Alexis Turner
Piano
[Moshi Moshi]
A first solo outing from Hot Chip frontman sets his white-soul voice against only the titular instrument, and it follows a line of post-indie artists (Owen Pallett, Caroline Polachek as Ramona Lisa, Julia Holter) testing the strength of their compositions with only the ivories for accompaniment. While his is a voice that never wears thin, Turner’s piano playing is staid and dynamically stolid. There’s nothing wrong with bare simplicity (in the vein of say Cat Power) but this album feels very one-note for it. – Ian Lamont
Swans
The Glowing Man
[Young God Records]
Announced as the last of the current guise of the band, this intense and sludgy double record sees Michael Gira stretching the song form like on 2014’s The Seer, with just three of the nine tracks clocking in under 10 minutes, and three numbers clocking in over 20. Much of the power here is in the restraint of the musicians, opting for tension over bombast and rich detail over blanket distortion. Further, the record’s inherent darkness seems indivisible from the assault allegations made against Gira by former collaborator Larkin Grimm. –Ian Lamont
Cyrus Chestnut Trio
Journeys
[Jazz Legacy Productions]
Journeys by the Cyrus Chestnut Trio is delightful summer listening. With bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Neal Smith at his side, Chestnut glides effortlessly on the ivories through each track.
For sheer joy, give a listen to Eyes of an Angel or Smitty’s Joint. This is jazz ringing as clear as a bell: sophisticated and precise with three musicians playing Chestnut’s own compositions in such total synchronisation with each other that you’d think they were mind readers. A summer party. – Tom Cahill
Whitney
Light Upon The Lake
[Secretly Canadian]
Formed from the discarded parts of the Smith Westerns (Max Kakacek, guitarist) and a defector from Unknown Mortal Orchestra (Julien Ehrlich, drummer and falsetto lead vocalist), Whitney have produced a nicely rounded selection for their debut record. Ranging from retro psych pop, redolent of UMO themselves, to more twangy and pedal-steeled Americana that hints at Summerteeth-era Wilco, Light Upon The Lake is a tasty treat from the indie establishment. – Daniel Simon
Steve Gunn
Eyes on the Line
[Matador]
Steve Gunn made his name working under his own name, as part of the Gunn/Truscinski Duo, and with trio Desert Heat (which featured our own Cian Nugent) making meditative instrumental guitar music. Similarly to Nugent’s recent Night Fiction record, Eyes on the Line sees the main man stepping up to the microphone and singing. Unsurprisingly, the record makes an excellent companion piece for Night Fiction, redolent in the same kind of endless grooves and winding guitar lines knit together strands of rock’n’roll and the American Primitive form that underlies his instrumental style. – Daniel Simon
William Tyler
Modern Country
[Merge]
Another of the many guitar-pickin’ Americans who’ve released records this season, Tyler is known primarily as a sideman and collaborator (with David Berman, Kurt Wagner and others) but Modern Country puts his instrumental chops front and centre. His own take on the development of the American Primitive style away from the solo acoustic model is more spacey and Krauty than most, with his filigree six-string patterns floating along on driving beats and synth washes like a corn-fed Faust. – Daniel Simon
Land Lovers
The Rooks Have Returned
[Popical Island]
The Rooks Have Returned sees Popical Island stalwarts Land Lovers with an album that earned the description on Twitter of “Born to Run meets Aon Focal Eile” for which alone they deserve all kinds of plaudits. Chief lubber Pádraig Cooney does a good go at Elvis Costello or New Pornagraphers style material, fluent in all the tropes of the guitar pop songwriting and dressed in the typical bockety aesthetic of their label with the occasional attempt at bombast. While its lo-fi tone can wear at points, The Rooks is seriously accomplished. – Ian Lamont
Various Artists
Day of the Dead
[4AD]
Seeing as this collection of Grateful Dead cover versions raises money for the extremely worthy AIDS charity Red Hot, I probably shouldn’t be sticking the boot in too hard, but all this extremely long and tedious record – even with appearances from generally top notch cats like Cass McCombs, Jenny Lewis and various members of Grizzly Bear and the National and Jenny Lewis – is expose that the Dead didn’t really write that many memorable songs. There’s the odd fleck of gold here but it’s amongst so much dull rock. – Ian Lamont
