Bjork – Vulnicura
Released a month ago, Vulnicura makes for a notable return to quality following a trinity of mixed outings from the Icelandic superstar. Recruiting Venezuelan producer Arca to endow her with her glitchy ensemble while marrying the poetic strings of Homogenic with Vespertine-esque intimacy, Vulnicura finds footing where 2011’s Biophilia walked unstable alien terrain. If you had lost faith at some point of the process (which you really shouldn’t have – shame on you) then look to this impressive new full-length for renewal.
Blur – The Magic Whip
After over a decade of dummy announcements, the Britpop vets are finally gearing up for a follow up to 2003’s Think Tank with their eighth full-length album, titled The Magic Whip. This makes 2015 twice-over good news for Damon Albarn fans following a recent reunion announcement for Gorillaz. Expect the good news to make manifest April 27th.
Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
Josh Tillman of Fleet Foxes pops his sophomore solo album the week of Valentine’s day, titled I Love You, Honeybear, to dissect the authenticity of love via airy singer-songwriter-style folk. Sweet and summery like the band proper, and more than a little worth the click on the sample below.
“Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)”
t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 – アンタラ通信
If you haven’t been convinced by the encroaching vaporwave movement yet, then get busy because the excuses are being whittled away by Dream Catalogue affiliates like the prolific t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者. The elusive producer brings to the table a brand of nigh-indescribability translated into thick, repetitive gleam of down-pitched, slow pop that will surely turn ambient fans into a pile of wobbly flan by the time they have run the gamut. That’s a good thing, by the way. You want to be flan.
Full stream and name-your-price download via Dream Catalogue
xSPONGEXCOREx – Bold and Thrash
It is happening again. Flats is going to kick all of our butts for the third time come Feb 22nd. If Don’t Mess With TexXxas, released a mere four months ago, can assure us of anything it is that the parodic outfit will surely come through with considerably less bold than thrash, dishing out more of the same gimmicky hardcore mashups with the endlessly-quotable golden era of Spongebob Squarepants. You can’t fault them for persistence, but another part of me can’t help but hear the sound of the myriad Krusty Krab regulars chanting “No talent!” at the foot of this flimsy talent show. (since making a “belongs in the trash” pun was way too easy)