This year, I’m on track to listen to over 500 projects this year, but not all of them are long or substantial enough to end up on my albums-of-the-year list. That doesn’t mean the quality is substandard, quite the opposite. I couldn’t resist plucking the best EPs and mixtapes that came out in the first half of the year and sharing my experiences alla Christmas in July.
Nick’s Picks
“To Live & Die In Space & Time” by Lynn Avery and Cole Pulice
Never has odd meter felt so freeing. Indeed, that’s how Lynn Avery and Cole Pulice’s ambient jazz odyssey begins, an improvisation in seven. Lynn’s keyboards ask questions and Cole’s saxophones have answers, but only enough to spawn more questions in an ever-evolving work by the two Minneapolis musicians. The first two tracks are shorter and sparser, but no less emotional than the two longer pieces. The acoustic pianos on “Plantwood (Day)” are tense and open-ended, while Cole tearfully adds frills along the edges. While it has to be said that this work would not be complete without the backgrounds created by Lynn, this project is definitely elevated by the rawness, vulnerability, and tenderness present in the lead voices. Cole tells stories of sorrow and healing with his wind synths on “Stained Glass Sauna” and is reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders’ playing in last year’s fantastic “Promises.” The closer, “The Sunken Cabin,” is large in scope and equally powerful, especially when the lead bends uncomfortably, wrenching the listener out of the remains of what comfort they may have had left. No effect is used superfluously and no idea is stretched out too far, leaving the objectively-short 25-minute project feeling full and complete, along with utterly heartstopping.
Recommended Track: “The Sunken Cabin”
Listen: Bandcamp
“Foulden Road Part II” by Neue Grafik Ensemble
Electronic music producer Neue Grafik uses mostly live instrumentation to create driving beats that move like a crowd of protesters in an uprising. Partly, it is protest music. It is emotional, direct, and proactive, with only a few moments in the short tracklist to relax. Influences become realized on every track, each of which sounds distinct but are undoubtedly connected. Bandcamp cites Neue Grafik as saying that this record is “the reflection of the social context that surrounds” them, and it can’t be missed, especially with poetic contributions from Brother Portrait, Lord Apex, and MA.MOYO. All of these contribute to a stunning listen that you will not be able to put down.
Recommended Track: “Officer, Let Me Go To School”
Listen: Bandcamp
“There in Spirit” by Homeboy Sandman
Wry, dry, on-the-nose humor is Homeboy Sandman’s lane, and in this set of tracks, he carves that lane a little deeper for himself. Homeboy’s bars on this project contain advice for the conscience and wandering observations about interpersonal relationships. This could lack fire behind it, but it is backlit by energetic production with smart sampling and an ever-optimistic attitude from Mr. Sandman. Homeboy as an MC is analogous to an observational humorist, which would be eye-roll inducing if he wasn’t so damn charismatic. It is hard not to crack a smile during his sarcastic exclamations on “Epiphany” when he finds out the haters are just mad because they lack swag. It’s easy to get behind him on this project as he cracks jokes and breaks ankles at once.
Recommended Track: “Keep That Same Energy”
Listen: Bandcamp
“Texas Moon” by Khruangbin & Leon Bridges
Five infectious songs which are a breath of fresh air. There is enough space in the mix to get yourself comfortable inside of it. Leon Bridges complements their sound well, not hogging the spotlight, but still delivering memorable melodies with his trademark croon. Each song is a highlight but a few stand out even more. “B-Side” is danceable and groovy with sunny energy. “Father, Father” is somber and teary but resolute. On “Mariella”, the guitar slide in the repeated riff is butter, and paired with the bass, the resolution is perfect. They have achieved exceptional balance between each voice in every track, contributing to Khruangbin’s best work yet.
Recommended Track: “Mariella”
Listen: Bandcamp
“Astral Traveling” by Chip Wickham
Chip Wickham invites friends onto his 3-track covers album of Lonnie Liston Smith tunes from the 70s. The originals hardly show their age, even as their recording dates approach a half-century, so Wickham’s modern reinterpretations need to stand up by themselves. Luckily, they do. Wickham takes the tunes out of outer space and into the studio, leaving the listener with sharp, carefully crafted modern versions but not sanitized ones. The introduction of harp into the title track is a welcome one, the electric pianos on “Peaceful Ones” are smooth, and the drums fill in the gaps nicely. This all lays the groundwork for Chip’s expressive saxophone and flute playing, which tends to take the lead but only as a part of the harmonic whole. Overall, Wickham retains the essence of the originals, leading to a remarkably smooth experience.
Recommended Track: “Astral Traveling”
Listen: Bandcamp
“Shaboo Strikes Back” by Don Leisure
This beat tape is producer, Don Leisure, with a paintbrush, easel, old VHS tapes, and some good kush. These beats come off more landscape than soundscape, if the setting were a fuzzy, distorted, near-replication of a city from a familiar past. Retro synths are littered over beats that have a modern hip-hop sensibility. Characters appear and disappear from samples from an alternate dimension, making the listener feel like they might be in an action movie from the 80s (or is it a comedy? A drama? A parody?). “Chase Theme” is crowded and chaotic, “All Praises Due” is spacious and light, and “Egg Yolk Bun” is classic funk, but the setlist can all be characterized by a relaxation of the beat. It is never too fast that you might miss something, but it is varied enough to keep your attention. Shaboo Strikes Back is fun and unserious, but does not lack nuance, making for an enjoyable listen all the way through the end credits.
Recommended Track: “All Praises Due”
Listen: Bandcamp
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