous album which was much funkier, faster paced and incorporated much more interesting drum rhythms.
The instrumentation on this album isn’t a significant change from their past music, which is still very guitar driven with synths woven in. However on RE-ANIMATOR the guitars and vocals take on a very melodic role. The punchiness of previous albums is replaced by a more considered, not quite gentle but lilting quality. Shades of their style on their last album can be heard on “Arch Enemy”, with its powerful drums and very distorted synths and guitars, but even here the vocals are more smooth and the backing vocals are like a cyberpunk chorus.
Having not listened to Everything Everything for a while, this album was a good refreshing project that was thoroughly enjoyable. One criticism I have of the album is that whilst there are some innovative parts and it is a change of pace for them, there’s a feeling of familiarity every time I hear the album. I can’t quite put my finger on whether it’s the lack of innovation from the drums or the vocal similarities to Thom Yorke but there is an air of unoriginality I can’t seem to shake. Despite this I am a fan of the album and it adds a new dimension to Everything Everything’s discography. If only festivals were on the cards next year; the album may have made as big a splash as it deserves.
Mordechai is the third studio album from Texan trio Khruangbin. Known for blending international sounds with a variety of genres from funk to soul and psychedelic, Mordechai is a perfect exhibition of the interplay between musical cultures. The album often creates an almost ethereal atmosphere from a relatively sparse soundscape, not using a smorgasbord of instruments but refining the ones used into a heavenly ambiecnce.
The aura around this album is so tranquil, even though the pace reaches relative peaks at certain points, especially on “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”. Every aspect of each track is so tightly controlled, every drum beat is perfectly placed, every bassline is played precisely, every shaker or clave or cymbal hits at the ideal time. There’s no space for chaos on the album, which is so refreshing in a climate where everything is on edge.
The lyricism throughout the album is perfectly understated, never reaching too far into the obscure. Combined with the airy, pitch perfect vocals and all important backing vocals, Mordechai is a dream of a performance from Khruangbin, who all have a role in the vocal performance throughout the album. The perfect use of other languages reflects the fluidity with which they move through genres. On ‘Pelota’ there is rumba influence and on various tracks there are sitar inspired guitar melodies as well as the funky bass lines throughout and the minimal, often reggae inspired drum beats.
Khruangbin have got a knack for creating albums you can just lose yourself in while they play on repeat and Mordechai is no exception. Everything about the album has been crafted to perfection. The mixing and mastering is superb, even the album art points to the emphasis on nature and the interconnectedness of everything. This album is the embodiment of relaxation, with its lilting melodies, quiet percussion and perfect transitions in pace and volume throughout. It may be the most peaceful thing to happen in this year of insanity.
Amplified Sound 