Ennet House – Sensitive Bends

The second album from this fantastic experimental pop duo. Regular readers might remember that I posted their EP a while back here. Their first album, Little Room, is also now available for free from their bandcamp page.

As with their first album, Ennet House have crafted a selection of lush, textural and catchy tracks. However, Sensitive Bends is filled with perhaps an even greater psych-pop intensity.  The album is designed to take you on a ‘visual journey’ across four suites, and these guys more than pull it off.  The whole album ebbs and flows as each track segues fluidly into the next. The result is amazing and might just surprise you with such a dynamic tracklist. All in all, there’s a hell of a lot of great stuff to listen out for on Sensitive Bends. Highly recommended.

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Jealousy Monster – Jealousy Monster

Debut release by this fun indie pop duo. Really upbeat, chilled out stuff that borders on wistful at some points. Without ever becoming too complex, these guys have managed to get a perfect balance of sound, and every track feels really cohesive and well put together. Vocals are absolutely wonderful and give the whole release an almost dreamy effect. In contrast the lyrics can be pretty downbeat, but they never feel at odds with the music. I can already tell Jealousy Monster will be one to watch – highly recommended.

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Barnaby Bennett – Weird Shapes

Interesting selection of tracks that cover a range of genres, including folk, pop, rock and occasional psychedelica. Really varied and listenable – something you can put on at any time then just sit back and enjoy. Can sound quiet and poignant or upbeat and cheery. Great stuff that I highly recommend.

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Pleasure Cruise – Business or…

Summery indie pop from Vancouver with a little Caribbean influence. Hazy and reverb heavy at some points, with a great female vocalist. From what I can gather the band was formed on Twitter, which I think goes to show just how flexible music has become in the digital age. Three fun tracks to catch the very end of this years sun.

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Tall Blonde – Porch Recordings

Five upbeat, mostly instrumental tracks, with a nice variety of instrumentation. Tagged as ‘ for when you’re sad and happy’, which I guess is as good an explanation for this release as any. Tracks put forward a range of sounds, from shining electronica to acoustic, campfire-esque melodies to hazy, electric guitar.

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Cooper’s – Price! Waterhouse! Cooper’s!

Polar Sunspots returns back to form with Price! Waterhouse! Cooper’s!, a mellow indie pop/rock release. Perhaps the best thing about this album is how warm and honest it is. Each of the four tracks bring out something new – the synth on Fluke is particularly awesome. Has a great bittersweet vibe at some points, especially in some of the lyrics. The instrumental final track is pretty great too.

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Red Alder – Dissociation

Red Alder is a female solo artist who makes wonderfully atmospheric lo-fi pop. As the name suggests, the songs on Dissociation are cold, withdrawn and sombre. However, these seven tracks showcase some of the most beautiful and poignant female led pop I’ve heard for quite some time. Through the use of keyboard, percussion, effects and field recordings, Red Alder puts forward music that is both playful and melancholy. Highly recommended.

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WING DAM – WING DAM

Easygoing lo-fi pop with a really subtle, summery feel to it. A little psychedelic at some points which is always a good thing when pulled off right. Has a simple yet effective sound, with some interesting instrumentation that give each of the tracks a nice, unique touch.

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Ascensionist – Beautiful Catastrophe

Ascensionist are a group of 11 producers, MCs and instrumentalists. Beautiful Catastrophe is their debut album that mixes hip-hop with rock and pop under the concept of the end of world. Ascensionist manage to pull this off really well, with a great selection of accessible tracks. Really different and interesting stuff – the sort of album that has a little something for everyone.

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Ironwood – Making Friends With Time

Piano heavy pop/rock record with female vocals. Really well put together, with an excellent sound. Has the perfect mix of upbeat, guitar driven tracks and quieter, more restrained songs. The piano use is what really pulled me into this album, however. I don’t think you see enough piano in todays rock scene, so Ironwood is a welcome addition to any music library.

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