SOUND JUDGEMENT
The latest album releases reviewed
V
UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA ★★★★✩
When lockdown hit, Unknown
Mortal Orchestra mastermind Ruban Nielson decamped from Portland to Palm Springs, a place that reminded him of his childhood spent between Hawaii and New Zealand.
He flew his brother and bandmate Kody to California and the pair began recording.
The result is V, a double album that is, like all UMO releases, steeped in memory.
A new sound palette feels uniquely personal among the UMO catalogue, from the sparkling riffs and uplifting sentiment of That Life to the frankly stunning jazzy interlude, The Widow.
By engaging with his family and rich heritage, Nielson has created something very special. SONGS OF SURRENDER U2 ★★★★✩ Songs Of Surrender sees U2 revisit 40 of their iconic songs, reworked and reimagined through a new recording of each track.
Most songs have been reworked with new arrangements, and in some cases, refreshed lyrics. A more delicate approach sees acoustic guitar, piano and strings present on most of the tracks.
As a result, certain numbers lack the punch of the original.
At times, the rhythmic power of drummer Larry Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton is missed, but throughout the album, the maturing richness of Bono’s vocals proves compelling.
FANTASY M83 ★★✩✩
There are dreamy synths aplenty as French electronic outfit M83 return with their ninth studio album.
Fantasy sees Anthony Gonzalez, leader of the project, abandon commerciality in favour of making music for himself. He fuses guitar and synth to make otherworldly shoegaze, produced during long jamming sessions.
Unfortunately, there is not enough variation between the rest of the tracks to keep the listener dialled in.
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