Weekly Release Spotlight
That one perfect album that we (and you) almost missed.
"Honeymoon Phase" by OSKA
If you’ve enjoyed Taylor Swift’s recently released albums in the vein of indie, “Folklore,” “evermore”, OSKA’s latest release “Honeymoon Phase [EP]” offers a similar blend of love, heartbreak, and a wistful indie pop sound. On her debut EP, OSKA looks back intimately with the listener to her younger years of painful breakups and rock bottom after graduating college. Pulling sound inspiration from Irish folk ballads her mom enjoyed, OSKA lends every song a touch of melancholy. At its heart the album is about disillusionment, but OSKA makes the journey to the way back parts of our memory a beautiful one.
By Emma Chekroun
"Small Things" by Nick Hakim & Roy Nathanson
“Small Things,” the collaboration from Brooklyn artist Nick Hakim and veteran saxophonist and composer Roy Nathanson, is not your grandpa’s jazz record. The pair create a strikingly contemporary jazz record by blending Nathanson’s jazz background and Hakim’s neo-soul style. Deeper, more soulful vocals and music are accented with Nathanson’s twinkling saxophone notes. The pair end up nodding more to contemporary soul masters like Thundercat and Moses Sumney rather than historical jazz musicians, making for an album that’s rich and surprising.
By Emma Chekroun
“ENTERTAINMENT/DEATH” by Spirit of the Beehive
Seven years after they debuted their self-titled album, and three years since their most recent release “Hypnic Jerks,” Spirit of the Beehive launched a new chapter for the group with their fourth LP “ENTERTAINMENT/DEATH.” With this release the trio mark their debut with the record label Saddle Creek, whose artist line-up includes Indie heavyweights Stef Chura and Big Thief. Compared to their 2018 album “Hypnic Jerks' ' which was recorded in a week, “ENTERTAINMENT, DEATH” came together over several months, resulting in an album that takes risks and throws curveballs with its eclectic arrangement and bold vocals.
By Emma Chekroun
"DEACON" by serpentwithfeet
Serpentwithfeet’s debut album “DEACON” centers on Black love, and provides what they call a study rather than a story delving into black gay love and companionship, surveying an area of music often ignored or overlooked by the mainstream. “DEACON” follows in the tradition of predecessors like Moses Sumney’s album “Grae” from 2020 but takes a more R&B fueled approach. Combining the tenderness of R&B with the texture of subtle bubbling glitches and pops, serpentwithfeet’s debut is not just a study in black relationships, but an exploration of the limitless options of R&B as well.
By Emma Chekroun
"Oh No" by Xiu Xiu
Like a sleepover with all your besties, Xiu Xiu’s latest album “OH NO” is packed full with cool girls, dance tunes, friendship and maybe a little existentialism. Cool girls on the album include Sharon Van Etten and Chelsea Wolfe, along with several other notable guests like George Lewis from Twin Shadows. The duo behind Xiu Xiu, Jamie Stewart and Angela Seo, explore the harsh realities of anguish and isolation, finding instead a sense of friendship and creating an album that balances destruction and growth- vamp and dance.
By Emma Chekroun
"As Days Get Dark" by Arab Strap
After breaking up over ten years ago in 2016, the Scotish band Arab Strap has penned their return with an amalgamation of influence and texture on their latest release “As Days Get Dark.” The band’s explicit core, as evident in the band’s name, is ever present in the lyrics of “As Days Get Dark,” this time coupled with stories of love ala “Another Clockwork Day.” The epitome of 20/20 vision, “As Days Get Dark” revisits Arab Strap’s sound from throughout their career, and repurposes it with a new reverence and maturity. And is well worth the wait.
By Emma Chekroun