I’m debuting a new feature today and rounding-up the best releases of the month (some captured during the weekly Gold Soundz installments, and others that I discover later on). I’ve been testing this out for over a year, getting valuable feedback from a trusted friend (endless shoutouts to Frankie!!), and feel ready to commit to this as a new monthly feature. Each month, I’'ll highlight a standout album, EP, and either a live album or something that’s been newly reissued that’s worth revisiting. There will also be some others included at the end that I feel are worthy of some listens. At the end, I’ll include a Spotify playlist each month with some of my favorite tracks.
Album of the Month:
The Smile | Wall of Eyes
On the sophomore record from this acclaimed trio, The Smile return with a more lived-in and relaxed album full of baggy grooves and loose-knit rhythms. There's a jazzier vibe to this one as well with Tom Skinner's staccato drums finding ways to borough into the proggy melodies laid down by his bandmates on various guitar, piano, and bass jams. The stunner "Bending Hectic" is the clear stand-out track that easily ranks as their best song yet, the chaotic strings swelling to bring things to a dramatic close, encapsulating the ominous tones of Yorke's foreboding lyrics that surround a perhaps purposeful car crash down an Italian mountainside. The mood on this go around is much more laid-back, perhaps because the band has been working on these tracks during their live shows, or because the pressure is finally off and they’re a bit more free to work within their means and not feel the need to reinvent themselves with each new release. If this is the sound The Smile has settled on, it’s one that still feels very exciting.
EP of the Month:
Militarie Gun | Life Under the Sun EP
Last year, Militarie Gun skyrocketed from the underground and became one of the bigger names in hardcore. Now, as their rise to fame continues to grow, they've slapped back with a new EP that reimagines several tracks from their great debut. More melodic and a bit easier to digest, these new versions are just as powerful as the originals and added guests highlight the work in new ways. There's also a NOFX cover at the end.
Reissue of the Month:
Lou Reed | Hudson River Wind Meditations
Lou Reed's final solo album was released with little notice back in 2007, but has been given a deluxe reissue via the alway impressive label, Light in the Attic. The album reflects the calming sensations that Lou came to practice late in life after the ‘70s took their toll on his body. Through acts like yoga and Tai-Chi, Reed sought a new sense of calmness that he chased all the way until the end of his life and the sounds captured here are supposed to reflect such sensations as wind rippling across the water. Unlike his previous work in drone, these are not impenetrable combustions of noise, but rather tones that aim to sooth and act as a balm, ready to guide you to serenity and beyond.
Don’t skip:
Astrid Sonne | Great Doubt
Future Islands | People Who Aren’t There Anymore
Infant Island | Obsidian Wreath
Sleater-Kinney | Little Rope
The Umbrellas | Fairweather Friend
Concerts (in review):
Tool at Madison Square Garden // 1.12.24
Shabaka, Irreversible Entanglements, and Brandee Younger at (le) poisson rouge // 1.15.24
Black Pumas and Digable Planets at Radio City Music Hall // 1.19.24
Madonna at Madison Square Garden // 1.23.24
Wednesday and Hotline TNT at Brooklyn Steel // 1.25.24