Bands: Cocanha, Los Sara Fontán, Tarta Relena | Album: 4132314 | Genre: Experimental folk | Bandcamp
This collaboration of three duos is a mixture of original compositions and reinterpretations of folk songs. Cocanha specializes in Occitan polyphony, Los Sara Fontán in Catalan folk, and Tarta Relena in electronic-tinged post-rock; and all three bands’ styles are on proud display here. The vocals are rich, multi-layered, and carefully arranged; and the backing is brimming with odd metrical flourishes. This record feels like it has one foot in the twenty-first century and another in the nineteenth, and it’s a fantastic mash-up.
Score: 86/100
Band: Furii | Album: Pyromancy | Genre: Progressive pop | Bandcamp
Furii (pronounced “fury”) is a Cardiacs-adjacent project, a fact which is unmistakable from this album’s opening moments. Sole bandmember Adrien Rodes is the longtime keyboardist of Spratleys (another Tim Smith project) and an occasional member of Cardiacs’ live band. Joanne Spratley, another member of Spratleys, provides vocals on Pyromancy, and her vocals lend an eerie, airy atmosphere. The textures on this record are psychedelic and dreamy, with tinkling piano and swirling synths. Despite the songs being rather to-the-point, the soundscapes presented are dense and complex, with lots of innovative sonic choices. I found LSD to be an exhausting listen (and not in a fun way), but this is a much more enjoyable spiritual successor to Cardiacs.
Score: 80/100
Band: Godsticks | Album: VOiD | Genre: Progressive rock | Bandcamp
Godsticks is a Welsh four-piece that plays a relatively heavy, alt-adjacent variety of progressive rock. This record is stuffed to the brim with flashy riffs, a rotating assortment of time signatures, and powerful vocals. None of the songs here are particularly long, but that focus pays off. Each piece features a powerful distillation of semi-metallic riffs and clever structuring. Quieter moments often feature some electronic embellishments, and I appreciate that tonal contrast. By the end of the record, things do start to sound a bit samey, but it’s still a solid release, overall.
Score: 73/100
Band: Kaatayra | Album: Caminhos de Água | Genre: Post-metal, Progressive folk | Bandcamp
This is a tough record to categorize with traditional genre labels. The band bills itself as acoustic black metal, and that really is the best summary, as odd as that sounds. Significant Brazilian folk influence is present here, as well. A friend showed me their 2021 album, Inpariquipê, and I thought it was interesting. My first impression was that it sounded like Incantations-era Mike Oldfield doing black metal, and I’ll reiterate that general impression here. Textures are lush, with various wind instruments and wooden idiophones lending sonic depth. This is an example of a record that, for me, at least, has benefitted from multiple listens. When I first heard it, I thought it was fine but I might need a little time to digest it. Each time I’ve come back to it, I’ve found something new to like or noticed some new intricacy I’d previously missed.
The album’s title (Portuguese for “Waterways”) is fitting, with the music here invoking rivers perfectly. There are moments of gentle relaxation as it flows and burbles. In contrast, there are moments where high-tempo rapids and waterfalls of anxiety and tension crash down upon the listener.
Score: 87/100
Band: Slift | Album: Fantasia | Genre: Heavy psych, Space rock | Bandcamp
Slift’s fourth LP sees them scale things back. My main complaint about Ilion was its crushing, unnecessary length. Fantasia features plenty of artsy, kraut-inspired riffage and soaring, interstellar textures alongside the band’s garage rock roots. But it’s presented at a much more manageable length. The emotion comes through clear as day in these songs, complementing the raw power of the compositions.
Score: 81/100
Band: Spell | Album: Wretched Heart | Genre: Heavy metal, Progressive rock | Bandcamp
The latest release from this Canadian traditional heavy metal quartet might be my favorite from them yet. In some ways, this record reminds me of Voivod’s Angel Rat, in that metal is often toned down in favor of psychedelia, prog-rock, and post-punk. The synth tones on this record also lend it a spooky, gothic edge, which couples well with the band’s smart and complex melodic passages. There are dazzling solos aplenty, and the songs’ constant morphing and churning keep the listener engaged.
Score: 84/100
The Elite Extremophile 