Beyond the announcement that Frank Ocean’s new album is due to come out this summer (goodbye forever, I am never leaving my bed– I just need a few foxy ladies to join me), a few other good things hit the record store shelves this week. This time, I’ll be focusing on only a handful of indie releases, but they’re all pretty quality, so I suggest you give them a listen.
East India Youth – Culture of Volume
The second studio album from William Doyle is just as incredible as his first. His high voice balances out the low notes he sings perfectly, managing to mix indie sounds with synth rhythms and electronic beats in the background. Each song flows perfectly into the other, taking wonderful twist with “Turn Away” that just sounds like the beginning of adventure. While the album itself is semi-reminiscent of rainy days, the ambient vibes that penetrate every song are radiant. Beautifully produced, Culture of Volume is a many-layered beast, pushing Doyle’s experimental stages to new heights, and encouraging a growth and maturity that was needed in his development of East India Youth. “Hearts That Never” has a heavier electronic influence, making it one of the more interesting songs on the album. “Carousel” ends with crashing waves and whale sounds, deep booms that magic their way together with the distorted static that wraps the song. Truthfully, you know how sometimes you hear an album and you feel the music rise deep inside your chest? It doesn’t happen that often, but that’s me with this album right now.
Rating: 9/10
The Mountain Goats – Beat the Champ
Indie-folk hasn’t been quite the same since the Mountain Goats decided to take it over with lo-fi influences from John Darnielle. Beat the Champ is no exception to their standard quality delivery. While supposedly mostly about professional wrestling (and very obviously so), Darnielle has said a few songs also throw around themes of death. An interesting album, the Mountain Goats’ 15th studio production chose a curious topic– but its execution was superb. Instead of tackling professional wrestling from a general or storytelling, critical, or distant lens, the Mountain Goats take it as a personal experience. “The Legend of Chavo Guerrero” tells the singer’s adoration with Guerrero as a young kind, and “Foreign Object” takes on such a comedic tone that in between music and lyrics, it sounds like a mash-up of The Aquabats and The Decemberists. “Heel Turn 2” is a bit more abstract, but seemingly about making one’s way through a difficult space– a heartfelt song on the album, it sits nicely between all the wrestling mentions. Well-done, like any of their previous records, Beat the Champ stands out among concept albums and delivers a curious sound that succeeds both with their soft instruments and topical lyrics.
Rating: 8/10
Mute Forest – Infinity Pools EP
Kael Smith’s new project, Mute Forest is a promising experimental sound that mixes synth, folk, and deep vocals to create a forest-inspired, short, exciting EP. Somehow, every piece of static sounds like rain. Despite it being very dark, Infinity Pools still manages to bring a sort of inner peace– except with the second track, “Volcanoes Flowing,” which hints at ways to find peace verbally, but somehow brings a creepy, scary vibe along with it. The record’s deep, slow sound is very lo-fi and low production seeming. While not sinister in the slightest, it’s definitely got some darker aspects to it. The whole EP sounds damp and warm, moist, like it was recorded in a forest cavern. Mute Forest sounds like it has great things coming out, and I hope to hear more spooky stuff from Smith in this vein.
Rating: 8/10
