This feature aims to draw some attention to notable album releases over the past month that you may have missed, covering a variety of genres and artists.
Alvvays – Blue Rev (7th October)
Genres – Power Pop, Indie Rock
From their self-titled debut in 2014 to 2017’s Antisocialites, Alvvays have marked themselves out as one of the most promising acts in indie music. Remarkably assured from the off, Antisocialites marked an upward trajectory from an already excellent starting point. Five years later, Blue Rev continues this trend and is one of the best rock albums of the year. The band leans into shoegaze instrumentals but escapes the overly washed-out, bland fate of many other proponents of the genre’s revival. The band’s knack for catchy pop melodies that made tracks like ‘Archie, Marry Me’ (2014) and ‘Dreams Tonite’ (2017) so memorable is again in evidence here from the off, starting with the brilliant ‘Pharmacist’. ‘Pomeranian Spinster’ is an album highlight, a faster number with such a likeable and infectious lyrical and vocal performance from the ever-brilliant Molly Rankin that it's hard not to smile. It also features some brilliantly layered and intricate guitar work. ‘Belinda Says,’ one of the singles, is another masterstroke. Lyrically and vocally, it is beautiful and the key change which marks the second half of the track is one of the most truly uplifting musical moments of the year. The shoegaze influence is particularly evident in ‘Very Online Guy’ in which the band play around more with vocal distortion. But the retro synths give the track its distinctive personality. Despite a few less memorable tracks, this album is an unqualified success from a very confident (to the point that they are happy to leave a five-year break between albums) and technically proficient band.
Gilla Band – Most Normal (7th October)
Genres – Noise Rock, Post-Punk
On their first album since rebranding as Gilla Band from Girl Band, the Irish post-punk outfit are brash and confrontational. Opening track ‘The Gum’ is a weirdly hypnotic, abrasive industrial cut and, though the vocals give the rest of the album a more conventional sound, it doesn’t let up on the aggression. More experimental than the two preceding albums, there is an interesting range of influences on the show. The vocals and almost danceable groove of ‘Backwash’ sound like LCD Soundsystem meet Nine Inch Nails and Big Black, before segueing into ‘Gush’, a minute of an ambient feedback loop complete with blown-out industrial interference. The album then returns to the sound of Big Black on steroids, with Dara Kiely’s hardcore-styled vocals slicing through heavily distorted instrumentals. The album is at its best when it straddles industrial noise and is more straightforward post-punk. It is in the moments that the album disappears entirely into a distortion that it loses some of what makes it a compelling listening experience. ‘The Weirds’ and ‘I Was Away’ are examples of these styles coming together nicely and complementing Kiely’s James Murphy-meets-Mark E. Smith vocal delivery. ‘Pratfall’ is the other side of the equation. While the shimmering synth line is almost pretty in terms of industrial music. The vocals are warped and distorted to the point of being irritating and unlistenable. Luckily, this is followed by ‘Post Ryan’, one of the best moments on the album. The LCD Soundsystem comparison is again unavoidable here with its minimal drumbeat and bass groove, with even Kiely’s vocal intonations seeming to ape James Murphy. The post-punk element added by discordant guitars, however, gives the track a flavour of its own. While noise rock isn’t necessarily an easy genre to sell to the uninitiated, this album will offer something to any fan of heavier rock music, nihilistic lyricism and abrasive soundscapes.
Open Mike Eagle - A Tape Called Component System With the Auto Reverse (7th October)
Genres – Abstract Hip-Hop
Open Mike Eagle struck gold with Brick Body Kids Still Daydream in 2017, one of the best hip-hop releases of that year. TCCSWAR is a definite improvement on 2020’s Anime, Trauma and Divorce, as OME delivers topical, introspective lyrics over largely mellow and creative production. On ‘79th and Stony Island’ the lyrics, which cover the difficulty of accepting Kanye West as a cultural figure in light of his actions, and the way OME’s own emotions correspond with this, are typical of the artist’s approach. Like the work of Billy Woods and Quelle Chris, the lyrics are dense and referential, with few catchy hooks to be found, which accentuates the importance of content over mass appeal. OME’s flow throughout the record is excellent and the production (handled by the likes of Quelle Chris, Madlib and Illingsworth, among others) is equally strong. Features from Armand Hammer, RAP Ferreira and others add some welcome variety as well. The cartoonishly menacing piano-led beat on ‘Burner Account’ is a particular album highlight, reminiscent of Madlib’s Quasimoto projects. ‘For DOOM’ is a beautifully produced and heartfelt elegy to the late MF Doom, a hero of OME’s, and a figure whose influence on lyrical rap would make such albums possible. OME enlists the help of RAP Ferreira, STILL RIFT and Video Dave on ‘Multi-Game Arcade Cabinet’, one of the strongest posse cuts of the year which boasts one of the best beats of the album. Overall, this is a strong and cohesive album and a return to form for the self-proclaimed ‘art rapper’.
Arctic Monkeys – The Car (21st October)
Genres – Baroque Pop, Art Pop
16 years after the raucous sound of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, took the nation by storm, new Arctic Monkeys releases still mark a big event. After the so-so radio rock of AM (2013), the band made one of the most notable careers left turns in popular music with Tranquillity Base Hotel and Casino, an album which impressed some and ruffled the feathers of many with its instrumentally subtle, lyrically outrageous lounge rock. The Car will not win these fans back over but is an interesting and impressive album nonetheless. The band’s classic hits are still played every night at indie clubs up and down the country, and this is symptomatic of the band's plight. Loved for their humour, classic rock sensibility, and rawness, the band maturing into a more explorative phase was bound to leave many behinds, but there is a lot to like about The Car if you are willing to accept their evolution. ‘There’d Better Be a Mirrorball’ is an excellent single, starting with Bond theme-like strings which keep a sense of urgency throughout the track. Alex Turner’s lyrics are playful, and memorable, yet elusive. Gone are the days of simple storytelling that the band made their name with. ‘Body Paint’, the other single, is also fantastic. Turner’s falsetto is excellent over strings, piano, and Matt Helder’s soft, jazz drumming. The track builds to a guitar solo before rather disappointingly fading out to the finish. The funk-flavoured ‘I Ain’t Quite Where I Think I Am’ is also strong, with Turner’s sometimes raspy voice delivering Bowie-like vocal lines. The classical instrumentation is, again, on point. The title of the track seems appropriate for where the band is. While this album is closer to Tranquillity Base than any of their other projects, their sound is still changing and there is a sense that the band are visiting these new styles, not having yet found a home. The album isn’t perfect and some of the tracks bleed into one another (not helped by the absence of clear song structure apparent across most of the track list) but any fans of singer-songwriter music or baroque pop will likely find something to enjoy here.
Dry Cleaning – Stumpwork (21st October)
Genres – Post Punk
It hasn’t taken long for Dry Cleaning to follow up their acclaimed debut, New Long Leg, released last year. Part of the post-punk revival (and aping the instrumental hallmarks of that genre), the band are set apart by Florence Shaw’s spoken word vocals and dry, irreverent sense of humour. While the band’s lyrical wit, combined with Shaw’s disinterested-sounding vocals, is still effective, the album isn’t quite as punchy as its predecessor. The opening track, ‘Anna Calls From the Arctic’ marks a slight departure from their previous sound. The instrumental is slightly more distorted and washed out, which does little to the group’s credit, resulting in a far less energetic and exciting sound than what we heard on New Long Leg. The deadpan vocals, however, are still compelling and are especially reminiscent of Arab Strap, and Shaw’s short bursts of sung melody add enough variation. The instrumental sound is greatly improved on ‘Kwenchy Kups’ which uses clean, jangly guitars to good effect over strange, profane lyrics. ‘Gary Ashby’ is a great track with catchy guitar hooks and a sung chorus that breaks up the intensity of Shaw’s at times overwhelmingly monotone vocal delivery. ‘Hot Penny Day’ is another high point, boasting wry and focused lyrics about love affairs, accompanied by a funky bassline and freaky saxophone screeches. ‘Stumpwork’ is then a lull as the vocals and instrumentals fade into unremarkable sonic monotony. It is a theme throughout the album that when the instrumentals are sharp and interesting, Shaw’s vocals and lyrics make more sense and come to the fore, such as on ‘No Decent Shoes for Rain’ and ‘Don’t Press me’ which have heavier guitars and cleaner mixes. Lyrics like ‘I've seen your arse but not your mouth // That's normal now’ are funnier and more memorable when they are set against a solid musical foundation. This effectively sums up an album that, despite being less exciting than that which came before, has enough good material and memorable moments to make it worth a listen. The instrumentals don’t always do the lyrics justice, but when they do, it clicks. The slightly disturbing album art is also worth a look.
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