For all the great albums that grab the music media spotlight, there’s many more that slip by the warm glow of recognition. It’s not always for lack of quality either, given the huge array of ways we listen to music these days, both online and off, as well as the speed at which we all consume, it’s little wonder that many great releases slip through the cracks. So much music, so little time.
But here’s the chance to take a little pause for breath and reflect at the month that’s been, picking over the best releases that may have missed the love they deserve when first landing. Maybe they were overshadowed by a major label blockbuster, unnecessarily overlooked or misunderstood, perhaps suffered a case of bad timing. No matter the reason for them slipping under the radar, we’ve switched on our musical sonar to help you discover and explore a raft of releases you may well have missed the first time round.
Twerps – Underlay (Merge/Chapter Music)
If Twerps were already one of the brightest sparkling jewels in Australia’s musical crown, Underlay only cements their status as one of the most beloved outfits on our shores.
The Melbourne-bred band are back with their latest LP, and this time around their jangly lo-fi rock feels slightly more angsty. There’s frustration bubbling away in this collection of consistently tightly-written songs, and as the disdained “Concrete Seasons” hints with the line, “And I don’t want to sing ‘Dreamin’/ It’s lost every single meaning“, it seems like they’re ready to sweep the slate clean with the old and move onto something new.
But no matter if Twerps are feeling cheery or jaded, their creations are consistently compelling in their nature. In terms of believability, conviction, and emotion, Twerps are hard to beat.
Underlay feels like a slightly more honed-in effort a band who feel like they’re almost ready to crossover from cult adoration to a more widespread level of success. Seeing as this underrated troupe are one of the most well-knit, talented groups our smorgasbord of local talent has to offer, they most certainly deserve it. (Dylan McCarthy)
Rustie – Green Language (Inertia)
When ‘Attak’ – Rustie’s most recent collaboration with Danny Brown was released in July this year, anticipation for the Scottish producer’s second full-length effort was high. And with the released Green Language it’s safe to say expectations were fulfilled.
Returning from the massive success of his 2011 debut album Glass Swords (Winner of The Guardian’s 2012 First Album Award), Green Language sees Rustie seeking to build something bigger, louder and slicker than anything he’s released before.
The biggest highlights on this record are Rustie’s (aka Russell White) collaborations, bringing British grime MC D Double E into the fold for ‘Up Down’ and recruiting US hip hop duo Gorgeous Children for the stuttering ‘He Hate Me’ bring a level of variety to the album while keeping the whole thing cohesive.
The centerpiece of Green Language however is the Danny Brown featured ‘Attak’. Having produced ‘Dope Song’, one Brown’s most earth shattering tracks of late, it’s becoming clear these two are a creative match made in heaven.
Green Language sees Rustie blurring the lines between being a hip hop producer and an electronic wizard and it’s something we can’t wait to hear more of. (Lucy Dayman)
Ty Segall – Manipulator (Spunk)
Californian garage psych rocker and insanely prolific musician Ty Segall recently released dropped his seventh studio record in as many years this August, and one thing we’ve learnt is you can have both quality and quantity.
Manipulator is the title of his new release and it’s also the longest LP Segall has ever released, clocking in at 56 minutes the entire project took him 14 months to complete, which is like a decade in Segall years.
Both modern and nostalgic, Manipulator sees Segal channel as much glam rock as he usually does garage. The album’s opener ‘Tall Man, Skinny Lady’ sounds like a potential T-Rex B-side, while the album’s lead single ‘Suzie Thumb’ “sees Segall unleash his inner shredding beast.”
Usually the term ‘consistency’ is synonymous with ‘boring’ but with every year and every new release Segall proves otherwise. Manipulator is a record definitely worth getting familiar with ahead of the garage king’s visit to Australia this December for Meredith. (LD)
Mick Jenkins – The Water(s) (Indie)
Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins decided to produce a 15 track mixtape all about water, yep like just actual water. The release is aptly titled The Water(s) and it’s also one of the most promising underground hip hop releases of the year.
Listening to The Water(s) it’s hard not to laugh at how out of aural context some of the things Jenkins is saying. In the title track ‘The Waters’ Jenkins spits “water more important than gold” the same way Kendrick Lamar spits “bitch don’t kill me vibe”. But the quality of hip hop coming from this 23 year year old is serious.
With smooth sleepy production and Jenkins’ spiraling flow, listening to The Water(s) is the aural equivalent of floating on top of a cool deep Olympic sized pool on a summer day. What are you waiting for? You can stream the entire thing via Complex mag – dive in. (LD)
JJ – V (Secretly Canadian/Sincerely Yours)
Swedish duo JJ, comprised of Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander, are still somewhat of an enigma with their third full-length LP. That said, their breathtaking sonic vision has crystallised into a greater, even more beautiful shape. Perhaps it’s no coincidence the pair decided to capitalise their double-letter monicker for this record, because V feels like their most accomplished effort to date.
The pair creative nostalgic and emotion-laden pop that takes most of its musical cues from the rap game. They create vast electronic landscapes with large atmospherics that get filled with layers of triggered trip-hop beats, whoozy synths and, if you listen closely enough, Drake reference(s).
Narrated by Kastlander’s profound and sincere vocals, JJ sound dreamier than ever before. Lead single ‘All White Everything’ is the perfect entry point for this Scandinavian duo’s latest opus: an echoey, starry pop ballad that is simply and utterly pretty. (DM)
Lil Silva – Mabel EP (True Panther/Good Years)
UK dance producer Lil Silva is perhaps currently best-known as the main man sitting at the production helm behind 2014’s most blogged about artist, Banks. Largely responsible for the rising LA singer’s captivating, brooding sound, Lil Silva’s work with Banks has been compared to other legendary R&B producer-vocalist collaborations like The Neptunes and Kelis, and Timbaland and Aaliyah.
But on his latest EP, Mabel, Lil Silva takes the first steps out from the shadowy anonymity that comes with being a faceless producer and starts to claim some of the spotlight for himself: not only does he mostly shine without any guest vocalists (minus Banks’ appearance on the grinding ‘Don’t You Love’), Lil Silva uses his own vocal pipes to take the role of both singer and producer.
Mabel is a bold creation from one of the most influential figures in R&B right now. For fans of warbling, bass-heavy electronica along the lines of James Blank, SBTRKT and Sampha, let Lil Silva guide you into his enthralling world of trend-defining beats. (DM)
