BEST OF THE REST
Other new releases out this month.
Night Beats
Outlaw R&B FUZZ CLUB
Conceived in the tense crucible of the social injustice-stoked California wildfires, this taut blend of psych-Americana, fried Roky Erickson-isms and raw, dust-road blues is cinematic, evocative and potently trippy. 8/10
Chad VanGaalen
World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener SUB POP
VanGaalen’s frazzled-edge world view appears refracted through a psycotropic prism of altered state, off-kilter, wall-of-sound eccentricity. It’s ace, but he’s not a man you’d trust with secateurs. 7/10
The Hyena Kill
A Disconnect APF
Skewed and informed by frontman Steven Dobb’s intrinsic darkness, this powerful second album finds the formerly feral Manchester quartet (over-)produced to the brink of ethereal shoe-gaze while channelling Tool. 7/10
Stephen Malkmus & Von Spar
Can’s Ege Bamyasi DOMINO
Nine-year old, 40th-anniversary, live interpretation of the kosmische pioneers’ entire third album by the bloke out of Pavement. The tracks aren’t in the right order, it’s nice enough, but it’s not Can. 6/10
Pop Evil
Versatile EONE
Unaccountably massive in the US, these 20-year Michigan veterans shoehorn elements of pure pop into the production. While it works, their contrivance shows. So they’re good-bad, not evil. Sadly. 7/10
The Chills
Scatterbrain FIRE
Packed with soaring melodies that would soar far higher given more vocal muscle than Dunedin sound architect Martin Phillipps is prepared to employ, Scatterbrain makes Crowded House sound like Slayer. 6/10
Frost*
Day And Age INSIDEOUT
Jem Godfrey’s neo-proggers return with a fourth album of requisite complexity, longevity and conceptual heft. Its songs might not sell as well as those Godfrey wrote for Atomic Kitten and Blue, but they’re probably longer. 7/10
Dirty Honey
Dirty Honey SELF-RELEASED
With similar rock, roll, swagger and groove to vintage Aerosmith, Crowes and GN’R, this much-touted LA quartet’s debut full-length surpasses all expectations with self-assured attitude to spare. 8/10
Mount Forel
Small Worlds FUTUREPROOF
Blending post-rock tropes with a dash of reflective space-psych and a smidgen of prog-folk whimsy, this multinational collective, occasionally delight, yet often border on insipid indie indulgence. 6/10
Them Bloody Kids
Radical Animals SELF-RELEASED
Bone-crunching riffs, cannily deployed tritones and a level of vocal aggression that simply cannot be faked, London’s politically driven Them Bloody Kids match the fury of punk with the power of metal to stunning effect. Recommended. 8/10
Jane Getter Premonition
Anomalia ESOTERIC ANTENNA
Operating at the intersection of jazz, rock and neo-prog, ace guitarist/ vocalist Getter has assembled an impressive cast (Zappa/Miles alumni, Vernon Reid) to craft a rare blend of technical brilliance and soulful humanity. Steely Dan on steroids. 8/10
Bryan Ferry
Royal Albert Hall 2020 SELF-RELEASED
Captured at the final RAH shows before lockdown, and released to benefit his band and crew, 75-year-old Ferry’s restrained take on Roxy Music classics and solo snippets chills rather than thrills. 6/10