January
Big Life - DJ Planet Express
Look, sometimes you just need a big, dumb, colorful electronic album to burst through your earphones, drag you to the club, and dance you sore. (Ok it’s not that dumb, but it is that BIG.)
Weft - Blue Lake
Danish electro-chamber-folkies Blue Lake never sleep. They released their breakout just a year and a half ago, and their newest EP/mini-album is as delightful and aquatic as promised. The first track rides a shimmering banjo riff that melds and molds with mandolin and steady drum work. Beauty like this is hard work.
!OK! - Khadija Al Hanafi
Tunsia’s finest footwork finesser impressed me a ton with last year’s Slime Patrol 2, and she’s only expanded her whacky game with this glittering, shimmering piece. Also contained within; an undeniable nostalgia for the Nintendo DS and one of the filthiest sex jams of the decade.
Humanhood - The Weather Station
She finally did it. After years of threatening, The Weather Station has released the Sophisti-Pop record I always wanted from her. Scuff up that production, and Humanhood could fit neatly next to The Blue Nile or early Talk Talk, all soaring hooks and anxiety.
Live at Le Guess Who? - Abul Mogard & Rafael Anton Irisarri
Thunderous, earthshaking ambient that seems to descend from the heavens and rise from the molten core of the earth simultaneously.
Entre Tus Flores - Miramar
Deliciously melodramatic Latin pop with an orchestra’s worth of random instruments stuffed into the nooks and crannies. Whistling, clarinets, tight harmonies, saucy guitars, ‘70s synths, it could be a mess, but the core drama from Cuban Bolero, ties it all together in Soap Opera perfection.
LaLaLaLa - Quinton Barnes
Absurdly self assured raps from a Canadian wonderkid. Barnes produced everything here as well, his sampling efficient, his hooks impeccable, and, most important, the bass speaker-busting. Barnes hopscotches across ‘80s pop, jazz rap, and house music, every genre turn underlining his panache and charm.
Bugs Forever - Gumshoes
Interview alum Gumshoes is back with another batch of dread and whimsy. This time, his baroque pop focuses on BUGS~~! (and the apocalypse). The Belle and Sebastian vibes are undeniable, but even after a great album in 2024, Gum’s songwriting seems more self-assured than ever.