Mermaidens – Mermaidens

Aotearoa guitar-bending royalty right here. Mermaidens are one of the best kiwi bands on the scene right now and this is their third full-length album - self-titled and self-produced (with a little help from Phoenix Foundation’s Samuel Flynn Scott). Having spent a solid decade evolving their craft together, the Wellington three-piece does seem to have gotten less prickly through the years, though the band’s chemistry is untouched as evidenced in all the colourful and chummy music videos that have accompanied a excellent run of lead singles. Those singles are mostly all at the top of this album, which steadily descends into darker territory as it goes on. Tunes like Sister, I Like To Be Alone, and Sour Lips are bright and full even when the lyrical content isn’t entirely chirpy but by the end of the record the guitars have gotten more encompassing and the vocals have fallen deeper – except for Greedy Mouth which is a sad slow synth ballad (and a very good one) – gotta love it when folks still prioritise track listings and album composition. It had been four years since their previous effort and you can tell that these songs have emerged as the best of the bunch, having given themselves time to mould and shape them into what they’ve become. The spirit of shoegaze lives on.

Andre 3000 – New Blue Sun

The rumours are true: Mr 3K does not rap a single bar on his first album since the dissolution of OutKast. But if you were expecting him to do so then that’s on you, pal. It’s been 17 years since Idlewild. He’s a different bloke now with different musical passions and our job as listeners is to either take that or leave that. If you choose to take it then welcome to a shimmering new experience in which Andre 3000 delves completely into the realms of ambient, spiritual, new-age jazz. Entirely improvised, built upon the breezy tones of 3K’s emerging flute prowess. He’s got a really sharp band behind him, led by Carlos Nino, and nobody gets in anybody’s way. Eight tracks take up almost 88 minutes. It breathes. It flows. It swells. It glides. This is soothing, healing music carried by the thrill of newfound passion. May we all keep that same energy for new experiences.

Imperial April - Imperial April

Add Imperial April to your list of fun Aotearoa rock jammers as their latest project is full of lively tunes for summer. The self-titled project is their first album and consists of 12 tracks which a mainly upbeat, kinda heavy with slower patches to allow the listener to catch their breath. IA starts with 'Peachy' which sounds like a throwback to previous decades of pop-punk-grungey tunes and yet this sound is permeating through much of Aotearoa's music, with IA adding their own twist to the equation. Whether it's the lighter 'Oh Denial' flowing into the heavier 'Peeling Away', or the infectious '9:30' and the power behind 'Sunlight', IA offer plenty of variety with all sorts of funky pockets that see their individual talents shine.

Lord Apex - The Good Fight

Lord Apex is back with his latest drop 'The Good Fight' for more spiritual, uplifting, herbal jams. Apex is also dropping growth gems and TGF offers maturity with tracks like 'The Good Fight', 'God Put Love' and 'Muuma' as well as the herbal anthems that serve as a soundtrack for all smokers. Guest appearances include Freddie Gibbs, MAVI and Greentea Peng which provide a fresh vibe throughout the 13 tracks, although the best Apex jams are those in which he finds a groove to explore and goes hard. TGF is a lovely entry point for new listeners who need a dose of Lord Apex while also offering new wrinkles for those who know the jams well.

Chris Stapleton – Higher

A master craftsman at work. In the true country spirit, Stapleton writes directly and with searing emotional honesty, capable of expressing so much with only a few simple words. Check him out on What Am I Gonna Do, the opening track here, and the brilliance is immediate. Higher doesn’t see him rocking out as much as he usually does with the emphasis more on mature acoustic guitar based love/heartbreak tunes – culminating in the sparse and soul-melting Weight of Your World and Mountains of My Mind double-whammy at the end. But there is one major exception in the form of White Horse which is the most thunderous and barbaric rock and roll song the man has ever put down on tape. Probably not as song for song unstoppable as Starting Over (2020), though it’s still another powerful addition into the discography of one of the best in the business. You get the feeling that Chris Stapleton puts his songs together with the same care and precision as a carpenter might build a table.

Christoph El Truento - Circle Of Friends

Aotearoa's Christoph El Truento gathers his homies for a delightful project 'Circle Of Friends'. Some of Aotearoa's funkiest musical folk such as Troy Kingi, Mara TK, Tom Scott and Ladi6 join forces for nine tracks of groovy tunes full of jazzy-dub excellence. Each track contains pockets of funk, often without vocals as various tracks provide the perfect backdrop to an Aotearoa day (rainy or sunny). There are phases of minimal vocals such as the first two tracks 'Where Did We Go Wrong' (ft. Ma) and 'Alo' (ft. Lui Tui). When story-telling is required, Scott appears on 'Burning Sensation' to share the Aotearoa yarn of gentrification and Kingi adds his glorious tone to 'Numb' searching for a piece of happiness. A personal favourite is the closing track 'Drip' with Ladi6 who eases her way into a comfy tune that is a certainty to lift your spirits.

Troy Kingi – Time Wasters: Soundtrack to Current Day Meanderings

The latest in Troy Kingi’s ten years, ten albums, ten genres project plays a bit like a low-key effort. It’s mostly instrumental, with eleven tracks of groovy jams instead of the crowd-pleasing sing-a-longs that he’s been serving up these last couple of years. And the one song with full vocals, Kispy Kreme (the last song), isn’t even him singing. Guest vocalist Āio Kingi takes those honours... his nine-year-old daughter, who does a fantastic job. But you know what? The groovy jams are slick as. It’s great to hear Kingi letting loose on his electric guitar again, with those sweet tones especially thriving on the slower tunes like Happy Colour and NZAA11100667 – Sudoku (Troy giving André 3K a run for his money this month with weird song titles). The overall theme is summed up in the name of the album with the tunes named after various methods of wasting time. Kinda makes you think how many unproductive minutes we must waste during each day... especially since most of these things involve staring at screens. Anyway, at least we’ve got something to listen to concurrently now. Also: there is saxophone.

Bar Italia – Tracey Denim & The Twits

Anyone fancy another top notch post-punk band out of ol’ Britannia? Yeah sure why not. This one is a double-banger because after releasing a tight, terse, dark, and enticing major label debut back in March (Tracey Denim) the London three-piece are already back with a follow-up (The Twits). Listen to them both as companion pieces, though know that with The Twits they seem to have grown their sound from something more typical of underground noise-rock into chunkier and stompier territory. As well as adding a few more change-ups into the repertoire. Tracey Denim sets the table. The Twits dines upon it and then smashes the plates. Creatively unbound. Raucously profound. This lot are a real deal band to be reckoned with.

Erny Belle – Not Your Cupid

There’s this thing that Erny Belle does sometimes where her own silken vocals are met by a sort of schoolhouse chorus chanted echo. One of many delightful touches and flavours that you’ll find on the kiwi artist’s second album. Pacific-Pop seems to be a tag that’s caught on with Belle’s unique blend of funky folk tunes, if she were American then they’d be talking about ‘exotica’ instead. But genre doesn’t really matter when you sound like nobody else. Erny Belle - real name Aimee Renata – crafts these deceptively gentle tunes with all manner of clever instrumentation (there’s something that sounds like a sitar on Bowman), playing slow and hazy with a remarkable sense of control. The whole vision is so assured. She’s also sneakily hilarious which isn’t as obvious on this album as it was on her debut but it’s still there. At nine tracks lasting barely thirty minutes the listen is as breezy as the vibes. There’s not a note out of place. Wonderful album.

Domo Genesis - What You Don't Get?

Domo Genesis teams up with Graymatter for 14 tracks of 'What You Don't Get'. Graymatter delivers laid back, minimal production which is the perfect backdrop for Domo to delivery his poetry on top of. Domo shares his growth with insights gained from his journey and each track features Domo exploring lessons learned as he shares them in digestible nuggets, without overpowering the listener. This is Domo's pocket of excellence as the relaxed nature of his delivery and the atmosphere created by Graymatter ensure easy listening. Gueat appearances include 3wayslim, Remy Banks and Fly Anakin who all fit snug into the vibe. Add WYDG to Domo's catalogue of solid undergroundy hip-hop projects.

Dallas Tamaira - Levels

Dallas Tamaira from Fat Freddy's Drop goes solo with his project 'Levels'. Tamaira shares wisdom through his soultry voice and writing on top of general Aotearoa funk, with patches of more jazzy styles and splashes of kiwi dub-roots. More chill than the general FFD sound, Levels wiggles through six tracks which won't have you hyped for game day activities, but it will ground you and slow you down. Levels is perfect for a lazy day or when you're feeling overwhelmed, just kick back and have a sing with Joe Dukie.

Kurt Vile – Back To Moon Beach

Slacker rock icon KV has done it again. Another extended hangout album full of strutting guitar lines and laconic stream-of-consciousness style vocals, just begging for road trip honours. There’s been a steadily increasing country influence in his work these last few records and it continues here with the opening track and lead single Another Good Year For The Roses name-checking a legendary twanger. That one song is so fantastic, with its remarkable groove and layered instrumental festivities, that if the album was just that one on repeat eleven times then it’d still be a ripper. As it turns out, he has other tracks too. Lots of them. Smooth, chilled-out, blissful tracks. Bit more piano than usual. Truly great vibes.

Vince Neil Emerson – The Golden Crystal Kingdom

There’s so much good country-folk stuff coming out these days (including in NZ with Marlon Williams flying the flag). One of the most underrated artists amongst that genre is this bloke over here. Hailing from Texas and carrying on a very direct musical lineage from the likes of Guy Clark, Townes van Zandt, and more recently someone like Charley Crockett (whom he covers here on Time of the Cottonwood Trees... and not for the first time – there’s a super Buffy Saint Marie cover too on Co’dine). Shooter Jennings produces and that might explain a few more searing guitar solos and thumping drums on some of these tracks. All of which only proves to boost the overall experience. VNE has that special way of drawing heartworn emotion out of his lyrics and his voice is superb, as are his melodies. But he’s a story-teller above all, weaving in some of his Choctaw-Apache heritage and painting landscapes that a Hollywood film set would’ve been proud of (back in the days before all that background stuff simply gets CGI’d).

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