Author: Justin Anastasio

If I Was by The Staves

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

The Staves - If I Was

Sprawling greenery surrounds you as you tread through massive, unfamiliar woods. You spot a wild hare as it bounds across the forest floor and comes to a sudden halt just a few paces away. You take a couple steps towards it before realizing something: the hare is quickly decaying where it stands. You’re paralyzed, save for your eyes that rapidly glance around. The leaves are dying. The snow is falling. The snow is melting. The flowers are blooming . . .

Another solid contender for album of the year! If I Was is the newest full-length from sister trio The Staves, made up of Emily, Jessica, and Camilla Stavely. For those of you that eagerly await a new Bon Iver release, it may delight you to know that this record was produced entirely by cinematic folk mastermind Justin Vernon. His influence permeates through it all, but it’s the celestial Stavely harmonies that shine brightest.

Let’s discuss the instrumentation first. Fans of the diverse, theatrical production of Bon Iver’s self-titled record will be elated upon hearing this exquisite mixed-bag of songs. Opener “Blood I Bled” grows from a sparse folk introspection into a loud battle march, “No Me, No You, No More” is a heart-wrenching, harmonic monument in acapella, and “Black & White” goes full-fuzz blues rock; and that’s only scratching the surface.

Now, the vocals. The Stavely sisters are masters of crafting angelic, interweaving harmonies that trigger goosebumps on such a frequent basis that it’s shocking. Their potent lyrics will break even the hardest shells down with emotional agony, but the heavenly notes that carry those words lift the songs skyward. This is a true musical gem. If you’re seeking diverse, cinematic music with radiant harmonies, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

If I Was by The Staves

So Many Colours by José Padilla

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

José Padilla - So Many Colours

You sit upon a narrow vessel bobbing in a damp, vast darkness. How long has light been absent from your vision? You aren’t sure of this, but you see something up ahead. You shield your eyes as you emerge from the seemingly-eternal river tunnel. The gondolier at the rear of your boat is shrouded in a black cloak and silently navigates the still waters. A city forged in gold surrounds you, and the echoes of the sun reflect off of everything, and it’s beautiful . . .

Kick up your feet and grab a cold one. So Many Colours is the new full-length from aural pioneer José Padilla, referred to as the “godfather of chill-out.” The lauded producer is known for his renowned Café Del Mar sets, and for constructing the stencils that eventually formed Balearic music. For this glowing album, Padilla worked with Barrott, Jan Schulte, Telephones, and Tornado Wallace to craft a true dance music gem.

The collaborative aspects of this album shine brightly in the form of some epic improvisational moments, but the record as a whole is surprisingly and pleasantly cohesive. These songs have beginnings and endings, and the journeys in the middle captivate with some melodically superb progressions. These tracks not only paint colorful, vivid worlds to envision, but also weave living narratives to inhabit the worlds.

This quintet of formidable influences produce a spread of tantalizing genres, including high-strung funk (“Afrikosa”), luscious disco (“Lollipop”), and even some dubby house (“Day One”). The warm, silken production is a sight to behold, but it’s the live, terrestrial instrumentation (namely Padilla’s Spanish-influenced guitar) that holds the most luster. If you’re seeking chilled-out, tropical dance music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

So Many Colours by José Padilla

Loyalty by The Weather Station

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

The Weather Station - Loyalty

The bramble is thick, but you swipe at the thorny plant overgrowth that impedes your movement through the dark forest. Lacerations canvas your arms and other parts of your body. Suddenly, light. You fall through the last green threshold and collapse onto a patch of soft grass. You slowly rise to your feet and look around. A meadow surrounds you, filled with fluorescence, life, and warmth. You hear music in the trees, and you walk towards them . . .

Curl up next to something or someone warm for this one. Loyalty is the third album by Tamara Lindeman and her band, The Weather Station. On previous albums, Lindeman succeeded in establishing herself as a formidable voice in the folk world, but opting for traditionally conceptual imagery in her songwriting. This new full-length is a totally original being, because Lindeman cuts through all of that and bears her real woes.

‘Real’ is probably the best word to encompass this record. Every song cradles the listener’s ears and projects the comforting image of the singer and her wonderfully complementary bandmates in a small, intimate lounge. Lindeman’s strikingly articulate and passionate voice may ring highest in these songs, but the subtly vivid instrumentation provides a lofty platform for her to lament with the most beauty.

It almost feels intrusive to listen to these gorgeous pieces of music. They sound private and arcane, like dark secrets that you keep to yourself and divulge to only the most trusted confidants. Lindeman dwells on the agonies of life that ache, but also thrust you further through existence, things that can’t be fixed and mustn’t if one wants to continue living. It’s breathtaking. If you’re seeking pristine, intimate folk, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Loyalty by The Weather Station

Pale Horses by mewithoutYou

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

mewithoutYou - Pale Horses

You reach, grasp a jagged rock, and pull yourself up. You’ve reached the peak of the world, the crest of Earth itself and the place closest to the heavens. There is a massive building looming over you, with painted glass windows glistening in the morning sunlight. This is the Temple of Life. Human-made doctrines are never spoken here; the only belief taught and held within these walls is Truth. You enter, sit among the pews, and listen.

I can count on one hand the names of people that have influenced me to pursue writing as a career, and Aaron Weiss, the frontman and lyricist of this wonderful group, is one of them. Pale Horses is the sixth full-length from mewithoutYou, and to be perfectly blunt, they’re one of my absolute favorite bands. I’ve been waiting for this record ever since it was announced, so I apologize if I gush, but I promise it’s all completely valid.

For those unfamiliar with previous releases, here’s a primer. The production utilized is rock standard: booming drums, riffy guitar, and complex, subterranean bass grooves. Each of these skilled musicians is an ace behind their instrument. These new songs grow and sprout limbs in places where their older tracks opted for more straight-away formats. The melodies and harmonies are also more intricate, serpentine, and satisfying.

However, the focal point is and has always been the cryptic novels that Aaron Weiss pens as lyrics. The masterful writer weaves topics concerning various world religions, and examines inner trials with alteration of faith and meanings of weighted language. He’s a storyteller of the highest caliber, and his bandmates illustrate the imagery painted in his words. If you’re seeking enigmatic, lively rock music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Pale Horses by mewithoutYou

O.K. by Eskimeaux

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Eskimeaux - O.K.

You enter a large, two-story house. It’s eerily quiet, and it appears that no one’s home. The first floor is completely empty, so you creakily ascend the stairs. Everywhere is vacant, save for one room. The last one you inspect contains a hefty mass of children’s toys. You step through the bedroom door, and your body becomes paralyzed. A flash of light blinds you, and when your eyes adjust, you see the colorful, plastic behemoths towering over you . . .

In dire need of a pick me up? Look no further! O.K. is the most recent full-length from Gabrielle Smith and her solo endeavor, Eskimeaux. In 2011, she, her band, and a few of their friends established the Epoch, a songwriting and art collective located in Brooklyn. This community of likeminded individuals maintain the philosophies of togetherness and reciprocity, and those warm components shine through on this fun record.

Having participated in multiple other collective members’ bands, including Frankie Cosmos, Told Slant, and Bellows, Smith is well-versed in the ways of complimentary sound. Her tender alto is sewn ever so snug into the quilt of each song, allowing the twinkling synths, driving guitars, and Felix Walworth’s tasteful drum rhythms to breathe clear and radiate within the overall mix. It’s all highly sophisticated songwriting, as well.

The element that comes through the clearest on this record is the aura of comfort and relief it provides for the listener. It’s affectionate, encouraging, and sincere to the utmost degree. Whether you’re feeling upset, angry, or just fine with everything, these songs empathize with non-saccharine sweetness, and state with credibility that it’s all O.K. If you’re seeking charismatic, comforting, and fun music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

O.K. by Eskimeaux

More Faithful by No Joy

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

No Joy - More Faithful

You barely see the path you walk upon, clouded by a thick haze but lit by countless fireflies. Welcome to the Foggy Bog festival, located in a deep swamp on a distant planet. Fuzz rockers from all corners of the galaxy journey here to gift their songs to eager listeners, who stand in the smoky gloom and absorb the sounds without sight. Insect lanterns lead you to a clearing, and suddenly they disperse into the air. You hear distant white noise, growing louder . . .

The fuzz! The sweet, glorious fuzz! More Faithful is the third full-length release from No Joy, Montreal shoegazers that stretch and contort the limits of “shoegaze” like nobody else. The trademark sounds of the genre, hazy guitars and cloudy vocal mantras, are present, but it’s clear from the first few seconds of “Remember Nothing” that this is something much different. The instrumentation and compositions are multifarious.

The range of experimentation present on this beautiful, nebulous record is notable at least, and astounding at best. It feels wrong to label this album with the stamp of “shoegaze,” because the only things shoegaze-esque about it are the instrumental tones and textures. The song structures, melodies, and rhythms are essentially disparate in nature, and deserve to be examined as completely unique worlds of sound.

The balance between murky darkness and radiant brightness is No Joy’s specialty. “Remember Nothing” is a raucous affair compared to the cavernous dream pop of “Moon in my Mouth,” while “Chalk Snake” dabbles in the colossal, trudging sounds of doom. It’s a wonderfully diverse record that reveals itself more with each listen. If you’re seeking layered, experimental music with a hazy glow, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

More Faithful by No Joy

Meridian by Evan Caminiti

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Evan Caminiti - Meridian

You stand at the cliff of a precipice, gazing into the gaping mouth of the world. The hole is deep and wide, and the bottom can’t be seen. Silence is all around you, for there are no more humans to disturb it. You pick up your equipment and descend down the coarse face of the rock wall. The echoes of humanity are known to exist down here, and you want to see for yourself. You hear a faint rumble, and as you go deeper, it gets darker and louder . . .

Prepare yourself for a boundless plunge into the unknown. Meridian is the fifth solo full-length from Evan Caminiti, who’s been constructing massive guitar drone music with Barn Owl for years. The talented producer is known for his infatuation with synthetic processing, which often results in his guitar resembling the furthest thing from a guitar. However, on this release he opts for gargantuan modular synthesis.

Even if you consider yourself naive when it comes to drone music, I implore you to still give this music a chance. It’s huge, it’s beautiful, and it’s so easy to lose yourself within it (I actually felt hypnotized and unable to multi-task multiple times during my listens). The sounds in these songs simulate towering machines, vast caverns, and the darkest, most harrowing depths of the world. It’s truly awe-inspiring, and overwhelming at times.

The name Meridian supposedly refers to the concept of energy’s migration through the body on passages called meridians, and Caminiti has stated that the record must be played loud in order to feel it pulsating throughout your being. Honestly, it’s breathtaking as a close headphone experience, too. Listen to this while laying down in a dark room, eyes shut. If you’re seeking immense, cavernous drone, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Meridian by Evan Caminiti

nūmūn by Johanna Warren

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Johanna Warren - nūmūn

You walk between colossal trees within a vast forest. Streams of light cut through leafy canopies and brighten your path. You’ve heard legends about this place, about ghosts inhabiting it and telling their stories of the past, both soaring tales of passion and crushing laments of sorrow, to those that will listen; and you will listen. You are alone, but you feel the weight of many eyes upon you. A breeze floats through the trees, carrying melodic sound . . .

Handling the beauty contained on this record is quite a task. nūmūn is the second full-length release from Johanna Warren, a stunningly adept songwriter with the voice of a seraph. When not crafting masterful folk gems, Warren also embraces a second profession as an energy healer, and the influence of that trade is permeated throughout all of these songs. This is music that entrances the mind and cleanses the soul.

The melodies that Warren conceives of by weaving her looping guitar and angelic voice are elaborate, sublime, and most of all, catchy. She may only repeat a single motif once or twice during the course of a labyrinthine song, but one finds oneself humming those few notes at the end of each track regardless of the experimental complexity surrounding those precious tones. Worshippers of Joni Mitchell, this one’s for you.

Though the lyrical content encompasses the profound, often painful questions concerning death, the pristine instrumentation is teeming with life. Subtle percussion, woodwinds, and harmonic voices cradle the artist as she processes inner turmoil and the fragility of life. It’s certainly not painless, but it is gorgeous, and it’s one of my favorite albums of the year. If you’re seeking intricate, timeless folk music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

nūmūn by Johanna Warren

Slowness by Outfit

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

Outfit - Slowness

You’re an audience member in a grand hall. You can’t spot a ceiling in the endless blackness above you, and behind you the rows of heads extend into eternity. Onstage sit multiple pianos of the multi-sensory variety, meaning that the melodies and chords played upon them cast fantastic sights, sounds, and smells into the crowd. The type of experiences depend on the mood of the performed music. The lights go down, and you’re engulfed in a sea of applause.

’15 has been a landmark year for breaking genre barriers. Slowness is the second full-length release from Outfit, a Liverpool band that cares not about coloring inside the lines with the categorization of their sound, frequently leaping between experimental pop, classical post-rock, buoyant house, and a slew of others. These talented artists know how to write hooks, and they’re experts at extravagantly dressing those hooks.

The best descriptor for this album may be the obliquely beautiful yet disquieting cover art. The instrumentation is polished and aqueous at times, dark and ominous at others, but Andrew Hunt’s vulnerable voice (somewhat resembling Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor) and ear-worm melodies always carry a torch through each song. This is gorgeous, progressive, deconstructed pop music with a focus on synthetic experimentation.

This band does a whole lot of things right, but their heaviest trump card may be their utilization of piano. The melodious sound of the classical piano provides a foundation for each one of these pieces to build upon. Towers of otherworldly synths, melting guitars, and driving percussion are the result, and they are marvels to behold. If you’re seeking experimental pop music with a progressive mindset, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

Slowness by Outfit

The Bump by The Maguires

Justin Anastasio, Leave a comment

The Maguires - The Bump

Welcome to Starcade, the galaxy’s largest and most beloved haven for the gaming-obsessed! You’ve been anonymously gifted a hefty sum of tokens, in a raffle which you do not remember entering. Curious. No matter! Worry is the last thing that crosses your mind when you gaze upon the boundless cabinets and cockpits, and you feel you could live out the rest of your days here. A shiver takes you, but you quickly shake it off and dive into your first game . . .

Get ready for the most fun kind of dance music. The Bump is David Reihm’s debut album as The Maguires, and boy is it a treat. The talented producer/multi-instrumentalist previously fronted experimental pop group The Glass Canoe. This release is chock full of that unique mentality and technique, but delivered in a much more streamlined, aerodynamic format prepped and primed for enthusiasts of the dance floor.

Fans of video game music are another population that will absolutely love this record, and I mean that in the best possible way. Each of these diverse tracks invoke distinct landscapes centered in fantastical, 16-bit worlds. These could be soundtracks to incredible Donkey Kong and Mega-Man games that were never released, and the fact that they also function superbly as house anthems puts this album in a class all its own.

I haven’t even mentioned that Reihm himself performs all the vocals on this thing. It’s astonishing how he contorts his voice into a multitude of different timbres and styles, each complementing and elevating the driving grooves. At it’s core, this record is for those with vivid imaginations, and those that require something special with their dance tunes. If you’re seeking grooving, otherworldly electronic music, this album is for you.

– stasi (@stasisphere)

The Bump by The Maguires