Troy Kingi – Year of the Ratbags and Their Musty Theme Songs

We’re up to album six in the 10/10/10 project and the latest genre that the master Troy Kingi is dipping his toes into is... 80s synth pop. Yeah mate. Bit out of left-field but it’s a tribute to the era he was born into. The result isn’t his most natural fit as the songs often feel like they’ve been moulded to fit the genre rather than this being born in their ideal state however the man can write a tune as Paparazzo hammers home yet again (unreal video too, so good). Freaky is another standout, upping the funk stakes which he thrives upon. Who Lives In The Abyss is an awesome mid-tempo ponderer. Pocket For Your Petty Cash is where he most resembles Prince (including a great use of the term: lickety-split), kinda surprising that wasn’t more of a touchstone through the rest of it actually. Also wish he’d gone a little more ZZ Top Eliminator with the concept at times. But can’t complain about another batch of memorable tracks from one of Aotearoa’s most relentlessly creative minds. Don’t forget the orange twist.

Fazerdaze – Break!

The debut full-length from Christchurch artist Fazerdaze, 2017’s Morningside, was an instant kiwi classic with its breezy guitar pop stylings. It’s been five years since then and one case of burnout later Amelia Murray’s back with a fresh EP. There’s a doco about what she’s been up to in the meantime which is a great little watch, luckily Morningside sounds as fresh now as it did five years ago. But this new five-tracker... mate. Break and Overthink It are the two home run tunes, a touch heavier in their 90s alternative influences, both reaching into the stratosphere when the layered vocals start to hit. Amazing songs. Elsewhere Winter takes a smooth R&B turn, Thick of the Honey cranks up the funk-meter, and Come Apart is the one track that feels like it’d fit seamlessly onto Morningside (which means it’s also fantastic). There’s so much going on here it’s buzzy to realise there’s only 14 minutes of it. An emphatic comeback.

Lord Apex - Joga Bonito

Mellow England hip-hopper Lord Apex takes a funky excursion to Brasil with producer El Lif Beatz for 'Joga Bonito'. Channeling the joga bonito essence, Apex delivers pure rhymes on top of mellow jazzy production from El Lif as themes of growth, ascension and celebration take hold. Allow this project to simmer as Aotearoa enters summer and the laid back vibe of this collaboration feels perfectly suited to a lazy afternoon in the sun.

Arctic Monkeys – The Car

The very first seconds of the new Arctic Monkeys makes it clear that we’re not in for a return to the AM sound... or even the updated Strokes via Britpop sounds of their early records. Nah, this is a steady continuation from Tranquillity Base. Only difference is that were TBH+C had a tongue in cheek factor to it, an element of pastiche about the cheesy lounge singing jazz-funk-elevator-slickness... The Car kinda does away with that. Alex Turner and company (and it increasingly feels like the Monkeys are becoming a Turner solo project with the band’s name on it) are much more earnest about what they’re doing. There are huge Bowie Young Americans vibes about The Car – albeit missing the smash hit of DB’s title track. There’s also a sadness which has crept in to replace the cheesy pastiche. Like it’s predecessor, The Car is not going to be to everybody’s liking but there are some undeniably great moments and it’s kind of a thrill to hear a major band going in such a different direction. When the biggest criticism that others have is that it doesn’t sound like the old stuff... yeah, not sure that’s a bad thing. The old stuff is still there, after all.

Molly Lewis – Mirage

Molly Lewis whistles. That’s her instrument. She’s a whistler. Already we’re in unusual territory here and that’s a good headspace to approach this album with. It’s a gentle, breezy six tracks. Along with the smooth whistling tones (no vocals, btw) there are ocean sounds like waves lapping the beach or shells jingling together. Definitely something you could imagine playing in the foyer at a yoga retreat... and that’s not to dismiss it. The opposite, in fact. It requires a fair bit of talent to craft something this effortlessly exotic, it’s a hazy daydream of a record. Got the eden ahbez tribute at the end with an instrumental Nature Boy cover and everything. A unique and rewarding listen amongst 2022’s musical offerings.

Makaya McCraven – In These Times

Conscious Jazz for the modern listener. There’s a hip hop influence here that will sound familiar to listeners of Flying Lotus and his Brainfeeder Records, that particular swirling mix of inspirations, though in MM’s case it’s more of an organic concoction that the self-proclaimed “beat scientist” (aka enlightened drummer) has managed to compose. There are some stunningly gorgeous phases throughout this record. A tasteful mix of instrumentation. Makes you want to close your eyes and float away upon a cloud it’s so good. In These Times is an alchemical revelation.

Curren$y - The 8 Ball Jacket & The 8 Ball Jacket 2

Always busy, Curren$y's latest offerings see him rapping over a variety of old school beats and thriving in this zone. Keeping up with Curren$y projects can be tricky and these two mixtapes are tightly packed with slick bars, as well as the regular Jet Life vibe. Nothing major, just quality music that invigorates the soul.

Tha God Fahim & Jay Nice - Bloodspiller

Tha God Fahim may be one of the best hip-hoppers you don't know about and he pops back with another collaboration drop. Jay Nice is cut from the same cloth as Fahim and they share tracks with menacing poetry, slowly grooving over beats from a range of producers. Recent entry to the Niche Cache playlists Nicholas Craven produces three tracks and his mellow loops provide a delightful backdrop for Fahim and Jay to explore. 'Bloodspiller' is another strong project from Fahim and he has steadily grown into one of the best underground forces.

Goat – Oh Death

If you don’t know Goat, they’re a Swedish musical collective that play a world music influenced hyper-psychedelic jammy style with spiritual transcendence high on the list of intentions. The identities of the members are shrouded in mystery. There are folk touches, there are funk touches, there are rock touches, there are jazz touches. They really are their own genre entirely. 2016’s Requiem is the masterpiece of Goat’s discography but this one’s pretty wild. It’s got this recurring them of death, sometimes in deference and fear, sometimes in honour of the Great Change. The impression is kinda like eating some bad mushrooms and watching only the village plague bits of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. Definitely not for the faint of heart but those of you with a curious mind and a brave soul are going to dig it.

The Chats – Get Fucked

Now this here is a treat, a proper fair dinkum Aussie punk record rising outta the streets of Brisbane with mullets in tact and attitudes unfiltered. You’ve got a chunky hardcore trio serving up the foot-stompers and more gritty Australian slang than you can swing a kangaroo at. It’s a slice of life record full of petty daily annoyances with a party-on mentality, at once both hilarious and righteous. And so much fun. This is the second full length album from The Chats, who had a sudden breakthrough when their 2017 tune Smoko hit it big, and it’s another stride towards ragged glory.

Wand – Spiders in the Rain

These dudes have been a killer psych rock back from outta that California scene for the better part of a decade, though the best thing they’ve produced was probably Cory Hanson’s brilliant solo album from last year. No songs from that on this here live album but the expansive spirit lives on as Wand feel fully unleashed, shooting for the moon with their blissed out jams. The longer the better. White Cat is 20+ minutes. This is a band doing extraordinary things and they’ve been able to capture that lightning in a bottle with Spiders in the Rain. Exploding with energy. It sounds so damn good.

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