Baths – Disorderly

Will Weisenfield (AKA Baths) has managed to recapture some of the bright, wistful sounds that had captivated music lovers from his 2010 album Cerulean.  The radiating electronic beats in the track Disorderly immediately envelopes the listener into a realm of careless tranquility, a breath of fresh air after the melancholic Obsidian.  Weisenfield’s vocals are the same modest falsetto that has been featured before on his other tracks, and you know what?  They totally work.  If the track was left simply as an instrumental, it could easily have served as a relaxing soundtrack to your evening daydreams.  Yet with the complementation of the vocals, the song becomes slightly more apprehensive and anxious.  The mixture of these emotive forces make Disorderly the interesting Baths single we have all been waiting for.  This track was made available through the Los Angeles label Friends of Friends most recent compilation, titled What’s Good Los Angeles?  You can download the entire compilation (featuring Jerome LOL and Hodgy Beats) for free on October 4^th and stream the single Disorderly below.

-Denali

Real Estate – “Atlas”

As an active surf-rock enthusiast, I was overjoyed upon hearing of the latest release by Real Estate, titled Atlas.  Coming off of their 2011 release, Days, Real Estate has enjoyed a fair amount of critical acclaim, even being listed as the best album of that year by our staff members.  With their memorable guitar strums and gentle, carefree vocals Real Estate has earned their rightful spot in anyone’s “Summer Jamz” playlist. On Atlas however, the band shifts its mood towards something slightly gloomier.  The playful haze of Days has cleared, giving rise to a sound that is more deliberate yet introspective.  Atlas manages to accomplish the daunting task that all bands face of maintaining their collective identity while simultaneously avoiding creative stagnation.  Keep in mind, this is still the same Real Estate that had us reaching in blind nostalgia back in 2008.  Their drifting melodies have only been refined to produce their most cohesive and enjoyable album yet.  The opening track for Atlas begins with a melancholy guitar riff, eventually building into the warm beachside sounds that lay the groundwork for the entire piece.  The band has always been able to push all the buttons for making catchy tunes and feel-good vibes, and their latest album is no exception.  Stream below and enjoy.

-Denali

 

Nothing – “Guilty of Everything”

 

 

Nothing’s debut album “Guilty of Everything” envelopes the listener in a thick blanket of shoegazy alt-rock, teleporting them into an ethereal realm of artful angst and fuzzy guitar riffs.  Hidden within the thunderous wall of sound is a spring of analgesic tranquility making the album near impossible to stop listening to.  The band’s heavily distorted guitars and spectral vocals provide a rich atmosphere which gives credence to critics’ comparisons to giants like My Bloody Valentine.  “Guilty of Everything” is set to release on March 4th.  Stream below and enjoy.

-Denali

 

 

Mt. Royal – Mt. Royal EP

Mt. Royal is a relatively new group based out of Baltimore led by Celebration frontman Katrina Ford.   Much like Celebration, Mt. Royal touts swaying, soulful grooves, yet manages to find its own voice by breaking away from Celebration’s roots in psychedelia.  Their latest EP, candidly titled Mt. Royal EP saturates the listener with rich melodies and intoxicating rhythms.  Upon listening to first track on the EP, one can quickly draw parallels to heavy-hitters like Beach House or Foxygen (who I love), though Mr. Royal is still able to bring something unique to the table to avoid being redundant.  Ford’s powerful range of vocal expression coupled with the ardent instrumentation from the rest of the band makes Mt. Royal EP a fun and stimulating listen.   Give it a go on the player below.

-Denali

Blouse – Imperium

This Tuesday Blouse released their latest LP, titled Imperium.  As with any sophomore release, there is usually a degree of pressure felt by the artists to either continue with their initial musical stylings that built their fanbase, or deviate from them to create a more innovative album.  Bands that have attempted the latter have been met with varying rates of success (see MGMT’s Congratulations or Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible).  With Blouse’s self-titled debut being one of my favorite albums of 2011, I was hoping for another synthed- out, dream-pop, ’80’s throwback album.  However, after hearing the first single “No Shelter”, I was surprised to hear a more crisp, less synth driven sound.  The new album is based around “intruments that don’t plug into the wall” as band member Jacob Portrait (also bassist for Unknown Mortal Orchestra) puts it.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, despite a drastic change in style, the band still manages to produce infectious songs veiled in an air of longing and nostalgia.  When listening to Imperium I am slightly reminded of Tame Impala, though the distinction is clear.  Even though it’s not EXACTLY what I was hoping for, Imperium does not disappoint.

-Denali