For this week we have selected Black Country, New Road, Mitski, Erin Rae, The Jazz Butcher, The Divine Comedy, JP Bimeni & The Black Belts, Bigger, Los Bitchos, Animal Collective, A Place To Bury Strangers, Teno Afrikan, Maxence Cyrin…
Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There
While their debut album was one of the big revelations in English music of 2021, Black Country New Road literally blew us away on stage during their appearance at Trabendo. And this second album, Ants From Up Thereis not going to lower the pressure: much more pop, therefore more easily lovable than their first, frankly moving away from the abstruse intellectualism of the current new wave, it is a disc with an abundant style, where the stylistic bends at right angles evoke this time rather the splendor of Divine Comedy and the lyricism of the best Arcade Fire. It is a pity that such a success is overshadowed by the announcement made less than a week ago of the departure of their fantastic frontman, Isaac Wood… (Ninja Tune) – listen
Mitsky – Laurel Hell
After an acclaimed and very beautiful 5th album, Mitsky working on new tracks in 2019, revised and edited several times with the help of Tea XX, with whom she has always worked. To finally arrive at this album, his 6th therefore, Lauren Hell. A highly anticipated album that already seems to be announced as a success! Here she is again with an even more beautiful and sophisticated album. A lively and often playful music put to the service of dark, almost desperate lyrics. Irresistible. (Dead oceans) – listen
Erin Rae – Light Up
If you missed the previous album by Erin Rae (Putting On Airs) don’t miss this one! It was recorded in the Topanga Canyon in California with guests such as Meg Duffy, Ny Oh and Kevin Morby. Light Up has been masterfully produced by Jonathan Wilson. We discover a nice mix of classic pop, country rock, indie trend through songs that are immediately very catchy. A flawless second opus for the author, composer and performer from Nashville. (Good Memory) – listen
The Jazz Butcher – The Highest In The Land
The Highest In The Land is the posthumous album of The Jazz Butcherafter the death of Pat Fishits co-founder, in October 2021. Founded in 1982 in Oxford by Pat Fish and the guitarist Max Eider, the band would become synonymous, along with its frontman, with the anti-rock and semi-ironically jazz-conscious indie aesthetic before the word was even coined. Between soulful personal songs and more opaque songs, much of this album is steeped in anger at the isolationist path the UK has taken of late. (Tapete Records / Bigwax) – listen
The Divine Comedy – CharmedLife (Best of)
So what about this best-of? Like any exercise of this type, it will be easy to point out the shortcomings (The Summerhouse ?) or titles that do not belong there (The Certainty of Chance). But overall, it is difficult to fall badly and the indestructible ones are present, Something For The Weekend to Bad Ambassadorpassing by the absolute anthem of the group: Tonight We Fly. neil hannon also features an unreleased track, The Best Mistakes, a bit easy and forgettable, especially in the midst of such a solid catalog. A good introduction for novices, this best-of will especially make fans want to immerse themselves in the work of Neil Hannon, even if it means buying a ticket for his extensive tour in France. (The Divine Comedy) – listen
JP Bimeni & The Black Belts – Give Me Hope
Survivor of the genocide that ravaged Burundi in the 90s, Jean-Patrick Bimenyimana Serukamba has always been a fan of soul music, especially Sam & Dave and D’Otis Redding. He was spotted a few years ago by Madrid label Tucxone Records who will release his first album in 2018 Free Me. Here it is again accompanied by the orchestra The Black Belts for a second disc that sounds like a tribute to Otis Redding and Sam Cook. We navigate here in soul, funk and afro-beat with songs that could have appeared on labels like Motown Where Daptone. Unstoppable! (MDC / Pias) – listen
The selection of the week in detail:
Indie-Pop, Dream pop, Electro-pop, French Pop, Chanson, Folk…
Mitsky – Laurel Hell
The Divine Comedy – CharmedLife (Best of)
bigger – The forget-me-nots
The Slow Show – Still Life
Los Bitchos – Let The Festivities Begin!
Erin Rae – Light Up
Mikayla McVey – Time Turns Everything
Plasi –Foreign Sea
Cate LeBon – Pompeii
The Reds, Pinks & Purples – Summer at Land’s End
Rock, Punk, Blues, Garage, Country, Post-rock…
Animal Collective – Time Skiffs
Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There
The Jazz Butcher – The Highest In The Land
Cities AD – light shade
Wowenhand – Silver Sash
EXEK – Advertise Here
A Place To Bury Strangers – See Through You
Caroline No. – Caroline No.
Jazz, World, Funk, Soul, Groove…
Lorenzo Feliciati & Dominique Vantomme – Fake
Simon Hoefele & Frank Dupree – Salted Caramel
Teno Afrika – Where You Are
JP Bimeni & The Black Belts – Give Me Hope
Sowal Diabi – From Kabul to Bamako
Gustavo Beytelmann & Philippe Cohen Solal – The Human Seasons
Rap, Hip-hop, R’n’b…
Abiodun Oyewole – Gratitude
Saba – Few Good Things
yutaka hirasaka – In The Moment
Ambient, modern classical, electronica, minimal, experimental…
Maxence Cyrin – Melancholy Island
Music For Sleep – Vuoto to lose
Patricia Wolf – I’ll Look For You In Others
Felicia Atkinson – Echo
Affin Various – 15 | 3
Inhmost – Space & Awareness
Herhums – Humming in Chaos
Jean Michel Blais – aubades
Wataru Sato – Fading Spaces
Hoavi – Posle Vsego