- CHEEKFACE- TOO MUCH TO ASK
Too Much to Ask is half an hour of fun, danceable indie rock filled with understated riffs and clever bass lines; it is an album that’s power comes from its simplicity. The album is centred around the band’s humorous quips on modern life; heavily self-deprecating and self-referential, it is a record very much grounded in the present. Even when delving into more serious political ground on the track, ‘You Always Want to Bomb the Middle East’, Cheekface retain their humorous edge, Greg Katz singing, “He’s your ruthless dictator/He’s your entitled plutocrat”. It’s a wry, cynical record, matched with Katz’s talk-singing style that has echoes of Stephen Malkmus, but at the same time, it’s laden with sharp, memorable hooks, creating an incredibly fun record.
- NAKED FLAMES- MIRACLE IN TRANSIT
Naked Flames, a 23-year-old based producer from Bristol, remains something of a mystery, initially gaining a following through a steady collection of YouTube mixes. Last year he released a full-length project,
247 365, a distinctly lo-fi blend of trance and house.
Miracle in Transit has a more polished sound, moving away from his earlier lo-fi works without sacrificing the groovy melodies that featured on
247 365. The result is a joyous, hypnotic record, all the tracks underpinned by funky basslines that create an infectious rhythm throughout. Tracks like ‘Carrot Car’ and ‘Visiting Corners’ borrow from the 90’s rave scene, with their pulsing beats, while ‘Under Every Tree in England’ dips into more ambient territory.
Miracle in Transit is a delicious affair, encapsulating a night out in an album, providing enough groove to dance to while also giving you space to chill out.
- MOTHICA- NOCTURNAL
Nocturnal deserves credit for its bravery as much as its musical quality as 27-year-old McKenzie Ellis confronts her own trauma with defiance, singing “I won’t be a casualty/A product of my agony” on the track ‘Casualty’. The album is a restless affair, dark and atmospheric, full of brooding riffs; there are shades of Billie Eilish in her sugary, almost haunting vocals.
Nocturnal is a catchy listen, yet also has an edge to it, particularly on the electro-metal track ‘The Reckoning’, with its choppy, distorted guitars. Ellis blends her emo-rock and pop influences with snappy electronic beats and meaty guitar riffs, which, merged with her vulnerable lyricism, creates a gripping listen.
- SAULT- TODAY & TOMORROW
Today & Tomorrow is another product of Sault’s incredible act of musical generosity. The album represents new territory for the band, an impressive feat for a group that continuously stretches and breaks boundaries, delving into a more rock-driven sound. Opener ‘In the Beginning’ opens with some heavy guitar riffs and has a distinctly vintage rock flavour, finishing with a soulful refrain; “Love keep us alive”, love being a key message to the group’s music. ‘Run’ has a similarly retro feel with its slinky bass line and 70s funk vibe, while the tracks ‘The Plan’ and ‘Money’ rattle along with their fast-paced punky vocals.
Today and Tomorrow may be the group’s most straightforward musically, but its quality certainly doesn’t suffer.
- CHARLI XCX- CRASH
Crash sees Charli move back towards a more pop-oriented sound after the pandemic influenced
How I’m Feeling Now, a more stripped-back affair. The result is an album of Eurodance-influenced club bangers, borrowing from 80s pop while harnessing a modern sound. It’s her last album for Atlantic Records and her biggest commercial success to date, filled with catchy up-tempo tunes, the highlight being the Rina Sawayama featured ‘Beg For You’, with its fast beats, catchy chorus and even a sample of September’s forgotten dance classic Cry For You. The album benefits from its strong, simple production, making use of looped beats and big, expansive choruses, giving space for Charli’s powerful presence to shine through and bring the songs to life.
- WET LEG- WET LEG
The Isle of Wight duo went viral with their track ‘Chaise Longue’, an infectiously catchy, slightly wacky commercial weapon released in Summer 2021, creating a huge hype around the duo, leading to the album being Domino’s most anticipated debut record since The Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. Thankfully, the album didn’t disappoint; laden with hooks and full of humorous, satirical wordplay, it’s a brilliantly fun record that doesn’t ask to be taken seriously. It’s more musically diverse than the duo gets credit for, from the bubblegum grunge of opening track ‘Being in Love’ to the woozy psychedelic pop of ‘Angelica’ and the slacker rock of ‘Supermarket’, while also incorporating elements of new wave and post-punk. The highlight is ‘Wet Dream’, a melodic, tongue-in-cheek indie pop banger that encapsulates everything that makes the duo so great.
- EARL SWEATSHIRT- SICK!
SICK! Is the former Odd Future member’s fourth studio album and his first since 2018’s critically acclaimed
Some Rap Songs. SICK! Is a similarly condensed affair, clocking in at just 24 minutes long, but has a density that belies its length. The record is a confident yet thoughtful affair, influenced by the birth of his son and the global pandemic, which he references straight away in the opener ‘Old Friend’. The record is sharp and direct, with Earl at his most reflective, rapping on ‘Lobby (int)’ “I’m 26/Felonious Past”. His growth is matched in the music, with some unique and interesting production choices; ‘Lobby (int)’ has a retro 808 sound, while the Alexander Spit-produced ‘God Laughs’ has a psychedelic feel. The record’s greatest strength is its subtle shifts in tempo, from the gentle, laid-back piano sounds on ‘Tabula Rosa’ to the dark, menacing, trappy beats of ‘Vision’.
SICK! Is another typically engaging and personal effort from Earl.
- YAYA BEY- REMEMBER YOUR NORTH STAR
Remember Your North Star is the follow-up to the Brooklyn musician’s 2020 release
Madison Tapes, a deeply intimate affair. The record follows in a similar vein to its predecessor, as Bey explores themes of generational trauma, pain, anxiety, and depression, in an intimate and confessional fashion. The album is a mix of confidence and vulnerability, Bey announcing herself as a “big fucking deal” on ‘big daddy ya’, before showcasing her more vulnerable side on the autobiographical ‘nobody knows’, singing “No one’s coming to save me, save me”. Bey’s vocals are silky throughout, whether she’s being direct and confrontational on tracks like ‘keisha’ or providing a soothing quality, like on the beautiful soul-tinged ‘street fighter blues’. The album showcases a variety of influences, from R’n’B, neo-soul, and jazz through to more dancehall and afrobeat-orientated tracks, with occasional forays into more electronic territory. Bey navigates serious topics with impressive, graceful maturity, her voice captivating throughout.
- SABA- FEW GOOD THINGS
Few Good Things is a concept album about finding inner happiness and contentment, the third LP from the Chicago-born rapper and producer. The album has a decorated features list from the likes of G Herbo, Smino, Black Thought, and many more, though Saba’s laid-back flow and storytelling are arguably the album’s biggest caveat. The album shows Saba reflecting on how far he’s come while addressing issues that still plague his community, such as on tracks like ‘Fearmonger’, a song about fear and hunger, Saba, despite his success recognising that it can all slip away. Money and wealth remain a pertinent theme across the record, with Saba differentiating between the two on ‘If I Had A Dollar’, rapping “Money that don’t mean wealth”, recognising that internal fulfillment outweighs the material trappings money can bring. The album is full of subtle shifts in mood and tempo, from the relaxed sound created by the twanging guitars on ‘One Way or Every N***a With a Budget’ to the heavy beats on the hard-hitting ‘Survivor’s Guilt’.
Few Good Things is a modest title; the album has an impressive depth both lyrically and musically.
- CHAT PILE- GOD’S COUNTRY
God’s Country is an explosive debut from the Oklahoma-based rock band, a series of vicious, twisted narratives of American capitalism. It’s a chaotic, sometimes feral listen but never self-indulgent. The tone is set in the opening track ‘Slaughterhouse’, with its howling, repetitive vocals and slapping drums creating an ominous sound. The album may be heavy in sound but doesn’t lack in subtlety, from the fuzzy guitars on the morbidly surreal ‘Pamela’ and the industrial rock colliding with emphatic poetry on ‘Tropical Beaches, Inc.’. The album is loaded with satire, socially and politically aware, yet with a sense of humor throughout. The highlight is arguably the closer, the paranoia-driven sound of ‘grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg’, a full-on noise rock assault accompanied by a string of repetitive mantras.
God’s Country is an exhilarating effort and one of the finest debut albums of the year.