Brockhampton - Iridescence One of my only regrets from my travels throughout Australia was the fact that I didn't get to see Brockhampton touring while I was over there. Getting a ticket would have been impossible anyway. Luckily I had a brilliant new album from the 'boyband' to stream on repeat while i was over there. While i understood that the sacking of founder member Ameer Van was necessary i was unsure of how the group would cope without such a dynamic voice in their ranks. Iridescence is Brockhampton's 5th album in two years and supposedly the 1st part of yet another trilogy. The fact that the two albums 'puppy' and 'team effort' may still hold a load of unreleased material as well as the fact that three singles didn't make this album, only goes to highlight the groups prodigious work-rate. Iridescence was mostly recorded during a short period in London. Iridescence very much sounds like a London album. The quirky hip hop sound of the saturation trilogy has been expanded with elements of drum n' bass and garage while much of the production has a darker grimier feel than the previous LP's.
The album benefits from every member of the group being on top form, most surprisingly Bearface, whose performances dominate much of the album, despite being absent from much of the Saturation Trilogy. Iridescence is chock full of bangers yet it's the emotional highs and lows of deep cuts such as Tonya and San Marcos which make the album stand out. Brockhampton have proved themselves to be one of the most important hip-hop groups/boybands of the decade with an album that can make you mosh and cry in equal measure.
Check out - Tonya
Idles - Joy as an act of resistance
It was only last year that Idles burst onto to scene with 'Brutalism'. An album that was easily the best post punk album since Eagulls debut a few years before it. Less than a year later Idles have followed up one of the best punk albums of the decade with one that's even better. On 'Joy' Idles haven't captured the zeitgeist so much as bludgeoned it with a hammer. 'Joy' is a furious beast of an album yet uplifting at the same time. It helps that Joe Talbot not only has the roar of a animal but the prose of a bard. Every lyric on this album would look good on a protest sign. Whether attacking Tories, ("a heathen from Eaton on a bag of Micheal Keaton"), depression ("if someone talked to you the way you talk to you, i'd put their teeth through, love yourself") or toxic masculinity Joe is frequently hilarious. Yet it's his chilling ode to his unborn child on 'June' that proves that sometimes it's simplest lyrics that cut the deepest.
Check out - Danny Nedelko
George Clanton - Slide
Darwin, NT is hot. It's unbelievably hot. It's so hot that the locals look forward to the wet season as it gives them some relief from the heat, even if this comes in the form of 6 months of rain. While I had an endless supply of 'stubbies', and air con and beautiful natural pools to cool me down, nothing worked quite as well as the album 'Slide' from George Clanton. On this LP George ingeniously gives the 1990's the vapourwave treatment. He buries his heartbroken vocals over layers of shimmering synths, and breakbeats, creating a heady psychedlelic mix that mimics Primal Scream's classic 'Screamadelica'. George treads a fine line between echoing the past and reinventing it. For all the nostalgia on display 'Slide' is far more inventive than anything his less underrated peers can come up with.
Check out - Slide
Ross From Friends - Family Portrait
I'm going to ignore the fact that this album came out in July because I think it's brilliant. 'Family Portrait' is another album which i became a little bit obsessed with while travelling throughout Australia. Look past the ironic name and facade and you'll find a fantastically clever and diverse techno album. 'Ross' shares the eclectic nature of Aphex Twin and his label boss Flying Lotus. The album is a bewildering mix of avante-garde house music. Yet it contains at least three absolute bangers in 'Project Cybersyn', 'Pale Blue Dot' and 'Thank god i'm a lizard'.
Check out - Project Cybersyn
Amber Arcades - European Heartbreak
Amber Arcades 2016 debut 'Fading Lines' was a surprise favourite of mine the year it came out. A gentle psychedelic tinged album of jangly indie rock. It feels like it's been a long wait for the follow up and 'European Heartbreak' feels like the work of a completely different band. Jangly indie rock sound has mostly been replaced with melancholy ballards, and lush orchestration. It's quite a change, but it's frequently gorgeous, much like Annelotte's debut this is an album of subtlety and charm. given a chance, there is a lot to love here
Check out - Self portrait in a car at night
Slaves - Acts of fear and love
To tell the truth I wasn't as excited to hear Slaves' forth album as I had been the ones before it. Maybe the novelty of a two piece punk band with a singing drummer had worn off. Slaves 4th album has nothing new that they hadn't done one their previous releases and none of the experimentation with rap and electronica as on 'Take Control'. Yet there is a reason Slaves' are proud of this album the most. It's everything that makes the band great condensed into 9 tracks. There's no messing around, just 9 of the best and most heartfelt songs they've written to date. Sometimes less really is more.
Check out - Bugs
Pale Waves - My mind makes noises
I'm a bit fed up of bands pretending it's the 80's. So I've decided that only one 80's indebted pop/rock record could make this list. Yet considering how much I liked her debut I never thought i'd give the honour to Pale Waves instead of Christine and the Queens. I was all set to hate Pale Waves from the moment their pasty faces first hit my radar. This is partly due to their resemblance and relationship to The 1975 (a band who I still seem to be the only one in the world to dislike). I'm glad I gave Pale Waves another chance. 'My mind...' may show the band to be a bit of a one trick pony. Almost every song here follows the same formula. Yet in it's best moments it's irresistible. Few singers wear their hearts on their sleeves quite like Heather Baron-Gracie, she embodies the spirit of young love. Her lyrics would sound incredibly corny if anyone else sung them yet it's her sincerity that won me over.
Check out - Drive
I also enjoyed
Beak- >>>
Denzel Curry - TA13BOO
Christine and The Queens - Chris
