Mayer’s latest is his most “down home” effort yet, as well as his most tender and poignant.
ReviewsAuthor Matt Conner
I Like Trains – The Shallows
I Like Trains have intentionally chosen, for better or worse, to live in one singular mood on this album that explores the ongoing relationship between humanity and technology.
Hannah Cohen – Child Bride
A sleepy, affecting folk-pop offering that’s spritely and winsome in equal doses.
The Wave Pictures – Long Black Cars
A compelling set which finds lyrical inspiration in the ordinary, set to irresistibly slinky pop arrangements.
Lindstrøm – Six Cups of Rebel
An interesting demonstration of Lindstrøm’s ability to eschew the “space disco” of the past and create several divergent, disparate electronic tracks on which the influence of his own varied background is marked.
Kathleen Edwards – Voyageur
While any Edwards release warrants celebration, the Canadian songstress has outdone herself on her latest – a showpiece in a catalogue filled with gems.
‘This is not goodbye’: Taking Care with Explosions In The Sky
The Austin post-rock legends return with a new attention to detail, finding inspiration in the subtle moments of life.
Left With Pictures – In Time
As expansive as anything else released this year, In Time works through several moods and seasons and largely succeeds. Matt Conner reviews.
Mi Ami – Dolphins
A rather perplexing and obtuse set of songs that fail to provide any musical relief whatsoever. Matt Conner reviews former Touch & Go duo Daniel Martin-McCormick and Damon Palermo under their latest guise of Mi Ami.
Thirteen Senses – Crystal Sounds
They’re *still* making records? Crikey. According to Matt Conner, Cornwall’s *finest* have hardly returned exploratory or experimental, but the confidence that emerges on Crystal Sounds bodes well for Thirteen Senses into the new decade. Who’d have thought it?
Stricken City – Losing Colour
Stricken City’s debut EP Songs About People I Know, offered stunning psych-pop glimpses into what could have been, and with the follow-up, Losing Colour, should have placed the band squarely in buzzworthy territory on multiple continents. Now apparently the band has called it quits, making Losing Colour a stepping out instead of a stepping stone.
Hannah Peel – The Broken Wave
It experiments without becoming experimental. It soothes without being boring. It explores before turning self-indulgent. The Broken Wave triumphs due to its balance and provides steady footing for Peel to move forward.
