Nearly halfway through the year, here's some little blurbs about my favorite releases of the year so far. There are lots of albums I still have to get to, and lots I'm excited about, so don't take the rankings too seriously, take it more as "here's some cool stuff I liked this year."
here's come cool stuff I liked this year
1. Honningbarna - Soft Spot
post-hardcore, noise rock
They returned with an album at least as vigorous as the last. They've maintained their noisy post-hardcore core, but this time they've added more synthesizer and some mild industrial influence that reminds me of Death Grips albums Jenny Death and The Money Store. You simply haven't got a soul if this album doesn't amp you up.
2. Longmont Potion Castle - Alive in '25
prank calls
Another blessed year in which we got a new LPC album. This album includes calls to other time zones at odd hours of the night, a friendly nonsensical call about renaissance festivals, and an endearing call to a confused married couple about a broken landline phone. Plus an hour-long interview at the end of the album for the mega-fans, I listened to it on a flight recently.
3. Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power
blackgaze
Despite this album's length, it is enrapturing and manages to be extremely digestible. They've returned to the Sunbather sound, but dropping the samples and interludes makes this feel like a really compact listen, with the highlight tracks being placed really appropriately in the tracklist to pace the album well.
4. Kitchen - Blue Heeler in Ugly Snowlight, Grey on Gray on Gray on White.
slacker rock, indie folk
5. sueter7 - diario
indietronica
This EP is comfy and memorable. It feels like waking up on a sunny Saturday morning, bearing an undefined optimism. I really like the vocal melodies, I find myself humming them around my apartment.
6. Life - My Heart the Dreaming Memory
screamo
Of the many Life releases this year (so far), this one captured me the most, especially in the second half. A familiar screamo sound with a bit more metalcore chugging and plenty of painful reverberated screams. The drums sound really good here.
7. Ostraca - Eventualities
screamo
Four rippers here. They lean more on instrumental interludes, but hit hard when the screams kick in. It's classic Ostraca!
8. My Son the Doctor - Glamours
post-punk, indie rock
Fun and wry tunes from NYC post-punkers My Son the Doctor. Lots of cool guitar lines to furrow your brow and lyrics to make you smile. A really great live show. This album gets better with every listen.
9. Downward - Downward
shoegaze, alternative rock
Thoroughly emotional, but spacey and restrained. Occasionally big shoegaze moments, and other songs more slowcore. This album sounds like walking around a quiet city on a rainy day.
10. Bill Fox - Resonance
folk, singer-songwriter
Some old tracks from a couple different sessions compiled into this lovely folk album. A healthy set of Bob Dylan-like tunes, some leaning more towards a slackery Guided by Voices sound, the usual split from Bill Fox. The highlight is the final track "Got Her on My Mind," recorded with a full band.
great local stuff:
Cash Bribe - Demonomics (punk rock, hardcore)
The Entire Earth - I'm Not Scared (post-hardcore, emo)
Fake Pollocks - Livestock (math rock)
Body World - Body World II (hardcore punk)
plugging my own bands' new releases:
The Real World - Keeping it Real
Marshy - Light Business
