Welcome to May 2017’s edition of Recommended Albums, or as I’ve heard some like to call it, “Every Single Album Released From That Month, You No-Taste, Indecisive Loser.” Well, May 2017 isn’t going to repair my reputation of supporting every single release under the sun, because there was a whole bushel full of records that I just loved and just needed to talk about. Maybe two bushels. At least three records on this list have comfortably situated themselves in my Top 5 of 2017 and the rest are sitting pretty inside the Top 20. The other notable albums below my favorite ten are also to die for. Can you believe that? I’m sure you will after reading what’s in store for you. There’s some top-notch, real good stuff on here. If you disagree, maybe you should find whatever else is left from May that I didn’t talk about. Think about that.
Aldous Harding – Party [4AD]
I immediately got on the Aldous hype train after I saw her open for Deerhunter back in October. Her folk-leaning songs carry so much more weight thanks to her simple theatrics, like contorting her face and making intense, lasting eye contact with members of the audience. The songs on Party naturally hold that live energy, as heard on the shrill, alienating chorus of the title track and the sharply-delivered lines of “Living The Classics.” However, even without a previous mental picture of her live presence, her voice still conveys a deep, intense spectrum of emotion. We can see Aldous as a brooding lounge singer on “I’m So Sorry” & “What If Birds” or more of a Vashti Bunyan troubadour type on “The World Is Looking” & “Swell Does The Skull.” But Aldous really becomes something special on tracks like “Horizon,” “Blend” and “Imagining My Man,” where her voice and persona become something completely unique, free from comparison to other contemporaries. The whole album is something to marvel at, but there are certain moments on Party that completely blow other records of 2017 and beyond out of the water. This is truly a special, bewitching record that deserves your immediate attention and an artist who you should definitely see live if she comes to your town.
Chino Amobi – Paradiso [NON]
Let me fill you in on one important note before going into this: the name Paradiso is a misnomer in the case of this album, unless your version of paradise is a cacophonous, blistering hellscape. I’m not joking around here. Paradiso is an album that, while listening on the subway, made me feel like the world above ground was coming to a fiery end, only for me to remember that it was actually a gorgeous day upon coming above. It’s a gory meat grinder, brutally mashing together a heap of guest musicians with spoken word, poetry, harsh noise, industrial, hip hop, radio drops, abstract electronic, and pop music. It uses these ingredients and makes a massive world out of them, immediately placing the listener in this decrepit, lawless wasteland to watch events unfold. The centerpiece of the record is the hallucinatory title track, which plays out like a cumulative final exam. It brings in elements that the record touched on previously and throws them all at you in a dizzying fury. There are multiple points in the song where the level of chaos and unrest gets so high it reaches feelings of euphoria. It’s one of the best songs of the year and a perfect summation of this grand statement of a record. And what is that statement exactly? Well, I can’t parse something out completely, but it truly feels like one of the first great Tr*mp protest records. The apocalypse. Bringing to light a series of injustices. A form of resistance. True destruction.
Demen – Nektyr [Kranky]
Imagine a mad scientist’s lair located on the top floor of a spooky stone tower perched on a steep cliff. Dark storm clouds billow around the top. Angry waves crash at the rocks below. Inside, Demen is filling in values on the machine to make her luscious debut record, Nektyr. Proportioning the amount of elegant, gossamer vocals of Cocteau Twins. The appreciation of patience and silence of Grouper. The sonic depth and mood of Chelsea Wolfe. The slowness of This Mortal Coil. It’s a legion of influences, immaculately conceived in a den of darkness. It’s an arduous labor of love. A goth confession. It is devoid of hope, a flickering light lost in a sea of ink. A woozy heartbeat trapped in a maze. On first listen it might feel like a bit amorphous, a swath of dark ambiance with no arc. But the more you return the more melodies start to click together and the process becomes highly intoxicating. As sad and hopeless as it is, it sounds terribly beautiful.
Hundred Waters – Particle [OWSLA]
It’s always great when a surprise release from one of your favorite bands turns out to be a sweet treat rather than an unfortunate flop. On Hundred Waters’ new EP Particle, their biggest-sounding project yet, it’s a buffet of the sweetest treats for a fan like me. On their previous full-length, The Moon Rang Like A Bell, we saw Hundo drifting more towards a completely electronic sound rather than one with synthetic and organic elements mixed, as seen on their self-titled debut. This electronic framework is maxed out here, with a song like “Jewel In My Hands” utilizing an understated drop and “Particle” and “Currency” becoming two of the poppiest songs the band has made. But like always, the main draw to Hundo is Nicole Miglis’ graceful voice. It doesn’t even matter what’s underneath her; she shines on every song. In Particle‘s case, she pirouettes and sashays through the propulsive electronics surrounding her, igniting sparks and shooting arcs of lightning across the shifting digital landscape. I have yet to find one fault in this dang band for five years now. How is that even possible?
Land of Talk – Life After Youth [Saddle Creek]
I’d say that Life After Youth is the most unassumingly great record on this list. At first glance it might seem like another indie rock record from a band that was more notable seven years ago. On the contrary, it’s an indie rock record with some of the best songs of the year. Songs like “This Time,” “Loving” and “Heartcore” have been three that I’ve revisited time and time again. They’re songs that seem pretty plain compared to a lot of other records on this list, but have been stuck in my head multiple times this month. Something about this album, but especially those three songs, just feels so good. Something sounding good is easy, but when something feels good, that’s another story. This album hits the bullseye of “sounding good, feeling good.” Put this on and look cute, feel cute.
Warm Visions 