Now, the second half of this month’s Capsule Review post is going to be the more positive one as there’s only one review that’s below a 2 here and three other records being between a 2 and a 3. Every record is otherwise hovering over a three with four being in their low to mid 4s and a handful already edging close to a 4. It’s definitely one of the more geeky ones that I’m happy to cover as I find the vast majority of the covered records to be worth your time in covering.
Bobbing – Year of the Newt (27 October 2023)
If you want what might well be one of the most fun-sounding records of the year in terms of production, then this might be up your alley. Year of the Newt, by the California-based music artist, is bombastic in the way that it converges electronica with funk, leading to what amounts to a bit of a bop with its slick rhythms. You can even sneak in a bit of a dog bark for a sample. However refined the samples, percussions, and synths are, it’s clear that the vocals in general are in the backseat throughout this ordeal, perhaps even to the point of being a detriment. It would be preferable if this were to be more in line with either Gorillaz or Daft Punk where a featured singer were to stand in to back the sick beats. All in all, high-value beats that’s let down simply by the singing that shouldn’t be there at all. 3.5/5
Empty Country – Empty Country II (3 November 2023)
Joseph D’Agostino’s post-Cymbals Eat Guitar project had made a bit of a splash when the self-titled debut was released with positive reviews despite little exposure back in 2020. With its heartland sounds, there’s a certain punch that makes it stand out as one of the most underrated records of the year. On the second album, such distinction doesn’t stick around as long as one would’ve liked as while the perchance of storytelling still remains, the production feels like it’s more murky in highlighting certain instrumentation & other audio layers. It blurs the general music so much that it makes listening to his lyrics very hard even though it’s one of his most distinctive aspects. Good luck with listening to this if you’re into more literary songwriting. 2.7/5
Flooding – Silhouette Machine (29 September 2023)
This record, picked out of the open, is by the Missouri band whose sound has continued down the slowcore route since their self-titled album in 2020. Although I do admire the certain technicality that could be found within the songwriting via its melodies and distortions, the whole record feels as if it’s a budget version of the depressive black metal music I would check out. It’s dull in a way that feels intended without a quality check on whether it’s a step too far. It tries to rock out, but it falls flaccid with its mediocre instances of screaming vocals that I find to be lacklustre or even passionate compared to La Dispute or, for a better 1-2-1 comparison, Lord Snow. The lyrics are poor stream-of-consciousness, the kind that pretentious high school students insist are imminent masterpieces even though it reads like a draft that James Joyce had shitted on as a statement. It fails to leave you thinking about yourself at the end. Instead, you might as well be put to dreams about the fishes in the aquarium. 1.8/5
Things Falling Apart – we can rust the world into the dust of the universe (27 October 2023)
For a bit of context surrounding this, the Illinoisian post-rock band have released this in dedication towards the passing of one of their members just prior to its completion, Brandon Welch. What could’ve been another instance of the tried-to-death crescendocore albums is instead a lot more meditative with its droning and cacophonies. It feels a lot more thoughtful in the ways that its timbre echoes the kind of longing that many would find with its guitars. The spacey riffs and feckless production gives weight to every instrument which gives a surprising feeling of appreciation to each part that makes up its whole. This includes the bass that Brandon had played on his last months and once you pick up on the fragile staccato, it’s hard to ignore the finality that comes with it. Let us grieve for our loved ones who are no longer with us. 4.3/5
Moon in June – Roman to mizuiro no machi (11 October 2023)
A Tokyo band had popped out on RateYourMusic’s esoteric chart of this year which leaves me curious to see what the music is. The Bandcamp page describes Roman to mizuiro no machi as being an ode to both idols like Galileo Galilei or films which place the band squarely in Japan’s bubbling rock scene. What one might not expect would be for the debut to feel like a respectful shout out to the best of 12 Rods or Beach House in their peak all the while keeping Moon in June wholly distinct. It’s the kind of dream pop that enraptures your interest with its ethereal reverberations without feeling repetitive or teeth-grating with its jangly riffs that point to romances. Many artists write songs about falling in love. Few manage to capture its essence. Even fewer puts you under its spell with the first few notes and Moon in June happens to be among the best in such. 4.4/5
deathcrash – Less (17 March 2023)
If, like me, you are hoping for a more refreshing take after the release of Return, you might feel let down from Less where the Slint-esque influence continues to be apparent. While you can give props for how it puts greater emphasis on slowcore, the downtempo pacing, largely monotonous singing, and depressive atmosphere says little of how the band have developed their identity. Never mind the angsty lyrics, much of the album feels a bit too samey with its delivery and performance which only adds to the lack of uniqueness in their music. It’s the kind of album that appeals only to ardent lovers of one style of music – and offers next to none for either newbies or veterans who are hoping to check out new genres or bands. 2.4/5
Danny Brown – Quaranta (17 November 2023)
After his spell with JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown might have gone ‘woke’. Quaranta feels like a stark contrast to the likes of XXX and Atrocity Exhibition; the signature high-pitched vocals are toned down in favour of a more authoritative account on gentrification, rehabilitation, and music industry exploitation. While the mania still remains as it does thanks to the jazzy beats that are done by Kassa Overall, the Alchemist, and Holly, the main selling point comes from his observations on how decadent his surroundings are. Unhingeness isn’t the name of the game, it’s the thought that counts and in Brown’s case, his thoughts on society cuts as deep as his tales of dependency. 4/5
Squid – O Monolith (9 June 2023)
One of Britain’s most oft-hyped bands in what was called the Windmill Scene of post-punk admirers have great ambitions in mimicking Radiohead’s artsy electronica that made up their three best records. On O Monolith, the band continues to practise their jazzy math-like time signatures in the sea of synths and horns in a style that lines up with art punk. At first, there is much about it that should feel exciting with their continual experimentations. However, it’s one that I can’t get myself hyped up over. It might be the vocals from Ollie Judge that don’t fit with the instrumentations, the production that feels too minimalistic to accompany the vast array of sounds for audiophiles, or the rancid attempts to portray a disillusioned world. Whatever the reason may be, O Monolith might be a hint that Squid would not be a band I’ll comfortably get into in the near future no matter their technicalities & I thought that Bright Green Field feels a bit lacklustre compared to its contemporaries. 2.2/5
André 3000 – New Blue Sun (17 November 2023)
After just under 20 years since his last output as a part of Outkast (ignoring his features), the highly anticipated debut from one of hip hop’s greatest wordsmiths is finally here. However, in stark contrast to initial expectations that it would be rapped over, this project is largely driven by his long-time flute playing that a lot of people would recall hearing him play. There’s a clear sense of mellowness in the way that he plays around the jazz instrumentation that lends the record’s genre well towards new age neoclassical. It’s by no means a lyrical miracle assault that fans would have hoped it to be, but it’s definitely a start for a mythologised figure whose solo works are few and between. By the way, that is a bit of an indictment that for a left-field record, it still exhibits a certain level of craftsmanship that deserves your attention. 3.8/5
Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – SAVED! (20 October 2023)
She might no longer go back to her days as Lingua Ignota, but Kristin Hayter still shows an interest in religion-centred horror on her latest album. Continuing to build from her distinct singer-songwriter style which builds on avant-folk, SAVED! takes its biggest inspirations from Christian traditional songs and hymns. The result is that while it might not have been as outwardly desperate, emotionally electric, or tensely disturbing as Sinner Get Ready, it still highlights her talent at startling the listeners. With a bit of tape playing that adds a slight tinge of unnerving subtext to the thematic whole, Hayter continues to build her legacy as one of the best when it comes to unsettling horrors even if this album might feel unpolished. 3.7/5
underscores – Wallsocket (22 September 2023)
The hyperpop graduate takes the pop route with the release of Wallsocket, a zany bricolage of erratic production with hooks-filled songwriting and youthful anxieties. No longer is she the same artist behind one of the 2021’s certified surprises in Fishmonger; she has set her eyes on being an indietronic rockstar comparable to pop punk’s Avril Lavigne. The studio is the clear lead instrument with how droused in melodic electro-beats, feedback, and autotune it is. Its tech-literate relatability and fuzziness might not be the most ‘artistically’ inclined, its shine is a treat for many to hear and one would be hard-pressed to find what they don’t like about it aside from it being not too serious about its craft. 4.2/5
Jane Remover – Census Designated (20 October 2023)
Jane Remover is gradually popping up more and more in the music radar for being one of the highlighted hyperpop names for her signature ‘dariacore’ which emphasises chipmunk-like vocals and mashups. On Census Designated, she cites a near-death experience from her cross-country trip as the inciting push needed to get her to push her artistry forward. Indeed, it’s more rock than pop, more dreamlike than frantic, more noisy than digital as she opts to embrace shoegaze as her guide throughout the album. The use of autotune is still apparent, but it feels held back by its lacklustre production. Given the whole emphasis on toxic relationships and mortality, one would have hoped that the overwhelmingness of shoegaze could take control of you by force. Instead, it feels too muted for us to sink in the explicit descriptions. Definitely a bit of a let-down given the praise that’s been given to 2021’s Frailty even if it’s still a good record overall. 3.7/5
GutterPutter 
Leave a comment