Car Seat Headrest – Making A Door Less Open

The first couple tracks really throw you off the scent here. Its almost like Will Toledo is deliberately trying to make an underrated album, as he dresses tunes like Weightlifters and Can’t Cool Me Down with distracting electronic extravagance. They’re good tunes... it’s just a jarring departure for CSH is all. Then the combatively cynical Hollywood amps things up even further on a thematic level. Yet as the album rolls through you get used to it and once the minimal What’s With You Lately pops up it signifies a couple closing tracks (Life Worth Missing and There Must Be More Than Blood) where the elements all seem to come together in a form that’s more familiar and it’s here that Making A Door Less Open hits its peak, at the end, leaving you satisfied and also a little confused. Which is probably the point. MADLO can be a disorientating album in places but that goes hand in hand with its ambition... the kind of album destined to make more sense in the future when it’s got a bit more context in the Car Seat Headrest discography.

Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Reunions

What’s there to say? It’s a Jason Isbell album, the songwriting craft is going to be of the highest order and it’ll give your soul a little nudge in the listening. Isbell is at his very best writing about characters, sometimes they’re versions of himself but many others they’re complete imaginations. He’s got that poet’s knack for cutting to the core without wasting a word. All in service of The Song - there’s that craftsmanship for ya. The first impression is that Renunions is perhaps a step below his best albums but that’s not fair because Isbell’s tunes have a tendency to unveil themselves slowly over repeat listens. Time will tell how this one stands when the dust settles but Dreamsicle, Only Children, River, and Letting You Go are instant entrants to the over-crowded Isbell Hall of Fame and chances are there’ll be more where they came from with a few more listens.

Reb Fountain – Reb Fountain

Just another ripping set of tunes coming out of Aotearoa (and courtesy of Flying Nun records, no less). Reb Fountain’s been doing this for long enough to know what she’s doing but this record sees her expand her typical alt-folk leanings into more ambitious territory – sort of like if Lorde did an album of Nick Cave covers (which would actually be amazing). Fountain has a seeker’s spirit and she doesn’t stutter or stumble into this more expansive direction, from the song structures to her vocals to the themes and lyrics there’s nothing but confidence on display. It contemplative and catchy. When Gods Lie is a particular standout. Also whoever played bass in these sessions earned their cash for sure, it sounds great. The whole record is great.

Jay Worthy & Harry Fraud - Eat When You're Hungry, Sleep When You're Tired

Creepily similar to the project below from Larry June and Cardo, Jay Worthy teams up with Harry Fraud for a slow, synthy, wavvy collection of jams. I've chucked many Jay Worthy projects in here over the past 12 months, also Larry June and while there is a splash of repetition in general aesthetic, there is lovely consistency in quality and style. That allows for variety in details and while delivering a standard slow tempo that Worthy shines with. Fraud provides his own spice like the switch up between Worthy's verse on 'Frankie Lymon' and El Camino's. There is a solid nod to the hip hop landscape as well in terms of guest features. El Camino is a super underground rapper from the east coast and Worthy also calls in Los Angeles comrade G Perico, Guapdad 4000 and the homie Larry June as notable guests. With a bit more bounce and head-bop factor, Eat When You're Hungry, Sleep When You're tired is perfect for a collection of mates with a spliff.

Larry June & Cardo - Cruise USA

Smooth, silky and groovy. Whether you view those as being associated with old school pimping or not, that's always the vibe from the Bay Area's Larry June. For 'Cruise USA' Larry teams up with producer Cardo, who has worked with many pockets of hip hop's elite - the underground kinda elite - and Cardo provides a synth-heavy canvas to set the vibe. Don't expect intricate word-play or rapid fire bars, this is an eight track project designed to accompany your chill session.

Jess Williamson – Sorceress

True to the title of the album, these songs are like gentle incarnations. Hopeful visions of the crossing of the threshold, esoterically grounded dreams. Williamson’s smooth voice floats above these tunes just like her namesake’s softly assured forward defensive shot. With mostly subtle instrumentation hanging on that backbeat this one falls in that same folk rock category as the likes of Angel Olsen or Jenny Lewis and while there’s plenty of mystical imagery this is an album that finds magic in human connection. As The Birds Are, Love’s Not Hard To Find, Harm None, and Infinite Scroll are particular standouts.

Ringo Deathstarr – Ringo Deathstarr

Excellent band name and another decent set of droning and distorted shoegazin’ sounds from the Texan group. Nothing groundbreaking by any means, in fact there are certainly times when they sound too MBV for their own good. But Ringo Deathstarr know what they’re doing, they know the formula, and they’re not afraid to mix it up to keep it interesting. Heavy when it needs to be, soft when it needs to be. Dark when it needs to be, light when it needs to be. It’s been more than four years since their last record and it’s lovely to have them back. Hang your head and let the gazin’ commence.

Clams Casino - Instrumental Relics

Fairly simple and to the point here as Clams Casino’s latest release is a collection of instrumentals from some of his earliest collaborations. There are the instrumentals to his collabos with A$AP Rocky and Soulja Boy, as well as stray instrumentals and some of Clams older work such as ‘I’m God’. Chuck this on when you want some nice background noise, nothing too out-landish but more than enough to provide creative inspiration as the instrumentals seep into your being.

I Break Horses – Warnings

The opening track here, Turn, is nine minutes of epic excellence. It’s dark and brooding and yet serene... like watching the tides come in and out at night time. It’s an incredible song from the Swedish synth group and the rest of the album has trouble reaching that high water mark. Like, you’re waiting for something that can touch that standard and it’s just not gonna happen. But patience is a virtue and there’s plenty to like in the following 45 minutes if you give it the time. Cinematic is a word that keeps being used about this album. Cinematic of the Terrence Malick variety rather than the Michael Bay variety. Vast, sweeping, tunes that move at their own pace and capture the light in ways you didn’t predict. It’s a quality listen... and that opening track is remarkable.

Medhane - Cold Water

First time tapping into Medhane and wow, what a guy. From Brooklyn, Medhane has been simmering beneath the radar and between living in Senegal and studying civil engineering, Medhane cracks through with this album Cold Water. Listening all the way through a few times leaves one pondering the simplicity and straight up nature of cold water (obviously intentional) as the production (Medhane does much of this himself) is stripped back yet intricate and Medhane's bars coming together like Lego blocks as each one stacks on top, furthering the yarn. All the tracks kinda blend together, which could be a negative but as it feels more in tune with water, it's all good. Whether that's thanks to the production being light or Medhane's introspective nature, Cold Water is 15 tracks of pure poetry on top of a musical canvas. Perfect for a gloomy Sunday.

Rose City Band – Summerlong

RCB is a spinoff project for Wooden Shjips/Moon Duo fella Ripley Johnson and Summerlong is the second album under that name. And both those other bands have been on killer psychedelic winning streaks over the last couple years so that in itself is plenty to be excited over. Rose City Band is a little less on the fuzz/interstellar vibes and a little more on the country rock side of things, giving Johnson’s songwriting more of a (deserving) spotlight. The grooves are still there but he’s embracing a few slower ones too... the whole thing has a bit of a Terrapin Station feel to be honest. And the dude’s guitar sounds magical with that little twang involved. If you like your psych tunes with a bit more earthy spirit then here you go.

Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo

Having previously collaborated a few times, most notably on the 'Fetti' project alongside Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist deliver a supreme hip hop album. You can never go wrong with 10 tracks produced by Al and the producer walks a fine line between layering enough nuance to set a tone, as well as stripping things back to set Gibbs on fire. Al rolls out a haunting portrait on 'Frank Lucas', in a kinda unique way as it's more a case of an evolving tone as opposed to a repetitive dark pattern. Every track, production-wise is a small tale in itself and then Gibbs is at his finest, switching flows when he wants and digging into all sorts of little stories with wise references. Guest features come from Rick Ross on the fancy-feeling 'Scottie Beam', Benny the Butcher (Frank Lucas), Tyler, The Creator (Something To Rap About) and Conway The Machine (Babies & Fools). So far this year, Alchemist has dropped 'The Price of Tea In China' with Boldy James, 'Lulu' with Conway The Machine and now Alfredo with Gibbs. All are delightful and should be an entry point to anyone fresh to exquisite hip hop.

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