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

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