Being restless and taking on new things in art and in this case, music in particular is often reserved only for the most talented and most inventive. Those just doing it for its own sake don’t come up with anything substantial.
Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott is one of those musical shapeshifters who deserve the title of artist. Even when he came to prominence in the early eighties with The Waterboys and some brilliant albums like the classic ‘This Is The Sea’ and probably the best interpolation of The Beatles’ “Penny Lane” in “The Whole of The Moon,” Scott didn’t stand still and attempted to do the same thing all over, but went to a number of other directions like ’Fishermans blues,’ again with The Waterboys or solo, like his solo albums or the project of setting W.B. Yeats poems to music which some characterized as baroque pop (indeed).
Yet, what he did or was able to do is in most instances reserved for those who have the most talent and musical invention, and Scott is undoubtedly among those artists.
Nite Bjuti - Singing Bones
Nite Bjuti is a trio of Candice Hoyes, Mimi Jones, and Val Jeanty that is not afraid to experiment with their Afro-Carribean roots and music and the result is this exciting introduction to their forthcoming debut album.
Sextile - Crash
Another trio, this time from Los Angeles, who are often labeled as party punks, but here take a more relaxed route that has more to do with up-to-date trip-hop than punk, post or otherwise. It works no matter what.
Patio - Sixpence
It seems it is a trio season, and these three girls have had a very solid diet of a combination of Gang of Four, The Fall, and Sarah Records to actually very good effect.
notcharles - From Here To You
notcharles is labeled as a Baltimore producer and his skills shine here with the vocal help of Sam Herring. An excellent ballad that can find its way on the menu of many singers who possess a great voice like Herring.
McKenzie Stubbert - Err
You really have to be bold to start your album with a dreamy, classically-tinged piano-led instrumental. Yet Stubbert wasn’t and for a good reason as this one works as a great introduction to his excellent album.
Kassa Overall - Going Up
Jazz drummer and rapper Kassa Overall shows off both of his skills, which are fine, thank you, otherwise they wouldn’t fit along with the likes of Little B and Shabazz Palaces who are also featured here.
Joey Sachi - Fractured
Australian Sachi has one of those voices that are so perfectly fit for a piano ballad like ‘Fractured.’ But whatever is fractured, it indeed can’t be found in the quality of this song.
Sparkle Division - Foxy
Sparkle Division is one of the guises of classical/electronic artist and composer William Basinski, who goes for a more late-night funk saxophone-led vibe here.
Viji - Cherry
This London outfit with members from all over simply shows how charming and good-sounding bedroom pop can be when it is done so well as Viji does it here. From their upcoming album ‘So Vanilla.’
Death Valley Girls - I Am A Wave
Death Valley Girls like their mix of West Coast sounds, from surf to late sixties psych rock, but they seem to know quite well how to mix their musical cocktails.
Magnetic Skis - Suffocate
Magnetic Skies are more for their version and take on the eighties heyday of synthpop and their collection of those sounds seems to be quite vast, as they have a knack to pick just the right one for this one.
Joseph Shabason - Jamie Thomas
Shabason likes his skateboarding, and here he goes on to re-imagine music for the seminal 1996 skateboarding video "Welcome To Hell" to a very interesting funk-jazz effect.
John Baumann - Border Radio
Baumann is into his album number six and his experience shows that he has learned all the fitting lessons to escape all the trappings of the singer-songwriter/American genre.
Joel Styzens, Sophie Webber - Opening
Coming up with neo-classical singles is a double-edged sword if the music is up to scratch, but Styzens and Webber show how the two seemingly incompatible things can go so well together.
Jenny Owen Youngs - It Is Later Than You Think
Singer songwriters often focus too much on what they are trying to say forsaking the quality of the melody they are coming up with. Her Youngs doesn’t make that mistake, making an excellent balance between her words and music.
Tex Crick - Easy Keepers
No wonder Crick records for Mac DeMarco’s label, as he comes up with an excellent piano-led mid-tempo ballad with some seventies soul touches to boot.
Teleman - String Theory
This trio likes their music to be fit for the dance floor, but here they do tone down the dance stuff a bit, for something that also seems to suit them quite well.
Lync - Pennies To Save
It seems to be a trio week for sure, and Lync who like their post-punk in The Replacements mode shows that this genre, or sub-genre if you will, can still come up with some vibrant music.
Aoife Nessa Frances - Fantasy
If you are curious about what good, modern baroque pop should sound like, you don’t have to go much further than this excellent track from Frances’ forthcoming album.
Lloyd’s House - Ribbons
This is pop, with some power, but with an excellent melody too, something any good pop (of any kind) should be blessed with, and this quintet surely has it in them.