Jonny Greenwood - Spencer [2021]

 Published on PostGenre

Jonny Greenwood is primarily known as the guitarist of Radiohead, but he also has a superb discography of film scores. Based on the sublime Phantom Thread, and the alluring anxiety of The Master, in many ways Greenwood was the perfect composer for Spencer. The film stars Kristen Stewart playing Princess Diana at her psychological edge, and these brilliant compositions do a fantastic job of conveying just that. 

Juçara Marçal - Delta Estácio Blues [2021]

Published on Sounds and Colours

Throughout history, the musical innovations of the African Diaspora have had a defining role in the musical identity of entire nations. Any serious look into the musical history of countries such as the United States and Brazil will show this influence. Juçara Marçal explores these parallel worlds in the title track of Delta Estácio Blues. The song mystically connects African-American blues legend Robert Johnson with his Afro-Brazilian contemporaries, Bide, Baico, and Ismael, who, among other musicians, founded the first samba school. Starting off with an acoustic guitar sample loop that eventually gives way to punchy bass, cuíca cackles and shrieks, "Delta Estácio Blues" warps the referenced tradition. 

L'Rain - Fatigue [2021]

Published on PostGenre

Multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek, who records under the moniker L'Rain, creates a unique experience in Fatigue. The album is kaleidoscopic and unpredictable. Cheek envelopes the listener in her world with a combination of impressive musicianship, production, and field recordings. The album is full of beautiful moments, an early one being how Cheek embellishes a live gospel recording in the second half of "Find It". "Suck Teeth", a smooth number that is as close to straight-ahead as Fatigue gets, has Cheek in a mesmerizing back and forth with ethereal vocals.

Armand Hammer - Haram [2021]

 

Armand Hammer, a duo of emcees ELUCID and billy woods, is the most reliable source of left-field hip hop today. This expands beyond the Armand Hammer discography - in addition to Shrines, the rappers were a part of two other standout releases in 2020, Don't Play It Straight (ELUCID and The Lasso as Small Bills) and Brass (Moor Mother and woods). Armand Hammer has been on such a relentless streak of excellence that they would have been forgiven for taking 2021 off. Haram is a surprise that feels like a gift - especially because it is produced entirely by a living legend: The Alchemist.

Thumbscrew - Never Is Enough [2021]

Published on PostGenre

It hasn't even been a year since Thumbscrew released their superb record in tribute to Anthony Braxton, but the trio is already back with Never Is Enough. Braxton's influence is still apparent, especially in the more rigid moments, but this album is a completely different experience. For much of the runtime, the trio opts for a more contemplative approach. Listening to it, it's easy to see why Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Mary Halvorson (guitar), and Michael Formanek (bass) have become constant fixtures in the avant-garde jazz scene.

Black Country, New Road - For the first time [2021]

The following that Black Country, New Road have cultivated may seem a bit odd out of context, because For the first time is their debut album. The band is not popular in a pop sense, and their music isn’t designed to get them there. However, BC, NR has already made a dent in their niche off the back of two stellar singles and rapturous live shows in England. The opening track, "Instrumental", makes it easy to see why - it's hard not to long for a live show in the age of coronavirus lockdowns when hearing musicianship this good.