For all the great albums that grab the music media spotlight, there’s many more that slip by the warm glow of recognition. It’s not always for lack of quality either, given the huge array of ways we listen to music these days, both online and off, as well as the speed at which we all consume, it’s little wonder that many great releases slip through the cracks. So much music, so little time.
But here’s the chance to take a little pause for breath and reflect at the month that’s been, picking over the best releases that may have missed the love they deserve when first landing. Maybe they were overshadowed by a major label blockbuster, unnecessarily overlooked or misunderstood, perhaps suffered a case of bad timing. No matter the reason for them slipping under the radar, we’ve switched on our musical sonar to help you discover and explore a raft of releases you may well have missed the first time round.
Honeyblood – Honeyblood (FatCat)
If you’ve been a little disappointed by Best Coast’s releases of late, or Deap Vally proved to be a little too rocky for your sensibilities, then you definitely need to check out Honeyblood, who manage to glean from the best of both bands.
After hearing their indie fuzz-pop and delightfully grunge-addled riffs for the first time, there are two mild revelations to be made. Firstly, that the tightly wrapped layers of voices, guitars, and drums is produced by just two people – strummer Stina Tweeddale and thumper Shona McVicer; secondly, despite their West Coast-styled delivery the twosome actually hail from Glasgow.
The Scottish twosome’s self-styled “crunch pop” is given its US radio-ready sheen thanks to producer Peter Katis, who’s given similar spit and polish to both The National and Honeyblood’s fellow countrymen, Frightened Rabbit. But make no mistake, the talent is all down to Stina and Shona’s keen sense of style and songwriting chops.
‘Super Rat’ is slinky and seductive even as its words are a sinewy kiss-off to its titular ‘Scum bag sleaze! Slime ball grease!”, a biting chorus that’s sung with casual aplomb. Meanwhile, the up-tempo punch of gems like ‘Killer Bangs’ and ‘Choker’ show similarly focussed displays of charm, while the dreamier likes of ‘Bud’ and yearning ‘(I’d Rather Be) Anywhere But Here’ mix up the album’s mood.
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As a whole, Honeyblood is one of the most listenable and masterfully confident debuts this year thus far. (Al Newstead)
White Fence – For The Recently Found Innocent (Drag City)
There’s a helluva lotta talent that spills from the California coast when it comes to psych and garage rock, and Tim Presley, under the moniker White Fence, is no exception.
A man renowned for his fastidious work ethic, Presley has released seven(!) records since 2010, including the fearsome Hair collaboration with contemporary Ty Segall, in 2012, so it arrives as no surprise that July 2014 sees Presley produce his fifth record as White Fence, and if you missed it, we demand you check it out now.
Harkening back to the days of the sun-soaked 1960s summer of love, Presley simultaneously channels the West Coast spirit of soaring, sprawling psychedelia as well as vintage British invasion sounds to produce arguably his finest work to date.
Lead single ‘Like That’ sees Presley depart from the more rusted garage sonics found on previous efforts, instead opting for a cleaner, more upbeat psych-pop jam. Additional honourable mention must be given to ‘Sandra,’ which guest stars sepia-toned organs that will make you swear that you’re listening to an old Kinks record.
If you’re yet to get into White Fence, this will be your crossover record, if you’re already a fan, For The Recently Found Innocent will top your list of favourite 2014 releases. (Joe Harris)
TRAAMS – Cissa (FatCat)
On September’s debut album Grin, UK post-punk trio TRAAMS functioned at two very distinct modes – high-spirited, economic post-punk chunks and longer, woolly spiralling psych jams.
On follow-up five-track EP Cissa, TRAAMS focus almost exclusively on the former style (save for the closing title track) and they’re all the more focussed for it.
Galloping opening track ‘Giddy’ takes all of 10 seconds to showcase all of the band’s key elements: needling, catchy guitar riffs, a tight, wiry rhythm section, and Stu Hopkins’ exasperated, melodic yelps.
From there the choppy, spiky delights of ‘Marbles’ and ‘Selma’ keeps the energy up, as sharp hooks and catchy choruses fly by at a furious pace. The two-minute-ish ‘Carousel’ takes a mild breather before diving into ‘Cissa’, more than earning their right to the dirge of corkscrew psychedelics that ever-so-slowly cranks up the tempo across its seven steady minutes.
All in all, Cissa is a cracking display of talent that shows serious future promise for its creators. (AN)
Wunder Wunder – Everything Infinite (Shock Records)
Aussie turned Los Angeles expats Aaron Shanahan and Benjamin Plant have long explored the worlds of electronic music as both writers and producers, and Wunder Wunder is their collaborative baby.
Everything Infinite is the debut full-length from the pair that delves deep into the sonic depths of gorgeously melodic indie rock, heaving waves of dreamy neo-psychedelica and eclectic electronica alongside breezing, sighed vocals that come together as an immersible amalgamation of coastal wonder.
The synth-charged ‘Coastline’ is unquestionably one of the greatest summer tracks of the year, transporting you to a Californian seaside with the band as they cruise the coast without a care in the world.
‘Dreams Of The Fall’ is the closing track of the record that beautifully encapsulates the 1960s pop-sentiment implied on the LP, with a more than obvious ‘Lovely Rita’ by The Beatles introduction, but with a colourful reinterpretation, rather akin to the production stylings of Tame Impala. (JH)
Alvvays – Alvvays (Polyvinyl/PopFrenzy)
Though growing up on the isolated Nova Scotian island of Cape Breton, future Alvvays members Molly Rankin and Kerri MacLellan were raised on a diet of Scottish indie, specifically the power-pop of Teenage Fanclub and twee heroes Belle & Sebastian.
You don’t have to know that background to enjoy the retro-fitted sounds and melancholia of Alvvays, but it certainly helps explain why their whimsical tales are so sharply drawn and so damn well executed on this, their first full-length album.
Combining narrative detail that’d make The Smiths swoon with jangle guitar rock of the early R.E.M./Real Estate variety, Alvvays is a striking debut. Sure, they’re hardly going to reinvent the wheel but Alvvays produce tunes every bit as good as the cult heroes they are paying sonic homage to.
Witness how ‘Adult Diversion’ sees Rankin transforming stalking a stranger into a romantic opine (“one more cocktail/ and I’m on your trail”) thanks to her sweet delivery and a jaunty musical backing. The quintet’s collective skills are even more arresting on ‘Archie, Marry Me’ and its ‘Hey Hey’ sing-along chorus. And you’re unlikely to find a lyric that better captures the collective crises of mid-20s restlessness this year than the couplet: “too late to go out and too young to stay in.”
Recorded in Toronto with the winning assistance of Chad VanGaalen, Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh , and John Angello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Kur Vile), Alvvays seem groomed for cult stardom far beyond their Toronto homeland. (AN)
Aldous Harding – Aldous Harding (Spunk)
Aldous Harding is the moniker under which Kiwi singer-songwriter Hanna Harding writes and performs her ethereal, gothic folk tunes.
This July saw this hauntingly talented artist release her debut, self-titled LP, which is so heart-wrenching it needs to come with a warning: “Aldous Harding will make you cry.”
This may seem a little dramatic, but from the moment your ears are blessed with this young songstress’ spooky, intriguing vocal coo, every hair on your body stands tall. Harding’s delivery is as Björk sugar-sweet as it is Sinead O’Connor tear-soaked, accompanied by forlorn folk finger-picking and Celtic strings to deliver an utterly moving experience.
‘Hunter’ is the track that’ll make you crack, the troubadour bleeding powerful lyrics “he’s a hunter/he’s a good man/be brave as he brings you nothing home,” placing listeners under a melancholic spell that despite all efforts, cannot be broken until the song has spun in it’s entirety.
This is a truly remarkable debut release from an artist that is set for dizzying heights. We couldn’t think of a more perfect winter release. (JH)
