Vecka 18-19

Systrarna The Unthanks avslutar denna poplista

Här kommer, om jag får säga det själv, en grymt bra lista. Kevin Morby, som inleder,
är ju en kille som nästan alltid lyckas bra här. Systrarna Únthanks är tillbaka liksom
Steve Wynn i The Dream Syndicate, som låter som i gamla dar. Brian Jonestown Massacre har
också synts till här.

1 Kevin Morby (US)  Kevin Morby's epic new album (his fifth, remarkably) is, by his own admission (if not confession) a "non-religious religious record". It is a frankly dizzying experience that takes no little unpacking.  "Hail Mary" seems to recall peak Dylan and the Band, while also not losing the essence of Morby himself, and some of the musical interludes. PopMatters

2 Drugdealer (US) L.A.-based auteur Michael Collins crafts a pristine portrait of early-’70s AM radio by taking inspiration not only from the period’s definitive artists, but its discarded pop detritus, too. Slow-burning “Honey” deepens the sense of mystery in lines like, “you’ve got some things you can’t erase, and honey, I’ve got mine.” Pitchfork

3 Perturbator (NO) “Excess,” surprise-released last night, showcases the synthwave pioneer’s bold new direction. There are still sonic elements here that link “Excess” to his past work, but for the most part Perturbator is pushing forward and he isn’t looking back. The track taps the industrial sonic palette, with plenty of synthy goodness and electronic beats, but the overall vibe is unmistakably post-punk / new wave. Don’t worry, it’s still plenty dark — that hasn’t gone anywhere — but the shimmery guitars, rumbling bass and shouted vocals give the track an entirely different vibe than we’re used to hearing from him. Metalscks.net

4 Flesh Eaters (US) are an American punk rock and roots rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins, best known as Chris D. While Desjardins is the group's only continual member, the Flesh Eaters' lineup has drawn from some of the most famous bands of the L.A. punk scene, such as the Plugz, X, the Blasters, and Los Lobos.have done a few gigs since their informal dissolution in the early ‘aughts. But I Used to Be Pretty, the legendary L.A. group’s first album since 2004, counts as a full-on resurrection.  Blurtonline, Wiki.

5 Devin Townsend (CAN) Throughout his long career, Devin Townsend has been an artist that has defied any label or boundary. He toys with expectations and never chooses to make the same album twice, even if it would result in commercial rewards. The album is, of course, comprised entirely of new compositions, and the powerful, progressive music is nowise a retread of Devin’s past. The orchestrations are triumphant, the drums invigorating; even the death metal growls are more cathartic than menacing in their primality. If the listener does not hear the entirety of their journey reflected in Empath, they will surely hear something they can recognize as their own experience and encounter bridges to experiences less familiar. The Prog Report

6 Alcabean (DK) Danish brothers Victor and Julius Schack, aka Alcabean, are set to release their debut album ‘Confessions’. In “Feel” they’ve found an effortless groove here which leaves the past behind and transcends, albeit tentatively, their surroundings. To do this amid such personal identity turmoil is remarkable. ‘Tsukuyomi’ in particular, with its synth hooks and hand claps is the kind of dramatic pop music which will forge obsessive bonds with record collectors the world over. Travellerstunes

7 Control Top (US) On their debut album, the anarchic Philly hardcore trio muster a raw, thrilling assault against complacency. Surviving under capitalism is hard work. It extracts compromise. Constant precarity locks us into routines, inertia dulls our senses. Breaking out requires kinetic energy—commitment to the illogical unknown, to making the sort of disruptive noise that startles even its creators. On their debut album, Covert Contracts, Control Top harness the chaos necessary for transformation. Pitchfork

8 Brian Jonestown Massacre (US) Their latest album is a self-titled one and their 18th full-length album to boot, only seven months after recording their previous one. Comprised of nine pieces ranging from the sprawling epic "We Never Had a Chance" to more traditional folk orientated numbers with a psychedelic twist. Undertheradar

9 Dream Syndicate (US) “It’s the leadoff track, kind of a Rosetta Stone, decoder ring, instruction manual to light the way,” Lead singer and songwriter Steve Wynn said of “The Way In”. “It’s all about clearing the decks, dusting off, fastening the spacesuit and bracing yourself for what might come next.  It sounds like something we might have heard on the radio in 1981 when we were forming the band thinking, ‘Maybe we ought to sound like that.’”  Anti-com

10 The Unthanks (UK)  One can only admire how the Tyneside group have evolved from their English folk roots to become a cultural phenomenon, charting Northumbrian history from navy press gangs to shipbuilding glory and destitution. Along the way, they have embraced songs by Robert Wyatt and Molly Drake, and added a keen strain of chamber folk to the tender vocal harmonies of Unthank sisters Rachel and Becky. National treasures? Absolutely. Lines is a trilogy of short albums (available singly or as a set) that maintain their ambition, respectively focused on the poems of Emily Brontë, those of first world war writers, and a Maxine Peake drama celebrating Hull fishworker and campaigner Lillian Bilocca.  The Guardian

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