Father John Misty
Pure Comedy
[Bella Union]
Pure Comedy’s weakness (surprisingly) doesn’t derive from the is he/isn’t he meta-assholery of Josh Tillman’s Father John Misty projection, but simply from its repetitiveness. Nearly all the songs all are leaden-paced, nearly all appear to deal with some end-of-days reckoning, and nearly all loaded with pithy pronouncements on the ridiculousness of it all that come off as trite. Given those characteristics, nearly every track feels like it should be closing track, but the super-wordy and surprisingly hook-free ballads just keep on coming, like 13 not-quite-as-funny retreads of Honeybear’s Bored In The USA. Disappointing. – Ian Lamont
Spoon
Hot Thoughts
[Matador Records]
Much like the artwork of their ninth studio album, Hot Thoughts is a vibrant representation of how indie mavericks Spoon attain an equilibrium in their sonic diversity coherently and without complacency. The eclectic ideas of Britt Daniel present themselves in many musical forms, each transitioning seamlessly from one moment to the next. Where ‘Can I Sit Next To You’ is forthright in funk influences, ‘I Ain’t The One’, charms us with a wistful longing. Culminating with ‘Us’, this instrumental piece is the perfect conclusion to this fulfilling forty minute audio experience. – Zara Hedderman
Cameron Avery
Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams
[Anti]
Coming from Tame Impala, Pond, The Growl and a stint touring with The Last Shadow Puppets, Australian multi-instrumentalist Cameron Avery has taken all of these influences, appropriating them as a solo artist with his accomplished debut, Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams.
Romance abounds throughout the ten songs lyrically and in the several instrumental takeovers. Besotted sentiments delivered with sincerity and wit in a Father John Misty inflection are coupled with sweeping orchestral arrangements of whimsical strings, infectious bass and impassioned drumlines. This is a modern album with a very timeless feel. – Zara Hedderman
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
The Tourist
[Undertow]
The dwindling of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah operating as five piece to its current guise as Alec Ounsworth’s solo project has not compromised the band’s associated sound on The Tourist. The songs exude an unrelenting vigour deftly asserted with infectious bass lines, energetic drums and Ounsworth’s distinct wailing vocal proffering transparent portraits of his relationships with time, place and career. The Tourist is tinged with nostalgia, the arrangements rarely deviate from the familiar compositional formulae fans will be comfortable with. – Zara Hedderman
Soulwax
From DeeWee
[Play It Again Sam]
The dapper Belgian DJ duo return with a one take recording that clocks in at 49 minutes and 5 seconds. It’s over a decade since their last release but of course they keep busy under their 2Many DJs moniker and dropping ace remixes such as the Tame Impala closer (Let It Happen) in Despacio at the Electric Picnic in 2015. This is woozy and squelchy and a squeeze from the soak of all their influences. There’s Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode in places. It’ll get you on the floor at some stage even if it mightn’t keep you there all night. – Michael McDermott
Thundercat
Drunk
[Brainfeeder]
A monstrous record of sweeping ambition, Stephen Bruner’s third album, Drunk, does not hold back on the full power gonzo six-string bass vituosity on which his reputation is formed. Over 23 tracks, he mixes jazz-soul pop with wry observations on the nature of tweeting and cat noises with mega-frenetic fusion instrumentals. It’s a lot to take in an a fittingly intoxicating mix. – Ian Lamont
Hauschka
What If
[City Slang]
Volker Bertelmann is a German pianist and composer best known for his composition for prepared piano under the name Hauschka. Inserting everything from ping pong balls to aluminium scraps into the belly of the ivory beast, he hopscotches after John Cage. Standout tracks such as I Need Exile have an exhilarating urgency before you submerge oneself in the calm of I Can’t Express My Love Deep Enough. A fantastic Sonic Care package. – Michael McDermott
