Jessica Pratt - Quiet Signs

8.3

Alike female folk heroines Nico, Vashti Bunyan, Joni Mitchell or Sybille Bayer, Jessica Pratt unfolds quiet but concise, tender but menacing psychedelic songs that are cryptic and embracing, accompanied by nothing more than a guitar and a couple of windy effects now and then. It's a surprisingly good example of grandeur made into solitude and coyness.

Highlights

- Jessica's voice is mesmerising, drenched into reverb and lo-fi microphones to create a sordid, intimate effect that's at the same time distant and disturbing.

- The record is so laid-back and low-profiled but still shines and swings in mood and volume.

- The lyrics are modern poetry, and are as difficult-to-classify as universally-inclusive.

Lowlights

- A couple of tracks fall pale in comparison to others.

Standouts

- This Time Around

- As The World Turns

- Poly Blue

Country: USA

Released: February 8, 2019

Length: 27:50

White Lies - FIVE

4.2

FIVE is pure pastiche and almost no sentiment; it wears its influences up on its sleeves and doesn't hesitate to embark on levels of cheesiness that even feel disrespectful. Radio-friendly lovers couldn't be happier, I suppose...

Highlights

- On certain tracks, the instrumentals try to save the day.

- Let's face it: a couple of songs are a bit catchy.

- There's a certain naïvety and breathiness the band possesses.

Lowlights

- Most of the takes are trying so hard to be edgy and epic, and they all pretty much fail at it.

- Most of the choruses are ridiculously repetitive and childish.

- The tracks are excessively long, no matter their length.

Standouts

- Kick Me

- Time To Give

Country: USA

Released: February 1, 2019

Length: 42:04

Girlpool - What Chaos Is Imaginary

6.2

This record contains some truly endearing moments but it's mostly overshadowed by songs who seem too dulled into dreamy nebulas and melodic cul-de-sacs to leave strong impressions. Harmony Tividad shines, Cleo Tucker doesn't. It's unbalanced, and a shame.

Highlights

- Synthesisers and choral arrangements elevate some tracks to heaven.

- Harmony's voice makes up for the most interesting tracks on the album.

- Lyrics are cryptic and clever.

Lowlights

- Sadly, Cleo doesn't find comfortable ways to express himself. His voice doesn't sound good on the ears and most of the tracks where he takes an active role in are extremely drenched into reverb, repetition and/or ambiance.

- The record is at least 3-song too long.

Standouts

- Pretty

- Stale Device

- What Chaos Is Imaginary

Country: USA

Released: February 1, 2019

Length: 45:38

Xiu Xiu - Girl With Basket Of Fruit

8.6

Eleven albums in, Xiu Xiu once again gives proof that's one of the (if not the) most consistently inventive and stretching pop bands in the world. The songs here are as eerily weird as mumblingly touching, razor-blading Jamie Stewart's one-of-a-kind voice with Angela Seo's perplexing production.

Highlights

- All tracks contain schizophrenic instrumentation that nonetheless make perfect sense.

- As previously said: Jamie's voice is cryptic, hauntingly beautiful and disgusting, and Angela's mixing is phenomenal in shape and in space.

- There's violence, nonsensical reverie and debauchery and profound messages in every corner here.

Lowlights

- It would have been great if some tracks contained a bit more of four-on-the-floor rhythms.

- As engrossing as they are, the lyrics are frustratingly difficult to understand.

Standouts

- Pumpkin Attack On Mommy And Daddy

- Normal Love

- Scisssssssors

Country: USA

Released: February 8, 2019

Length: 36:36

Cherry Glazerr - Stuffed & Ready

7.5

This record explodes but is not necessarily turmoiled or aggressive. It canalizes its anger so well just because it can be as realistic as utopian when it wants to, and it also sees its members shining in what they are supposed to be doing and feeling.

Highlights

- The instrumentals carry great weights of suffering and longing.

- Clementine's voice and attitude snaps in pretty much all the songs.

- Short and concise, it delivers and unfolds poignantly.

Lowlights

- A bit more explosion would have magnified the record to higher heights.

Standouts

- Daddi

- Wasted Nun

- Self Explained

Country: USA

Released: February 1, 2019

Length: 32:03

Boogie - Everything's For Sale

7.1

Debut studio album from Compton rapper Boogie holds true potential, displaying smooth and knacky instrumentals and beats while asserting at clever, lively storytelling and urban poetry.

Highlights

- Guest rappers are great features to the tunes involved.

- Versatility as well as power throughout the record.

- Interesting wordplays all around.

Lowlights

- While it's a good beginning, one cannot help but thinking his whole potential hadn't been reached out on this record. Time will only tell.

Standouts

- Soho

- Skydive

- Silent Ride

Country: USA

Released: January 25, 2019

Length: 38:59

Pavo Pavo - Mystery Hour

6.6

Indecipherable quintet Pavo Pavo once again defies pop and psychedelic laws presenting something as odd as accessible. This time, with Mystery Hour, some experiments linger on your mind while others simply leave you unaffected. An overall charming mixbag, I'd say.

Highlights

- Continuous challenges to the song structures and moods. It's good to have uneasiness every now and then.

- The voices do play important roles, and they humbly deliver.

- The instrumentals awe, discomfort and comfort at same times.

Lowlights

- The album relies a lot on already established stereotypes of break-up anthems.

- The pace of the record is not fully kept throughout its running time.

Standouts

- Close To Your Ego

- 100 Years

- Around, Pt. 1

Country: USA

Released: February 1, 2019

Length: 34:30

Mike Krol - Power Chords

7.3

The longest record the artist has released so far also turns out to be his most concise and unified, as if we were talking about a single long song with different moods, colours and paces. Krol snatches again, and demonstrates how to canalize heartbreak and self-despair.

Highlights

- The guitars sound loud and angry, lo-fiy and sinister.

- Mike's voice translates feelings pretty accurately.

- There's a strong sense of union in motifs between the songs.

Lowlights

- There's lack of versatility or musical variety in the record, which might cause a bit of repetitiveness after the second half.

- Doesn't he seem a little too much like Cage The Elephant, at times?

Standouts

- Power Chords

- I Wonder

- Nothing To Yell About

Country: USA

Released: January 25, 2019

Length: 33:42

Nicola Cruz - Siku

7.6

On his sophomore release, Nicola furthers down his approach at Andean, jungly electronic to create another immersive trip to an immortal forest full of crispy voices, languid instruments and a restlessly joyful joie de vivre.

Highlights

- Awesome use of sounds from all over the world and all over the times.

- The guest vocalists add fantastic layers to the tunes.

- Cruz's essential need for music and rhythm philanthropy.

Lowlights

- Some tracks are a bit too ambient-like to hold strong meanings.

- I would have roughed it up to just 40 minutes.

Standouts

- Hacia Adelante

- Criançada

- Siku

Country: France/Ecuador

Released: January 25, 2019

Length: 48:00

Boy Harsher - Careful

6.5

Where darkwave duo Boy Harsher sounded risky, edgy and pulsatingly menacing, on Careful they feel pensive, restrained and suffocated in their own derivative song structures. Rare glimpses of greatness cannot lift it up afloat, though.

Highlights

- Synth inter and intra plays are still something to get marvelled at.

- When it pulls out, it truly delivers dancy, spookily grand tracks.

- There's a sense of cohesion holding the record together.

Lowlights

- Some tracks are completely unnecessary and underdeveloped.

- All the elements that made them special in the first place are there, except for the energy.

Standouts

- LA

- Fate

- Come Closer

Country: USA

Released: February 1, 2019

Length: 43:05