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I feel like February was a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, some really big indie rock-ish releases (Animal Collective; Beach House; Big Thief; Spoon; Black Country New Road --- all in one month!) --- all of which I liked well enough, even the AC (who I don't tend to like as much), but really only the Big Thief and BCNR truly got into my ears and under my skin, with Beach House not far behind. On the flip side, some mostly-new-to-me names really wowed me, and some vets turned in projects that I liked more than I expected to. On the whole though, a lot less here than January (which was unreasonably overflowing with interesting stuff).
~~~ Top-tier Favorites/Most Admired ~~~
BCNR - Ants From Up There. I think I enjoy this one more than their first. Nothing I can say about these folks that hasn't been said.
Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain... I started getting into BT in 2019-2020, mainly through Two Hands and then backtracking from there. There's a lot of discussion about them right now in indie circles and beyond, trying to pin down what their popularity represents (or doesn't) --- but for me, they're just a really really *warm* band, whether they're playing in more of a folky or rock mode. Even their most jarring, angry, or dark moments feel comforting and all-encompassing somehow (the songwriting is key here, too). I would resequence this and possibly cut off a few tracks but it will likely be in my top of tops for the year.
Raveena - Asha's Awakening. This is one of the poppiest records I've enjoyed this year and I can't recommend it enough. Its incorporation of Indian instruments and sounds into more a more American/Euro r&b-pop aesthetic sometimes walks right up to the line of being kitschy but never crosses it; instead, the mixture always feels fresh vibrant, complementing the lightness and openness of spirit that pervades the whole record. And I think that lightness comes from precisely that blend --- there's some genuinely cool stuff happening musically, particularly in terms of the percussion and the use of certain Indian rhythms/motifs, that feels really natural in a pop context. It's also very measured, opting more for subtlety and minimalism than the type of sonic density a lot of today's pop has, and very *fun*. It's hard not to dance through this album. Hard to pick favorites but I especially love the back-to-back punch of Magic, Kismet, and Kathy Left 4 Kathmandu.
Gonora Sounds - Hard Times Never Kill. I can't explain how happy this record makes me. A family band from Zimbabwe swoops in with all the energy you could ask for: everything is simultaneously simple and complex, rhythms, melodies, all of it. The drums in particular are just right on point. I've definitely been spending a lot of time with music from Africa lately and this is one of my favorite newer records from the continent -- all the better that it's from Zimbabwe, whose music I don't have much knowledge of.
Khruangbin/Leon Bridges - Texas Moon. My favorite of the series so far and I think it made me appreciate the first EP more. "B-Side" can be played on endless repeat, easy.
~~~ Also Really Enjoying/Need More Time With... ~~~ * LNDFK - Kuni. I'm putting this at the top because it's likely it will edge into my absolute favs of the month, I only just heard it a few weeks ago. I don't know what to make of it, in a good way, but I will say that it reminds me a lot of Hiatus Kaiyote. There's hip hop and r&b with proggy twists and turns but also pieces that border on something ambient. The drums take the cake -- can't tell if they're programmed or live or a mix but they're KILLING.
* Beach House - Once Twice Melody. I think this is a record that will take time to appreciate and find space for.
* Moonchild - Starfruit. They're not my favorite but they're good at what they do: a rather rigid, maybe too on-the-nose version of Dilla-leaning neo-soul that still jams in spite of its flaws (confession: I'd like them 10x more without the lead singer's voice, as harsh as that sounds). The band got some nice features here too including Lalah, Alex Isley, Rapsody, Tank and the Bangas, and guitarist Josh Johnson.
* Big KRIT - Digital Roses Don't Die. Think I talked about this elsewhere.
* Ivy Sole - Candid. She's new to me but has been around for a while and I might have given her a chance because there's a Topaz Jones feature --- but this is a solid record with her flexing as both a rapper and a singer. It's hard to balance those talents across a single record but I think she does it really well here, showing off her lyricism on tracks like the opener "Easy to Kill" but also her ear for vocals/melody on songs like "Nights Like This." Her singing voice reminds me a lot of Meshell and I feel like a lot of the production takes cues from that brand of neo-soul as well. This record keeps growing on me, might edge its way higher over time.
* Erin Rae - Lighten Up. Classic country-infused singer/songwriter with a really good ear for arrangements. A good comparison in sound might be someone like Weyes Blood but with a bit of Waxahatchee thrown in. Honestly, this is *mainly* getting on here for the song "Cosmic Sigh" which is one of my favorite songs of the year but there's a lot to love on this record. The opening track is great too ("Candy+Curry"). Beautiful voice and just about every tune will work its way into your brain if you let it. Produced by Jonathan Wilson who produced Angel Olsen's new record (among other recent big lps).
* Robert Glasper - Black Radio 3. I like this *way* more than I expected to (which was very little, lol). Worth the price of admission for the Q-Tip/Esperanza Spalding cut ("Why We Speak") which is definitely a favorite song of the year so far. The whole album is very dialed in to a certain R&B/neo-soul sound that isn't necessarily out of Glasper's normal terrain but feels more focused than usual.
* Nicholas Craven - Craven n 3. Nothing unexpected: Craven's beats here are solid but true to form, and the same with his features (Stove God, Boldy, Evidence, YOD, so on) --- yet this feels really coherent for a producer EP and is definitely worth return listens. YOD's "YOD Body" is the top cut for me and I'm kind of mad he didn't save it for one of his own albums.
-thebigfunk
~ i could still snort you under the table ~
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