A Closer Listen
The world intrudes on every genre of music this season, but the artists we adore resist fascism and dehumanization with every fibre of their being. By offering a counterpart to the world’s madness, these musicians seek to soothe, inspire and challenge in equal measure. They offer expulsions of anger, direct confrontation, and alternate paths of peace and love. It’s heartening to know that while people around the world struggle for their basic rights and even to eat, these composers are fighting the good fight, exposing injustices, and encouraging those who are distraught at the current state of affairs to express themselves through social action while remembering that they are not alone. Thank you to every instrumental and experimental musician – political or not – for being part of our lives.
French post-rock collective BRUIT ≤ makes a major statement on The Age of Ephemerality, originally conceived as a “cautionary tale” before it came true. Incorporating choir and spoken word samples, the album comments on technology and militarism, concluding with a prescient statement from 1984. The relevance is inescapable, the power sublime (Pelagic, April 25). How in the world could we ever resist featuring a post-rock album with a rock on the cover? Truth is, we could not. Reunion of Broken Parts is the debut album from Scottish band Idiogram, and a fine introduction it is, with a variety of colorful timbres, tones and hues (March 22). The dunk!festival is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and has already lined up an array of top-tier guests. Calling attention to the magnificence of the event, Din of Celestial Birds will be releasing Live at dunk!fest2024, sporting intricate art, splatter vinyl and most importantly, an immersive sound. Get your tickets now! (A Cheery Wave, March 28).
Montreal rockers Big|Brave have thrown us a curve ball with OST, but it’s a good one. Untold composers before them have tried their hand at scoring “a film that has yet to be made,” but few have been able to offer one that sounds like an original film. Using a variety of instrumentation and approaches, Big|Brave is able to succeed where others could not (Thrill Jockey, April 25). We Are Not Our Dread, proclaims A-Sun Amissa on its latest set, whose drone-like atmospheres are offset by lovely passages that mirror modern composition. The wordless vocals on lead single “Our Hearts Bent As Crooked Lightning” are particularly alluring, a statement of recovery and strength (Gizeh, April 4). Reptile Reptiles‘ All Things Return to One is a slow-churching set that borders on drone, with vast textures that cradle passages of electric guitar. Spoken word poetry adds to a cinematic, wide-screen impression (Constructive, March 28). Raining Drones is not a drone band, but post-rock with a touch of shoegaze. The trio’s debut album Take Flight is released April 11 on Fluttery Records. Portuguese stoner rock/psych band Desert Smoke presents their self-titled sophomore album on March 28, preceded by the large riffing single 49th Steam Box.
We love the cover of Baleine‘s second album, so we’ve embedded the full-screen version. With influences ranging from surf rock to prog to post-rock, II is an outdoor experience, a celebration of life in all its fullness and splendor, the work of only three people on guitars and drums (April 11). Ciao Kennedy sneaks jazz and hip-hop into the electronic rock frame of Solarium, appealing to multiple markets at once. Their debut is confident, upbeat and warm (Sdban, March 21). Jazz, progressive rock and metal collide on Standard Deviation, the new album from Suns of Ra. The album mixes originals with reinterpretations of classics, most prominently a John Coltrane track (The Laser’s Edge, April 11). Spaghetti western fans will be enchanted by Raz Olsher‘s Craters of the Lost Souls. Everything from the cover to the sound honors Morricone and the classic scoring era (May 30). For those who may be wondering, “Silver Bells” is not a cover of the Christmas classic. Instead, it’s a guitar-laden, beat-driven taste of the upcoming Grails album, shrouded in mystery and rhythmic allure. Miracle Music is out May 16 on Temporary Residence Ltd.
Divide and Dissolve has unveiled a very sensual video for Provenance, the first single from the forthcoming Insatiable. The atmosphere is dark and dense, with timbres of sludge that seem to battle against the beach setting; and yet, composer Takiaya Reed is quick to call it “an album of love,” a counterpart to the forces of destruction (Bella Union, April 18). Thick and occasionally pummeling, Apparitions‘ Volcanic Reality is a perfect reflection of its title. The doom-drone set sounds like magma erupting as lava, sending fiery rocks in every direction. Appropriately, the label is based in Hawai’i (Deathbomb Arc, March 28). thisquietarmy returns with the crushing drone metal of Langue Hybride, the darkness offset by tendrils of violin. This is a joint release between Consouling Sounds and A Thousand Arms (April 18). Pelican is back after a six-year absence, returning none the worse for wear. If anything, the band sounds more accessible than ever despite its melodic metal tones. Flickering Resonance is out May 16 on Run For Cover.
The most Midwestern-sounding LP of the year to date, Cameron Knowler‘s CRK is a tribute to Yuma, Arizona, “a border town known for its lettuce production and defunct territorial prison.” Classics and originals intertwine as a host of guests lend their talents to the solo guitar-centric exploration (Worried Songs, April 4). Michael Grigoni and Pan•American collaborate on New World, Lonely Ride, a meditative work that uses landscape as inspiration, asking big questions quietly in hopes that they might be answered through reflective discourse (kranky, April 2). A few years ago, J.H. Guraj almost died in a bike accident. Showcasing acoustic guitar, piano and drums, The Flip Side reflects on the experience through free folk and a touch of komische. The choice of label is a bit eerie (Maple Death, 21 March). IE‘s Reverse Earth is reserved yet potent, exuding a calming tone that allows one to relax within its grooves Quindi, May 9).
Laibach‘s grand symphonic work Alamut is inspired by Vladimir Bartol’s 1938 work of the same name, which was also the basis for Assassin’s Creed. Collaborating with Iranian composers, the RTV Slovenian Symphony Orchestra and the Gallina Vocal Group, the band brings this nihilistic work to life in a bombastic, engaging performance (Mute, May 9). YUNIS‘ Ninety Nine Eyes is rooted in a a Zar ritual poem and features tombak and duff. The LP’s long meditations create a ritualistic trance (Drowned by Locals, April 11). Two bands crash into each other as Paal Nilsen-Love Circus with The Ex Guitars, forming a nonet. They really know how to jam, apparent in their live album Turn Thy Loose (PNL, March 21). An LP loosely split into “space” and “time” segments, Totality reunites Natural Information Society and Bitcoin Bajas for an all-out, freeform jam session (Drag City, April 25).
Renn Faire attendees will be enchanted by Yelena Eckenoff‘s Scenes from the Dark Ages, which commits fully to its subject with titles such as “Quest,” “Tournament” and “Adventures of a Knight.” Jazz meets prog rock in this centuries-spanning excursion (March 28). Pidgins is a hard duo to pigeonhole (apologies!). Remains of the Day, Volume 2 looks prog but often sounds electronic, a melding of styles. The percussive album both reacts to and creates a variety of trances conducive to the modern soul (April 4). Will Holshouser‘s The Lone Wild Bird is a solo accordion album that draws on folk traditions, featuring a mix of covers and originals (Adhyâropa, April 4).
After the impressionistic cover art of the singles, the Rammara album cover reveals Salin, who occupies a unique space by promoting “Afro Issan Soul.” The drummer is joined by multiple guests on this release, while instruments new to Western audiences, such as the puaj, add a layer of intrigue (March 28). Modern tar player Araz Salek is inspired by “Turkish and Arabic makam music (as well as) the Iranian dastgāh tradition,” which makes it a perfect fit for the Worlds Within Worlds label. Peripheries of Nahavand is a boundary-expanding album, with contributions on tombak, santour, kemençe and ney (April 11). Hip-hop, alternate jazz, solo guitar and spoken word all feature strongly on Kintsugi, an intriguing cross-genre release from Sheldon Agwu with a multi-cultural appeal (April 11). Hallwat is an album of Lebanese funk and hip-hop with a retro 70s vibe, Charif Megarbane‘s reminder that times were once better and may still be again (Habibi Funk, April 11).
Richard Allen
Thu Mar 20 00:01:27 GMT 2025