Brand New Music
thank u, next | Ariana Grande
There’s a certain amount of unchecked swagger that comes along with the confidence of super-stardom. While previous records were simply the musical visions of others using Grande as a conduit to their own ends, thank u, next finds a pop star finally finding her voice and saying what she really wants to say. Although it lacks a true single or outstanding track, this is Grande’s most sonically consistent album and it illustrates an artist bending and shaping her collaborators to her will, creating a fusion of pop and R&B that is entirely her own.
Jessica Pratt | Quiet Signs
Primed to be one of the year’s standout releases, this set of songs is Pratt’s best collection. While her absorbing sound has already been well established, it is fuller and richer on Quiet Signs. Charming and simplistic, it’s magically beautiful. Weaving in and around the listeners being, there’s a solace in her melodies which neither hold a wasted chord or a unwanted phrase. Crafted with retro inspirations, Pratt’s music is not retrograde. These songs feel like a lived in cabin that is passed down from generation to generation.
Panda Bear | Buoys
It takes a few listens to really get the full breadth of this album. Fusing surf-pop, Spaghetti Western, synth pop, hip hop production and full-on sonic surrealism arriving at a sound that’s at once disarmingly offbeat. Indirectly, this record is an absolute hit. Here, Benjamin Lennox, creates a balance between squelchy and clarity, which is a greatly immersive experience.
Also Out Today..
Cass McCombs | Tip of the Sphere
Angel Bat Dawid | The Oracle
Queen Zee | Queen Zee
