Recent Albums to Check Out (2020) - 3

This is batch 3 of the posts that I make for noting some of the great albums which came out in current year of 2020, and usually touch upon 3-4 albums which have been added to my library this year.

Pyrrhon - Abscess Time

Genre: Extreme Metal, Technical Death Metal, Avant Garde Metal

Release Date: June 26, 2020

Listen Here

Pyrrhon probably is one of most interesting but really hard to get into acts in extreme metal right now, with two stellar albums before this release where they seamlessly blend Technical Death Metal Hardcore and Noise into their hard sound with very philosophical lyrics bordering on pretentious how can they top it. I am pleased to say this is Pyrrhon's best work yet, the noise and drone elements are explored more with some obvious early Swans influences going on, this allows Pyrrhon to explore with the idea of space and makes the album more dynamic. This is not to say that there are not crushing riffs and super fast technical playing, yes of course there it and the band seems to have only upped their execution. This is an album which challenges the listener on every aspect of the listening experience and that obviously makes the audience of such album very limited but boy-of-boy this is a delight for me. On the production front Colin Marston does a great job on sparse components of the album giving organic dynamics to the flow the album. 

My Morning Jacket - Waterfall II

Genre: Indie Folk, Indie Rock

Release Date: July 10, 2020

Listen Here

My Morning Jacket is a standard A tier indie rock band, with some notable albums like Z and At Dawn followed by 'just pleasent' indie rock and folk. Waterfall was an enjoyable album but apart from couple of songs I had no desire to revisit, so I am very glad when I checked out Waterfall II, this is definitely their best offering since Z, and the sonic textures in this album go from dream pop, psychedelic, country rock and folk but it all works together very well. The three song run of Magic Bullet - Run It - Wasted is enough to sell me on this album but then you also have other amazing highlights like Feel You and Spinning My Wheels. Also this album is a grower, I knew this was a great album when I heard it the first time but it has grown on me significantly.

Animal Collective - Bridge To Quiet

Genre: Indietronic, Experimental Pop, Ambient 

Release Date: July 4, 2020

Listen Here

Well, there is no question that Animal Collective is one of the most forward-thinking pop groups putting out amazing material as a collective of via individual members for quite a few years now. After the excellent run of studio albums in the 2000s their output in 2010s so far has been underwhelming, this EP, however, is four tracks in the right direction. Each track is ~10 mins long and can be defined as calculated indulgence. The sound of this EP is impeccable, even with long-winded ambient passages like in title track, Animal Collective manages to keep things very interesting by introducing subtle instrumentations in various places. What this EP lacks in cohesion it makes up for a gauntlet of ideas packed in 30 mins and I can't wait for an album making use of these ideas into a more impeccable execution.

Recent Albums To Check Out (2020) - 2

This is batch 2 of the posts that I make for noting some of the great albums which came out in current year of 2020, and usually touch upon 3-4 albums which have been added to my library this year.

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher

Genre: Singer-Songwriter

Release Date: June 18, 2020

Listen Here

The hype surrounding Phoebe Bridgers is insane, she is everywhere this year especially if you are following indie content, this made me skeptical to try out here new record, plus I found Stranger In The Alps likable but was nowhere close to loving it. Boy, I am so glad I gave this one a chance, this is one of the most emotionally potent Singer-Songwriter albums I have heard in a quite a while. Phoebe's lyricism is not as cryptic as an Elliot Smith but is not as direct as Mountain Goats, it is subtle without being hidden, it has layers and the layers are apparent, more time you spend with this album more it will hit you. A second very important characteristic that makes this album great it the production which is immaculate and on songs like Kyoto and I know the End Phoebe takes some risks and they pay off in making the album more diverse. "I Know The End" is probably my favorite song of the year so far. 

Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats - Unlocked

Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Release Date: February 7, 2020

Listen Here

This is an EP released by one of the most exciting faces in Hip-hop Denzel Curry with producer extraordinaire Kenny Beats, it is a short 8 tracks and just over 20 minutes in runtime.  Despite its short length, the duo has filled this project with as much energy and heart as possible. The beats are solid and hard-hitting and the bars are well constructed. This could not have been an easy album for Denzel to make as he steers away from his usual style almost completely, his flows sounds very inspired by Wu-Tang era new your rap. This album is very good and each song is great, but none of them experiments enough to wow but I guess that's fine for an EP, the way this is executed is the reason to give it a listen.

Algiers - There Is No Year

Genre: Post-Punk, Art-Punk, RnB

Release Date: January 17, 2020

Listen Here

An album from January, that seems so far behind right now, but I still keep revisiting this album once or twice a month, and there is a good reason. This is a great post-punk release from Algiers. Algiers is one of the most innovative post-punk bands from the UK revival scene, this is their third studio and they stick to their appeal immaculate fusion of punk ethos and RnB smoothness. Their unique sound mixed in with their politically charged lyrics and well-executed and produced tracks shows they really put a lot of work and thought into what they do. This album is no exception, the production falters a little at places but in general, it is full of great songs like 'Dispossession'. If you are a fan of punk/post-punk or even a rock or an RnB fan this is an album you want to check out.

Recent Albums Worth Checking Out (2020) - 1

This is batch 1 of the posts that I make for noting some of the great albums which came out in current year of 2020, and usually touch upon 3-4 albums which have been added to my library this year.

Illuminati Hotties - FREE I.H. This Is Not The One You Have Been Waiting For

Genre: Punk, Pop-Punk, Indie Rock

Release Date: July 17, 2020

Listen Here

This is my album of the year so far! It is near close to a perfect album, in a short runtime of just over 20 mins and 12 tracks it perfectly captures the aggression of a small artist screwed over by their label. Sarah Tuzdin a.k.a. Illuminati Hotties had some trouble with her label leading her to self-release this album with the help of some friends. It is NOT composed of songs which she created for her 2nd album she planned to drop with her label but an entirely new crop of DIY songs, hence the title. The songs are short and furious but also immediately catchy, which combined with the small runtime of the record will warrant in full repeat listens. This is not a subtle record what is great about this record is on the surface with great lyrics, pretty well-arranged instrumentation considering this is a DIY project and finally some catchy, catchy hooks. HIGHLY highly recommend this album.

Shabaka and The Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History

Genre: Jazz, Jazz Fusion

Release Date : March 13, 2020

Listen Here

This is such a contrast from the Illuminati Hotties albums, a lengthy and subtle jazz fusion albums from the genius Shabaka Hutchings and co. Impulse! records have been putting out great jazz albums for ages now, but they have hit an amazing streak in last 3 years with my jazz albums of the year coming from them every year, this year is no exception. This is a fantastic album full of layers with instrumentation ranging from heavy percussion with African rhythms to elements of smooth jazz. Lyrically this album is interesting as well with it warning us of impending apocalypse and exploring historical ties leading up-to it. This album rewards repeated listens as there are so many layers to peel and enjoy, I can safely say I will be revisiting this album over and over again.

Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

Genre: Black Metal, Avant-Garde Metal

Release Date: July 31, 2020

Listen Here

Imperial Triumphant is one of the most exciting acts in metal right now, they came onto the scene with their last album Vile Luxury being a very interesting mix of black and death metal along with elements of jazz, gospel, and classical music. They released Alphaville on Century Media Records, their major-label debut, which had me concerned that they will tame their sound. I am so glad that I was wrong, they kept on with their experimentation, this album edges out their last album a little as the blend of different genres is much smoother here and they also put in some elements of noise and drone music. The orchestral and gospel elements when present in the album sounds creepy and unsettling when juxtaposed with heavy and crushing black metal blast beats and riffs (especially in the opening track Rotted Futures). The album is little front-loaded with a lukewarm finish but still a very worthwhile and satisfying listen.