The Predatory Wasp
A Pale Jay track randomly came up on a Spotify radio playlist I was listening to the other day and now his new album Bewilderment is one of my favourite things I’ve heard this year. A jazz vocalist and pianist, he wrote, recorded, and produced all songs on the album, except for ‘By The Lake’, which is a collaboration with labelmates Okonski. It’s so good. See? Spotify is great and in no way evil.
caro♡’s new album wild at ❤ came out earlier this month on PC Music; a fact that should either have you intruiged or running for the hills depending on your relationship with the label and tolerance for sleek hyperpop and heart emojis. I really liked her last album Heartbeats/Heartbreaks, but this is a very different beast, leaning heavily into the ‘hyper’ of hyperpop where her debut was actually pretty chilled for the most part. Nothing here is going to persuade you of the merits of PC Music if you’ve previously taken against them, but those in the market for a saccharine hit of romantic electronics need look no further.
Yesterday marked the 10 year anniversary (!!!) of the release of FKA Twigs’ staggeringly brilliant EP2. Produced by Arca, it went on to ‘inspire’ an entire wave of artists attempting to replicate its stripped-back yet immensely rich and impactful sound. Very few matched its creativity and sheer take-your-breath-away originality, and none surpassed it, arguably even Twigs herself (although many would disagree with me on that last point). A decade later it still represent a high point, both musically and culturally, and perhaps most importantly, open my own eyes and ears to a world to which I was previously completely ignorant.
If you’d like to know the specific meaning behind Tinashe’s recent low-key r&b banger Talk To Me Nice, Genius has a video just for you. If, like me, you’re just here for the breezy vibes, she has you covered. Also: is that a Roni Size sample at the start?? I’m calling it. Taken from her new EP BB/ANG3L which landed last week.
Synthpop royalty Vince Clarke recently announced his debut solo album, Songs of Silence alongside the lead single The Lamentations of Jeremiah. The album is described as “10-track lyric-less album of uncategorisable ambient beauty” and yes this is definitely true of the lead single, but “uncompromisingly bleak and foreboding” is another way of describing it. Situation it certainly ain’t.
https://mutebank.co.uk/products/vince-clarke-songs-of-silence-cd
The new single from his forthcoming LP Javelin which lands next month, on which Stevens plays every instrument with additional vocals from adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, and Megan Lui. I haven’t been this excited about an album for quite some time.
Green Roads is taken from a charity compilation REBUILD, which was released to help raise funds to support victims of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey earlier this year. I came across this specific track from French producer Quelza in Clarissa Kimskii’s recent RA podcast, and it’s really excellent: a trippy, dubby, hypnotic low-key banger.
Anjimile’s 2020 debut album Giver Taker came out of nowhere and was one of the year’s best, blending low-key folk with introspective, beautifully delivered lyrics. Three years on his latest LP The King just arrived, and although the introspection is still there, production-wise it’s a much bigger, brasher, more confident proposition. Time will tell if this lives up to the promise of its predecessor, but on the first couple of listens Anybody is a clear highlight.
Australian trio Hydroplane formed back in the mid-90s, initially to record a single seven-inch. They ended up releasing three albums, including a self-titled debut recently reissued by Efficient Space and garnering a cult fanbase that continues to grow to this day. Out last week, a new retrospective Selected Songs 1997-2003 compiles some of their finest recorded moments, including International Exiles which has all the hallmarks of their instantly recognisable sound; hushed, lazy drums, dreamy, deeply melancholic chords and Kerrie Bolton’s ethereally indifferent vocal.
https://hydroplaneband.bandcamp.com/album/selected-songs-1997-2003
Grant Chapman’s new album Revisions starts with an anguished scream and ends with a breathy vocal repeating “it’s so sad” for a couple of minutes, but despite this it’s actually a joyful listen, and really not depressing at all (honestly). Calm and serenity permeates through the entire album, which makes that jarring start all the more surprising. It’s hard to pick out a highlight as all the tracks flow pretty seamlessly, but sometimes it really is “so sad”, so Comedown gets TPW seal of approval. Also, at the time of writing this currently has zero views on YouTube, so it makes me feel good to know that might increase to a dozen or so following this post.
The Predatory Wasp 