Album of the Week – 22/10/21

So, after an unscheduled break last week, we’re back! This week is an exciting week for new releases, with new albums from Nick Cave (B Sides & Rarities – Parts I & II), My Morning Jacket (My Morning Jacket), Deerhoof (Actually, You Can), Guided By Voices (It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them!) and plenty more besides!

This week, we went for something a bit epic! We love what Haley Fohr does and this album might be the one that makes her go global? Probably not though, I suspect it’ll just be people like us banging on about her for the next few years. We do suggest you give it your time and attention though. There’s a touch of 70’s rock, folk, modern classical and much more besides in this new release…

Album of the Week – Circuit des Yeux – -io

Under COVID restrictions, Fohr could only record with six other players in the studio at a time. She and her collaborators – 13 renowned musicians from Chicago’s jazz, classical, and experimental scenes – built -io layer by layer, entwining its pain with the clear yearning that sparks at its dark heart. Horns cry out like terrified and distant voices from the dizzying waltz of “Neutron Star.” A spaghetti-western guitar reverberates as if in a cavern amid the percussive pummel of “Dogma.”Strings thrash against each other like sheets of rain amid “Vanishing’s” apocalyptic thrum. Amid them, Fohr’s voice rears in space, overdubbed to the point where it becomes an architecture of its own, at once the subject in the narrative and the surrounding environment. The effect is at once capacious and crushing, like being drawn into a gas giant.

This is what happens when you take grief’s smothering and render it in space: It expands. It becomes something you can traverse. That quiet, impossible feeling of loss can suddenly be crossed. The body moves through it. What once seemed to be an impenetrable collapse turns into a site of possibility. From the wreckage, something grows, and the ruin is no longer a ruin. In all its smouldering and all its weight, it is simply a place to begin.

Albums of Note:

— Circuit des Yeux – -io

— Biffy Clyro – The Myth of the Happily Ever After

— Clinic – Fantasy Island

— Deerhoof – Actually, You Can

— Guided By Voices – It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them!

— My Morning Jacket – My Morning Jacket

— Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters

— Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – B Sides & Rarities – Parts I & II

— Parquet Courts – Sympathy For Life

— Wye Oak – Civilian + Cut All the Wires: 2009–2011

— Far In –  Helado Negro

October 22nd:

— Abbreviations – ABBV

— Abby Huston – AH HA

— Adeline Hotel – The Cherries Are Speaking

— Agnes – Magic Still Exists

— Amaunet – While I’m Living

— Amon Sethis – Part 0: The Queen With Golden Hair

— Angel Du$t – YAK: A Collection Of Truck Songs

— Apparition – Feel

— AVDAGATA – Damnatio Cursus

— aya – im hole

— Belaver – Lain Prone

— Between Oceans – Renaissance

— Biffy Clyro – The Myth of the Happily Ever After

— Big D and the Kids Table – Do Your Art

— Black Marble – Fast Idol

— Blackwater Holylight – Silence/Motion

— Braison Cyrus – Javelina

— The Brazen Youth – Changing EP

— Brett Young – Brett Young & Friends Sing The Christmas Classics

— Bullet For My Valentine – Bullet For My Valentine

— Burning Point – Arsonist Of The Soul

— Bktherula – Love Black EP

— Call Super – Cherry Drops Pt 2 EP

— The Canines – Guapo EP

— Can’t Swim – Change of Plans

— Carole King and James Taylor – Live at the Troubadour (Vinyl Reissue)

— Circa Survive – A Dream About Love EP

— Circuit des Yeux – -io

— The CityIsOurs – COMA

— Civic TV – Black Moon

— Claudia Combs Carty – Phases

— Clockwise On Fire – Clockwise On Fire

— Clinic – Fantasy Island

— The Convenience – Accelerator

— The Copyrights – Alone in a Dome

— Cradle Of Filth – Existence Is Futile

— Creed Fisher – Whiskey and the Dog

— cumgirl8 – RIPcumgirl8 EP

— Cuffed Up – Asymmetry EP

— Danielle Eva Schwob – Out of the Tunnel (Deluxe Edition)

— Dave Hause – Blood Harmony

— DECOUPLR – RECOUPLR: DIGITAL BONFIRE REMIXED

— Deerhoof – Actually, You Can

— Demarco – Meoldy

— Dillon Carmichael – Son of A

— DINNER – Dream Work

— Don Lifted – 325i

— Don’t Grow Old // Burr – Don’t Grow Old // Burr EP

— Dream Theater – A View From The Top Of The World

— Dummy – Mandatory Enjoyment

— Duran Duran – Future Past

— Dwight + Nicole – Further EP

— East Forest – IN: A Soundtrack For The Psychedelic Practitioner, Vol. II

— Echo & The Bunnymen – Crocodiles (Vinyl Reissue)

— Echo & The Bunnymen – Heaven Up Here (Vinyl Reissue)

— Echo & The Bunnymen – Ocean Rain (Vinyl Reissue)

— Echo & The Bunnymen – Porcupine (Vinyl Reissue)

— Elena Setién – Unfamiliar Minds

— Elton John – The Lockdown Sessions

— ELWD – THIS PLACE

— Ember Sun – On Earth and Heaven

— Empty – Made of Fire

— Every Time I Die – Radical

— Evil Spell – Padre Vostro

— Eyelids – Eyelids Dubble Live

— The F16s – Is It Time To Eat The Rich Yet? EP

— Fathom Farewell – Kraken EP

— Flora Cash – our generation

— Foreignwolf – Your Weapons, Your Words EP

— Foyer Red – Zigzag Robot EP

— The Fretless – Open House

— Furze – Black Psych Tormentor

— GHOUL – Live in the Flesh

— Good Posture – Changin’ EP

— Green Lung – Black Harvest

— Guided By Voices – IT’S NOT THEM.  IT COULDN’T BE THEM. IT IS THEM!

— Hand Habits – Fun House

— Hand Of Kalliach – Samhainn

— Hawthonn – Earth Mirror

— Helado Negro – Far In

— Helgrind – Insurrection

— Herbert (Matthew Herbert) – Musca

— Hex A.D. – Funeral Tango for Gods & Men

— Hexenbrett – Intermezzo dei quattro coltelli nudi EP

— Hiss Golden Messenger – O Come All Ye Faithful

— The Home Team – Slow Boom

— HONNE – Let’s Just Say The World Ended A Week From Now, What Would You Do?

— IAMEVE – Archetype EP

— Ian Jones – Evergreens EP

— Ian Lockwood – Not Like Other Girls EP

— Indigo Raven – Looking for Transcendence

— Jacques Greene – ANTH01

— Jackson+Sellers – Breaking Point

— Jeremy Voltz – Weekender

— Jessica Pavone – Lull

— John Coltrane – Crescent (Vinyl Reissue)

— John Coltrane – “Live” at the Village Vanguard (Vinyl Reissue)

— John Forté – Vessels, Angels & Ancestors

— JPEGMAFIA – LP!

— Ka Baird & Pekka Airaksinen – FRKWYS Vol. 17: Hungry Shells

— Katie Callahan – The Water Comes Back

— Kawhi Leonard Presents – Culture Jam Vol. 1: Part 1

— KEG – Assembly EP

— Keith Hudson – Flesh Of My Skin, Blood Of My Blood (Reissue)

— Kristin Chenoweth – Happiness is…Christmas!

— KTheChosen – +Vice

— La Luz – La Luz

— Lady A (fka Lady Antebellum) – What a Song Can Do

— Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters

— Light By The Sea – Only Death Makes Icons

— Liily – TV or Not TV

— LIVLØS – And Then There Were None

— Lomond Campbell – LŪP

— Lone – Always Inside Your Head

— Lonely Guest – Lonely Guest

— Loose Buttons – What’s On Outside

— Lost Tuesday Society – Bee Skin Rug

— Lowland Hum – At Home

— Lucia – Immersia EP

— LUWTEN – Generations EP

— Majid Jordan – Wildest Dreams

— Makoto Kubota & The Sunset Gang – Dixie Fever (Reissue)

— Maya Shenfeld – In Free Fall

— Mazey Haze – Always Dancing EP

— Mega Ran – Live ’95

— Melanie Charles – Y’all Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women

— Mess Esque – Mess Esque

— Minor Moon – Tethers B Sides: A Better Joke b/w Some Revival

— Moon Kissed – I’d Like To Tell You Something Important

— Moor Mother – Black Encyclopedia Of The Air (Physical Release)

— morgxn – MERIDIAN: vol 2 EP

— Moyka – The Revelations Of Love

— My Morning Jacket – My Morning Jacket

— Near Tears – Get With the Program EP

— NECROFIER – Prophecies of Eternal Darkness

— NESTOR – Kids in a Ghost Town

— Neutral Snap – Tell Me How I Feel

— Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – B Sides & Rarities – Parts I & II

— Nubya Garcia – SOURCE ⧺ WE MOVE

— Okay Kaya – The Incompatible Okay Kaya

— The O’Reillys and The Paddyhats – In Strange Waters

— Orquesta Akokán – 16 Rayos

— Oscar and the Wolf – The Shimmer

— Ouri – Frame Of A Fauna

— Parker Longbough – Off Front Street

— Parquet Courts – Sympathy For Life

— Pepe Deluxé – Phantom Cabinet Vol. 1

— Phantom Fire – The Best of Beelzebub

— Phew – New Decade

— The Pink Diamond Revue – The Fuzz Guitar

— Pleine Lvne – Heavy Heart

— Poetica – Poetica

— Pouya – Blood Was Never Thick As Water

— Power Supply – In The Time Of The Sabre-Tooth TIger

— Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM) – I Dreamed of Electric Sheep/Ho Sognato Pecore Lettriche

— Ravenous – Hubris

— Read Southall Band – For The Birds

— The Replacements – Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (Deluxe Edition)

— Richard Carpenter – Richard Carpenter’s Piano Songbook

— Ritt Momney – Sunny Boy

— The Rolling Stones – Tattoo You (40th Anniversary Edition)

— Ross From Friends – Tread

— RÜFÜS DU SOL – Surrender

— Ryan LeVine – Good Things To Remember EP

— Sam Wilkes – One Theme & Subsequent Improvisation

— Sassy 009 – Heart Ego

— Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure

— SEVENTEEN – Attacca EP

— She/Beast – Violent Tendencies

— Siamese – Home

— Simply Red – Simply Red Remixed Vol. 1 (1985-2000)

— SixForty1 – Started Right Here

— Sixx:A.M. – Sixx.A.M. HITS

— Skanners – Greatest Hits

— Skinny Lister – A Matter Of Life & Love

— Slayer – Haunting the Chapel EP (Reissue)

— Slayer – Hell Awaits (Reissue)

— Slayer – Live Undead(Reissue)

— Slayer – Show No Mercy (Reissue)

— Slow Crush – Hush

— Snotty Nose Rez Kids – Life After

— Sóley – Mother Melancholia

— The Sonic Overlords – Last Days of Babylon

— Sonny Fodera – Wide Awake

— Spirit Was (Nick Corbo of LVL UP) – Heaven’s Just a Cloud

— Starset – Horizons

— Super American – SUP

— Superchunk – Here’s to Shutting Up (Reissue)

— The Technicolors – Cinema Sublimina

— Tee Dee Dees – 1^2=1

— TheCityIsOurs – Coma

— Tip-Top (Jarvis Cocker) – CHANSONS d’ENNUI

— Together Pangea – Dye

— Tonstartssbandht – Petunia

— Trace Mountains – House Of Confusion

— UZ – Trinity (Deluxe Edition)

— Vanishing – 55°N, 5°E

— Venus Syndrome – Cannibal Star

— Voctave – The Spirit of the Season: Deluxe Edition

— Voka Gentle – WRITHING!

— Waking The Cadaver – Authority Through Intimidation

— Wale – Folarin II

— Wet – Letter Blue

— The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (Vinyl Reissue)

— Wild Freedom – Polarize

— Wild Front – Drowning In The Light

— Winterhawk – Dog Soldier (Reissue)

— Winterhawk – Electric Warriors (Reissue)

— WOOZE – Get Me To a Nunnery EP

— WORM – Foreverglade

— Wye Oak – Civilian + Cut All the Wires: 2009–2011

— Xeno & Oaklander – Vi/deo

— YULLOLA – Priestess

— Zachary Williams (of The Lone Bellow) – Dirty Camaro

— The Zephyr Bones – Neon Body

— Zornheym – The Zornheym Sleep Experiment