Author: Justin Anastasio

Our Toast by The Sandwitches

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The Sandwitches - Our Toast

The hotel bar emptied itself years ago, and you’ve been left to haunt the place ever since. Cobwebs adorn the rafters, and the wood paneling creaks with a banshee’s tone. You can still hear the reverberation from the last song performed here, and the smell of a dancer’s sweat clings to the air. It’s dark, but the house lights steadily grow brighter. A ghostly trio drift onto the stage from behind a curtain. Their ethereal sounds take hold of your mind . . .

Bittersweetness is invoked when a marvelous band releases an album after making the decision to break up, but I’m so glad that this group left us a gem to remember them by. Our Toast is the third and final full-length from The Sandwitches, three singers from San Francisco with seraphic voices. This trio specialize in embodying the universal, melancholic feelings of loss and heartbreak, but with breathtaking grace and poise.

Patience is something that these ladies have mastered on this gorgeous record. These breezy songs travel at a leisurely pace, with loose drumming and pristinely delicate guitar. Some tracks will have you questioning whether they’re entirely improvised or not, and that distinct element of airiness is what makes these languorous pieces of music such a delight to experience. They’re intense without being heavy or imposing.

If you can picture yourself drifting to sleep on a porch during a warm day, or unwinding in a desolate bar while absorbing the musical agony of an unknown talent, you will find something about this record to adore. This band has gifted to us the ideal soundtrack for heartache that also reminds us that moments are fleeting, and nothing is permanent. If you’re seeking patient, ethereal laments, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Our Toast by The Sandwitches

Risveglio by Alessandro Cortini

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Alessandro Cortini - Risveglio

It’s pitch black, and you cannot open your eyes. Your body is propelled through thick liquid at a constant, rapid speed. You know that you have a function and purpose, but you aren’t sure what it is. You are a blood cell, one of trillions within a vast bodily cage, and you have just experienced your first moment of self-awareness. You are surrounded by life, but you can’t escape the heavy feeling that you are terribly alone. Listen to the sounds of the organs . . .

I recommend that you close your eyes while listening to this one. Risveglio is the newest full-length by modular synth virtuoso and longtime Nine Inch Nails member Alessandro Cortini. A grand total of two instruments were utilized during the recording of this release: the Roland MC-202 (a monophonic synth/sequencer), and the Roland TB-303 (a bass synth/sequencer). The two iconic elements wonderfully entrance on this album.

These tracks are more akin to aural landscapes than traditional songs. The fact that only two sonic components inhabit these worlds is a true testament to Cortini’s indisputable talent and boundless imagination, because it’s captivating throughout the entire journey. Each song possesses a unique duality; one moment the tones are dragging you into the abyss, and the next they’re lifting you skyward. “Epic” is an understatement.

Much of this record invokes an eerie sense of claustrophobia, but don’t let that deter you from fully submitting to the experience. The most ideal way to meet this album is to sit or recline in a dark room with no distractions; each track conjures its own imagery, but this one begs to be listened to in one sitting. Good luck, ambitious explorer of sounds! If you’re seeking expansive modular synth adventures, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Risveglio by Alessandro Cortini

Constant Bop by Bop English

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Bop English - Constant Bop

You walk across a grass field alongside many others, basket and blanket in hand. Today is the annual Interplanetary Picnic, where visitors from all over the galaxy gather to celebrate the long peace time. There will be music, and everyone will carouse until they eventually collapse under the stars. You find the perfect spot, and stretch out before laying your belongings on the grass. It’s a sunny day, a good day for good things. You hear the swell of a keyboard . . .

Just when I was certain my top album of year was secure, a new gem finds its way to my earholes. Constant Bop is the newest full-length by Bop English, a pseudonym donned by White Denim frontman and studio mastermind James Petralli. This record is jam-packed with what would be considered instrumental chaos in the hands of a less adept owner, but Petralli treats each sound as a cherished puzzle piece, deserving of its own space.

The extraordinary level of songwriting is reason enough for anyone to give this a spin, as it’s rare to find something this catchy and innovative at the same time. These are captivating songs dressed in a slew of genres, including southern rock, glam, psyche, and soul. The skilled members of White Denim contribute their refined talents on most of these tracks, and they succeed in bringing brilliance and life to each one.

It’s incredibly refreshing to hear something this inventive, something that so artfully combines elements of modernity and past influences. It also possesses a distinct aura of effortlessness, which makes it easy for anyone to enjoy. There truly isn’t one lull in quality throughout the duration of the record. I only wish it was a tad longer. If you’re seeking catchy, innovative songwriting, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

 

Constant Bop by Bop English

Fratello Mare by Mike Cooper

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Mike Cooper - Fratello Mare

You wake up on a beach with the moon shining down on you. You can’t remember falling asleep, or for how long sleep has consumed you. The faint sound of drums comes from behind you, and when you turn around you see glimpses of lit torches through the trees. You walk through the greenery, and discover a luau. Food, drink, and dancing everywhere! But you notice something strange and unsettling: nobody has a face. The music gets louder.

Time to take a much-needed dip in the deep end. Fratello Mare is the newest full-length from silent film accompanist and experimental visionary Mike Cooper. This is an album for those willing to surrender themselves to a half hour of exploratory soundscapes. It’s certainly not easy-listening, and absorbing the intended beauty within requires a bit more from the listener than most records. Now that you’ve been warned, let’s dive in.

There’s a distinct mixture of Pacific cultural influences in these songs. Cooper takes the influences of western folk and tropical music, and melts them together via loop-based guitar progressions that run through a multitude of effects pedals. He also has a clear fascination with the emitted sounds of birds, which can be found on almost every track. It invokes a drunk meandering through a lively jungle at dusk. Slightly queasy, but pretty.

Cooper’s elegant use of percussion is what elevates this from an experimental, improvisational guitar record to a unique experience. Congas, marimba, vibraphone, tabla, and a multitude of other rhythmic odds and ends ornament these songs and provide beating hearts to guide the bizarre melodies. It’s a trip unlike any other. If you’re seeking ambient, experimental wanderings, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Fratello Mare by Mike Cooper

Why Make Sense? by Hot Chip

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Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?

The floor pulses with colored lights to the beat of the music that envelops you. You dance to the beat, and you can’t remember a time before the beat. People surround you in all directions for as far as the eye can see, but it isn’t crowded or stifling in any way. Everyone has their space to perform the physical spectacle of their choosing, and nobody feels inhibited. What could this place be? Will you be able to find it again once you’ve gone? 

I love this band, and I thought it suiting to dedicate my 50th “review” to an album by a musical act that means a great deal to myself. Why Make Sense? is the newest full-length from Hot Chip, an act that truly require no introduction at this stage in their trajectory. These seasoned sonic innovators can do no wrong, and have yet to release even a mediocre record. I’m pleased to state that this release exceeds the loftiest expectations.

For those unfamiliar, this group inhabit the most melodically satisfying corners of funk, house, pop, and r&b, with some extra experimentation thrown in for good measure (I’m looking at you, “White Wine and Fried Chicken”). And damn, do these guys know how to write hook after hook. I’m not exaggerating when I say that every single one of these tracks possess the earworm capability to lodge themselves deep in the listener’s mind.

This band is composed of highly adept multi-instrumentalists that have groove down to a science. Owen Clarke, Al Doyle, and Felix Martin hold the reins on what you could call the rhythm section, but is actually the melodic and rhythmic foundation for the wonderfully contrasting vocals of Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor. If you’re seeking melodically-superb music with a beating heart of groove, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Why Make Sense? by Hot Chip

Psychic Reader by Bad Bad Hats

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Bad Bad Hats - Psychic Reader

An incredibly rare and sought-after artifact has come into your possession: an antique radio receiver with a tuner (imagine that!). This is perplexing, because you were under the concrete impression that the last radio station cut transmission decades ago. This device doesn’t broadcast the latest hits, but rather the inner musings and laments of those in relationships that support as much as they destroy. You turn it on, and slowly turn the knob . . . 

In order for it to hold significance, music doesn’t need to be radical or revolutionary; sometimes all it takes is creating something honest, something that illustrates the inescapable thoughts we all share at some point or another. Psychic Reader is the debut full-length from Minneapolis-based band Bad Bad Hats, and this trio of charmers have filled this record with some of the best, most relatable pop you’re likely to hear this year.

This is a group that knows how to sear their music with experimentation, rather than drench them in it. Noah Boswell and Chris Hoge, on bass and drums respectively, hold down the rhythm section with admirable consistency and provide the most ideal foundations for vocalist/guitarist Kerry Alexander to speak her truths. It’s pure jangly pop on the surface, but there’s a uniquely experimental vein running through each song.

Although each instrumental element is integral to the allure of this band, it’s Alexander’s charismatic persona that sets them apart from other indie-pop heartbreakees. She’s Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan, but more subdued and focused; she’s Beach House’s Victoria Legrand, but more lively and transparent. They’re truly a triforce of tasteful songwriting. If you’re seeking catchy, superbly-crafted pop, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Psychic Reader by Bad Bad Hats

From Kinshasa by Mbongwana Star

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Mbongwana Star - From Kinshasa

The ship roars as you descend to the planetary surface. Years of travel, and it’s time to experience the fruits of your labor. The rumbling halts, and all is quiet. After a few moments, you open the vessel’s hatch, test the atmosphere, and exit the compartment you’ve called home for so long. Grassy plains are in all directions, and you see a plume of smoke in the distance. You walk a long while before approaching a village, and an apparent celebration . . .

It’s a beautiful thing when seemingly disparate influences of creativity come together to craft something more astounding and incredible in the sum than in the separate pieces. From Kinshasa is the debut full-length from Mbongwana Star, made up of Coco Ngambali and Theo Nsituvuidi. For this record, the duo drafted Irish producer Liam Farrell to construct a spacey, futuristic aura around the group’s lively songwriting.

Ngambali and Nsituvuidi vocalize in Lingala, a Bantu language indigenous to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They weave cascading adlibs, lush harmonies, and rhythmic outbursts together to invoke a communal spirit that’s vigorously celebratory at times (“Shégué,” “Malukayi”) and breathtakingly serene during others (“Coco Blues”). It’s equal parts chaotic and catchy, with distinct cultural sounds gorgeously infused.

Farrell’s studio wizardry is what takes this record full of traditional central African hip-hop, r&b, reggae, and rumba, and transforms it into an celestial, genre-bending exploration through sound. Mix all of that with this duo’s exceptional ability to write rewarding hooks, and you’ve got yourself a truly unique experience. If you’re seeking eclectic, ethereal music with a distinct central African touch, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

From Kinshasa by Mbongwana Star

Days by Earthly

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Earthly - Days

Nightfall consumes a recording studio, plunging everything into a deafening silence. Suddenly, the computers, drum machines, synthesizers, and every kind of assorted hardware and software whirr with life. They play catch with their samples, dance with their rhythms, and sing with their tones. The countless sounds compiled over the years are weaved together into a tapestry of something strangely new and comfortably familiar at the same time . . .

Here’s one for the scatterbrained, experimentally-minded listeners. Days is the newest full-length from North Carolina noise-crafters Earthly, made up of best friends and ex-college roommates Edaan Brook and Brint Hansen. The album title represents the painstaking amount of time surely required to amass and formulate this treasure trove of samples, and the meticulously detailed production style of this visionary duo.

Those eagerly awaiting a fresh release from The Avalanches or The Books can cease holding their breath, because this record is a gem of the collagist method. These artists subscribe to an “all but the kitchen sink” doctrine, utilizing everything from bubbly video game samples, to classic film snippets, to chopped commercial fragments. This grab-bag mixture is surreal at times, uncanny during others, and always melodically catchy.

Nailing down the encompassing genre(s) of this record is a fruitless task, because this pair revel in finding new ways to surprise and thrill the listener with sporadic structures. Nothing is off-limits, including dance floor-primed grooves, ambient soundscapes, and exploratory “noise pop.” It all sounds incredible, but you’ll exit just as baffled as when you entered. If you’re seeking experimental, collagist music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Days by Earthly

Coming Home by Leon Bridges

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Leon Bridges - Coming Home

You spin in a circle, hands clasped in the grip of your loved one. You both count down from three and fall back onto the grassy cushion. You roll to the bottom of the hill, where everyone from your town are gathered and celebrating lord knows what. Lights on strings are strewn through the trees, and laughter fills the warm air. A band is setting up on a nearby stage. Someone inquires with “you heard a’ these cats?” and you haven’t. You sit and listen . . .

It’s time to take a much needed trip back to the soulful past. Coming Home is the debut full-length from Leon Bridges, a singer with a voice of golden butter. This artist wholeheartedly invokes the nostalgic sounds of classic r&b on this record, but he succeeds in carving out a place for his unique persona to thrive. Even though these songs are brand new, they sound like they could be pristine hits from a vintage era.

Bridges is in good company when it comes to his backing band, consisting of Josh Block and Austin Jenkins from White Denim. This duo of proficient studio wizards match Bridges’ mentality perfectly, with fuzzed-out guitars and organ, honky-tonk horn arrangements, and some gorgeous, gospel-tinged backing vocals. It’s the ideal environment for this past-minded singer to take center stage and flourish.

And damn, does he flourish. Bridges approaches such a delicate and historically-lauded style with the grace of a champion. Hopelessly romantic balladry is this man’s forte, but his voice also shines when accompanied by more upbeat, hip-shaking instrumentation on “Smooth Sailin’,” “Flowers,” and “Twistin’ & Groovin’.” Have a beating heart? You’ll be into this one. If you’re seeking soulful, classic r&b, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Coming Home by Leon Bridges

The Soul Is The Arena by Mario Diaz de Leon

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Mario Diaz de Leon - The Soul Is the Arena

You sit within a vast audience inside a grand hall suspended among the stars. A galaxy will be birthed soon, and a commemorative symphony will occur in its honor. Eager patrons shuffle and stumble through long aisles before finding their seats. The creation of a galactic body is breathtaking, but it is also chaotic and quite deadly. The performed music will embody both sides of the spectrum. Prepare for a performance unlike any other in the universe . . . 

If “classical” and “experimental” function as descriptors for the music you enjoy, there’s a legitimate chance that this record could become your new favorite. The Soul Is The Arena is the newest full-length from accomplished composer Mario Diaz de Leon. Across these three equally fascinating and contrasting pieces, the skilled artist melds his all-encompassing electronics with an all-star cast of prodigious symphonic musicians.

The first two songs are duets, while the third operates as a vivid illustration of the far-reaching possibilities of chamber music. “Luciform” is an entrancing conversation between Diaz de Leon and flutist/MacArthur “Genius Grant” awardee Claire Chase. Title track “The Soul is the Arena” challenges the listener with a noisier dialogue between synthetics and Joshua Rubin’s versatile bass clarinet. It’s abrasive and beautiful.

Diaz de Leon fills the latter half of the record with “Portals Before Dawn,” an exploration through the experimentally-sublime capabilities of symphonic instrumentation. He plays synth and surrounds himself with a proficient collective of musicians from the International Contemporary Ensemble, producing some gorgeously picturesque sounds. If you’re seeking mind-expanding symphonic music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

The Soul Is The Arena by Mario Diaz de Leon