Albums I’m Excited About, April 26
Life Metal — Sunn O)))
If there’s a spectrum of drone/stoner metal, Sunn O))) consistently defines the most extreme end of sustained, slow riffs.
So it should be no surprise that at a time when tech dudes have Sleep patches on their backpacks, Sunn O))) releases another genre-defining droner. It’s pure guitar aside from some ASMR vocals and just enough curious noises to fill the body of this incredible album.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/life-metal/1452306890
https://open.spotify.com/album/7A10XxbkAl4hIQRMp4NyKO?si=3sZVP6fJQwmRjOpHuSz2Fg
Designer — Aldous Harding
Aldous Harding is hard to pin down, but after seeing her this week and hearing this album, I feel like I’ve gotten a step closer. Her first album was almost straightforward in comparison, which is saying something given it was a nest of poetry and sonic range.
In Designer, it feels like she has become more of a Bill Callahan style songwriter, not writing for today but creating something that must be understood over a long long time. Her songs are deep and rich in lyric, sound, and rhythm, and I believe this album will leave a lasting legacy.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/designer/1449805020
https://open.spotify.com/album/0QNJa03XQeMOuQhi9izThh?si=iZzJMXa6T4iCv82fKmZjjg
Fishing for Fishies — King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is one of the most creative bands performing. This 7-piece genre-refusing group built instruments so they could record a microtonal album, surprised us with an incredibly perfect doom metal single about global warming (Planet B), and somehow manage to put it all together on tour. This album is a return to some fundamental psych/blues roots, and while it’s not my favorite by them, it’s a sound that hasn’t been this expertly created since the 70s. Play it for your dad! Then show him that Planet B video.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fishing-for-fishies/1454051730
https://open.spotify.com/album/1Q5gtIhAPUYszJQveFEhRr?si=cnPbKYcPQmKQDTA00FEIBg
Warp And Woof — Guided By Voices
Reviewing a Guided By Voices album is rarely useful. After 28 albums in less than 20 years and with no sign of slowing down (another one coming out before this year is over), GBV continues to be one of the most consistently glorious sounds out there.
This album is a 24 song ripper with only 2 songs barely breaching the 2 minute mark. It’s an assault of GBV in the best way. I recently saw that they’re playing in LA on NYE, it’s $100 and a 100 song set list. After this album, it’s incredibly tempting.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/warp-and-woof/1452370935
https://open.spotify.com/album/7GeKluH3QmzIvYpWj7UK41?si=RnJJ6fEqQi-XEJqrexpOoQ
Droneflower — Marissa Nadler & Stephen Brodsky
Marissa Nadler is a solo vocalist who’s past work is reminiscent of Angel Olsen — so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she had teamed up with a metal guitarist who previously performed with Converge.
Turns out, it sounds exactly as you’d expect — it’s a drone metal album put out by Sacred Bones with strong female vocals, Zeppelin fingerpicking, and sparse downstrokes. It’s no revelation, but it it’s daring and a good listen.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/droneflower/1450307650
https://open.spotify.com/album/7CgQIHiSwzHaiuOzRECv0v?si=fEmtvYRRSauPMOssXFYIPg
