Noah Preminger - Zigsaw: The Music of Steve Lampert [2019]

Noah Preminger is a Boston-based saxophonist with a warm tone, impressive improvisational chops and a strong sense of swing. On Zigsaw: Music of Steve Lampert, Preminger departs from the more traditional sound of his previous releases. "Zigsaw" is an almost 50-minute composition that trumpeter Steve Lampert wrote for Preminger and the rest of his band, which includes frequent collaborator Jason Palmer (trumpet), John O'Gallagher (alto saxophone), Kris Davis (piano), Rob Schwimmer (Haken continuum synthesizer, clavinet), Kim Cass (bass) and Rudy Royston (drums).

Taylor Ho Bynum - The Ambiguity Manifesto [2019]

Cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum's previous album, Enter The Plus Tet, was a fantastic example of the heights that can be reached in an unmistakably modern big band. On The Ambiguity Manifesto, Ho Bynum's compositional brilliance shines again in a band mostly composed of members of his previous "Plus Tet": Ingrid Laubrock (tenor/soprano sax), Jim Hobbs (alto sax), Bill Lowe (trombone), Mary Halvorson (guitar), Tomeka Reid (cello), Ken Filiano (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums) and new addition Stomu Takeishi (electric bass). Each piece here is a movement of a grand composition that runs for just over an hour. One of the first things that may register after a listen to The Ambiguity Manifesto is its intriguing duality. "Enter Ally" and "Ally Enter" and "Real/Unreal (For Ursula K. Le Guin)" and "Unreal/Real (For Old Music) are all interesting distorted reflections of one another.

Nostrum Grocers - Nostrum Grocers [2018]

Elucid and Milo always sound great together. In the Milo albums released before Nostrum Grocers, the tracks featuring Elucid, "Going No Place" and "Landscaping", were both highlights. While it could be said that both rappers exist in the same abstract lane, their styles and work are quite different. Elucid's projects tend to be on the darker side, which is fitting for the rapper's grimy voice. Conversely, although Milo's work is by no means sunshine and rainbows, it is relatively less aggressive and often features playful humor that would be out of place on an Elucid record. 

Nicole Mitchell & Haki R. Madhubuti - Liberation Narratives [2017]

"I feel there is an immediate connection between Madhubuti's words and what we are going through today, so I thought it was important to make them accessible to people that may not find his books." - Nicole Mitchell

Tierra Whack - Whack World [2018]

There is an undeniable charm to Whack World that is weirdly part of what may make it frustrating to so many. This is a 15-minute album with 15 one-minute songs, some of which are literally cut off as if a DJ has accidentally skipped to the next track. It's easy to play over and over again. Whack World could be viewed as a crash course in Tierra Whack's vast talent. "Bugs Life" shows that she has bars. Her flow is tight, the rhymes are intricate and Whack sounds at home over the somber production. She is equally adept at creating snippets of catchy sung hooks, which can be heard on "Hungry Hippo" and "Cable Guy". Even within this extremely short album, the strength of Whack's versatility is impressive. The R&B is upbeat, bouncy and fun and the rapping is solid. There are hilarious things like the twangy "Fuck Off" that do not necessarily lead to repeat listens, but generally Whack World is very fun stuff. Hopefully Whack can bring this infectious energy to a proper full-length project.

Tyshawn Sorey - The Adornment of Time [2019]

This completely improvised set runs just over an hour and features the talents of Tyshawn Sorey (drums, percussion) and Marilyn Crispell (piano). Both established names in the avant-garde jazz scene, it is of little surprise that no discussions regarding the music took place before this live recording. The Adornment of Time is a magnificent example of what can happen when two stellar musicians who listen to each other just as well as they play come together.

James Blake - Assume Form [2019]

There is the sizable dose of the usual melancholy, but Assume Form is James Blake's most upbeat work to date. It is also blatantly his most mainstream effort yet, which is a bit odd to say of an artist that has collaborated with giants such as Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé. The album is much more accessible and compact than it's predecessor. The Colour in Anything was an album with incredible highs, the album could have been edited a bit to form a shorter and more cohesive experience. That specific issue is not present on Assume Form.

Ana Frango Elétrico - Little Electric Chicken Heart [2019]

It's hard not to smile while listening to Little Electric Chicken Heart. Ana Fainguelernt, who sings under the moniker Ana Frango Elétrico, has created a charming album that emits sunshine in every track. When listening to her playful singing cadence and colorful instrumentation, one may be reminded of a young Tropicália-era Gal Costa. This is not to say that there is a strong vocal similarity between the two or that Fainguelert is simply mining the past for her sound. However, Little Electric Chicken Heart is a clear descendant of Brazilian legends such as Costa and Os Mutantes' Rita Lee. The sound is different, but the energy, especially the joy, is familiar.

Tricot - 真っ黒 (Makkuro) [2020]

Tricot is an extremely consistent band. Outside of "危なくなく無い街へ" a pop-ballad track that surprisingly lacks the main drawing elements of the rock group, Makkuro does not do much in the way of pushing further into the poppier territory that 3 flirted with. While "危なくなく無い街へ" stands out as the album's nadir, thankfully nothing else on the tracklist resembles it. The entire album is high quality overall, but the first half of Makkuro has the band pushing their math-rock sound to new heights. 

Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters [2020]

Fetch the Bolt Cutters is immense. The album is a natural and bold evolution of ideas present in moments of Fiona Apple's previous album, The Idler Wheel. A highlight of that album was "Anything We Want" a song anchored by the clicks and clangs of somewhat unorthodox percussion. Eight years later, Apple takes the ethos of "Anything We Want" and runs with it on Fetch the Bolt Cutters, singling out percussion as the driving force of the record. With drums, bells, wooden blocks, metal butterflies, chairs and abandoned stove-tops all making contributions, there seems to be no limitation to what her band will use. The strong percussive focus pushes Apple's sound to new heights.

Pink Siifu - NEGRO [2020]

Pink Siifu has a great range of talent. There is the mellowness of his previous solo album, Ensley, and then there is Negro. The two projects are extraordinarily different, but an analysis of his discography reveals relevant precedent. The artist embraced abrasive hardcore punk in 2018 on Fuck Demo, a four-track EP that contains tracks featured here. On Negro, Siifu leaves the smooth hip-hop pastures of Ensley for radical noise. The album is a fierce evolution in sound and structure. Siifu's voice is filled with furious energy - and the indignation is justified. Negro is a record that rages against the violence of systemic racism.

KeiyaA - Forever, Ya Girl [2020]

KeiyaA's music has a compelling warmth and fluidity. The New York City-based Chicago-raised singer is a student of her craft, being the sole producer of the majority of Forever, Ya Girl. While it's informed by Neo-Soul legends such as Erykah Badu, KeiyaA's work has a distinctly modern haze to it. The strong sequencing and loose lo-fi brilliance of the album makes it extremely easy to listen to. The aesthetic of Forever, Ya Girl finds a creative middle ground in-between music like Georgia Anne Muldrow's more sample-based work and the more organic nature of albums such as Solange's When I Get Home. Similarly to the work of both the aforementioned women, in KeiyaA's vision, blackness is paramount.

King Krule - Man Alive [2020]

Man Alive continues the melancholy present in much of The Ooz, but here King Krule feels much more desolate. Sparse darkness and a sense of longing permeate throughout the entire tracklist. The two singles, which are both album highlights, are almost polar opposites. On "(Don’t Let the Dragon) Draag On", Krule feels apathetic and depressive, whereas "Alone, Omen 3", offers the listener a surprising dose of hazy sunshine via some of the Englishman's best writing.