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A personal review of my favourite albums from the last month!
This month features Rex Orange County, Floating Points, Nilüfer Yanya, Honeyglaze and Jamie xx
Artist: Rex Orange County
Album: The Alexander Technique
Label: RCA Records
Genres: Jazz, hip hop, bedroom pop, indie rock, lo-fi
Rex Orange County is an acquired taste. His cult followers love his honest and distinctive vocals while others find them annoying. I discovered his music late, but his discography became an obsession of mine for some months in 2019.
Unlike his 2019 album, The Alexander Technique lacks commercial appeal. Many of the tracks feel more like interludes or extended intros than full songs. Before the album was released, there was general confusion about the choice of singles. In retrospect, these were appropriate because the album doesn’t feature any bangers. Despite this, I think the stripped-back, naked approach was perfect for ROC’s most candid work yet. His desire to show himself truthfully for the first time is a strong theme throughout, and this leads to many poignant moments, further enhanced by the intimate production.
Artist: Floating Points
Album: Cascade
Label: Ninja Tune
Genres: Electronic
Samuel Shepherd’s last album, Promises, was a significant diversion from what we knew of Floating Points. The minimalist jazz album composed by Shepherd and performed by the great Pharoah Sanders alongside the London Symphony Orchestra received overwhelming critical acclaim. This left people wondering what the future would bring but Cascade signals a return to Shepherd’s roots.
Cascade is an eclectic and diverse dance music album which appeals to both fans and critics by avoiding derivative sounds and clichés. Tracks like “Vocoder” and “Birth4000” would suit Ibiza’s clubs whereas “Affleck’s Place” and “Tilt Shift” sound perfect for the London or Berlin rave scenes. The closing track pays homage to his preceding album and helps you get to sleep after a long night of dancing.
It’s hard to pinpoint how Floating Points’ previous album helped to develop his sound, but this is arguably his best work yet and I’m really looking forward to the next project.
Artist: Nilüfer Yanya
Album: My Method Actor
Label: Ninja Tune
Genres: Indie rock, alternative rock
There are two key elements that I love about Nilüfer Yanya’s music. First is her iconic guitar playing, exuding warmth with her tone and finger-picking style. This album features an even mix of full-band and stripped-back tracks and her guitar style works excellently in both. Secondly, her rhythm section is always fantastic. The album’s title track is the perfect example of this. The jaunty drums and sporadic bass line make the song feel precarious, complimenting the uncertainties that Yanya is exploring.
I believe that My Method Actor sees some of Yanya’s best work, but some of the songs are very similar, leading to them being indistinguishable in my memory, despite multiple listens. In future, I hope she experiments further and pushes her sound into brand new areas.
Artist: Honeyglaze
Album: Real Deal
Label: Fat Possum
Genres: Indie, post-punk
Honeyglaze are a post-punk trio from South London. Their careful compositions accompany Anouska Sokolow’s trademark semi-spoken lyrics to produce emotional narratives that explore themes that feel fresh and unique. They truly represent the ideas of a new generation.
Real Deal was my most anticipated album of the year and it didn’t disappoint. Like a good novel, the intensity fluctuates. “Don’t”, which is perhaps their most intense moment, contrasts nicely with more mild tracks such as “Safety Pins”. Largely, the instrumental provides the changes in colour palette. In future, it would be great to see Sokolow explore more variation in her vocals. By adding more “acting”, this would enable the band to receive the critical acclaim that other recent post-punk bands have enjoyed, such as Black Country, New Road and Squid.
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