Space Heavy by King Krule

King Krule’s newest album, Space Heavy, combines poetic lyricism with reverb-heavy, slow guitar and bass. From the first track, the album takes on an otherworldly presence, looping the listener into the emotional journey of the album. Archy Marshall, under the alias of “King Krule,” describes his experiences of being in love, becoming a father, and the melancholy emotions that can stem from a keen sense of self-awareness. This album is a deeply personal reflection on Marshall’s life and emotions, which leads to an album full of compelling, complex tracks.

This and Other Gestures by Gal Pal

Gal Pal’s This And Other Gestures is a soundscape for aimless summer nights, as captured by the album cover. The band members met through total chance: living on the same floor of the same dorm (a familiar story to us college radio folk). A bond like that is bound to create a fantastic album, and it did. This project explores experiences in each band member’s life, blended together through lo-fi, dreamy guitar, contrasted with lyrics that allude to life being vast, confusing, and at times abrasive. Throughout this album, Gal Pal explores new soundscapes that transcend genre, yet exude nostalgia with their use of brief interludes. This And Other Gestures is a dreamy summer album, laced with the right amount of existential dread that helps the listener feel less alone.

100 Gecs

10,000 Gecs

The notorious genre-mashing duo, 100 gecs, have released their second studio album, 10,000 gecs. Dylan Brady and Laura Les are known for their experimentation with various music styles and have been described as helping to define the 2010s genre known as “hyper pop”. The album draws from familiar genres ranging from nu metal to ska as it breaks new ground pop territory. You can really hear the ska influence in the track “I Got My Tooth Removed”. It’s fast, quirky, and a whole bunch of fun. Sure, it starts out a little slow, but after approximately 37 seconds, you are blasted by highly danceable straight up ska. Brass instruments, Caribbean rhythms, and more. The opening song “Dumbest Girl Alive” is something more of what you would expect from 100 gecs. It’s full of thrash metal guitar and brain shaking sub-bass. The beat is absolutely addicting and the lyrics are nonsensical.I get that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re actively seeking out new music / trying to experience something different, I strongly recommend you check out this album.

It's Been a While by Spiral XP

5-piece alternative rock/grunge band Spiral XP from Seattle releases their second EP, It’s Been a While. Their sound is low-key, yet precise with infectious guitar-driven melodies saturated in classic shoegaze crunchy distortion. All of the songs feel so warm, as they’re wrapped within a deep fuzz and melody. The song “Free thinking” opens strongly with aggressive yet lush distorted guitars bound to have your leg bouncing up and down. It’s a song full of wailing but in a really cool way.  “The Hunger” is a lot more upbeat song with killer instrumentation. Spiral XP is a band definitely worth keeping on your radar. 

Raven by Kelela

American Singer Kelela releases her 2nd Studio album “Raven”. Pioneering club pop in her own way, Kelela combines exhilarating club beats, ethereal, hushed melodies, unabashed activism, and radical rave music. Kelela blends aspects of Rnb and electronic music together to create something so powerful, which is boosted by her strong vocals. In the song “Contact”, Kelela sings beautifully over a foundational jungle beat and wobbly synths, leaving the song's overall tone otherworldly. “Happy Ending” is a super dancey and bouncy track sure to get you moving. With all the energy in this album, “Raven” can turn your bedroom into a dance floor.

After the Magic by Parannoul

 South Korean shoegaze artist Parannoul announces his third and newest album, After the Magic. Parannoul chooses to be anonymous, and describes himself as “just a student writing music in my bedroom,” in an interview with Sonemic. This album feels like a breath of fresh air. Within it, you find unexpected flashes of orchestral ambient and glitched-out electronica. All of this melds seamlessly with Parannoul’s signature noisy, distortion-laden shoegaze. In the track “Polaris”, begins with a nice light and airy intro. Halfway through, the song explodes into something so rich and complex being filled with electronic instruments and heavy distortion. “Insomnia” is easily my favorite song of the album. The song starts with sensitive and layered vocals accompanied by piano. After about a minute passes, the drums come in, transforming the whole song into something so deep and beautiful. This album breathes and swells. It’s something that you can get lost in. You can really feel the passion that went into the album. In the artist’s own words, “This album is not what you expected, but what I always wanted.”