Roos Jonker & Dean Tippet

These are not my words, but they encapsulate how I felt listening to Roos Jonker and Dean Tippet's new album. "While the world as we know it is changing rapidly, some things remain happily the same. This untitled, brand new album by the Amsterdam-based singer-songwriter Roos Jonker, featuring her good friend singer-songwriter Dean Tippet, is a good example of old-fashioned crafts that will survive whatever happens. Jonker sounds as if she was touched by an angel, sounding as if she is right there in your room, sitting and singing right next to you, while you daydream away or read a book – you can almost touch her breath and see her soul."  Sonar Kollektiv

The Dead Tongues, Transmigration Blues

In a recent interview, Ryan Gustafson aka The Dead Tongues was asked which elements of nature he spends the most time with and how it impacts his work. Gustafson said that living in a

cabin pretty deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains he’s immersed in nature. 

He said, “It’s stunning and dynamic with big sunsets, old growth trees and wild storms, bears and coyote packs, but the more time I spend out here, the more apparent the subtle changes in environment become. It’s always in transition and conversation. I feel like my music and writing is entirely affected by the environment I’m in and trying to understand my experience within it. Sometimes that comes out in story, imagery or just a sound. Without a doubt there’s a magic and spirit out here I’m reaching out to.” And this is the essence Transmigration Blues. Simply one of the best albums of the year.

Airbag, A Day At The Beach

Last August I got excited when I learned that Airbag was back in the studio recording a new album. Since 2009, the band, hailing from Oslo, Norway, had only released four albums. Each one, along with the band itself, have become favorites of mine. I was ready for more. Now almost a year later, A Day At The Beach is here and I’m loving every minute of it.  

One would never say that Airbag has a totally original sound. Influences of bands like Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree have always been present. On A Day At The Beach, the band does move in a bit of a new directly with the addition of electronic elements which they say were inspired by the resurgence of ‘80’s electronica and new wave. In this regard, they have tapped into a bit of The Cure circa Disintegration.

With six songs clocking in at almost fifty minutes, there is plenty of music to consume here. I cannot recommend A Day At The Beach enough. This is a fantastic album and one of my favorites of the year.

Alex Benjamin, These Two Windows

I first heard Alex Benjamin last year when I stumbled upon his debut album, Narrated For You, which was released in 2018. It quickly became a favorite listen for my family. Usually, I'm drawn to an artists music before I hone in on their lyrics. It was and is the opposite with Benjamin. He is a great storyteller and I love the imagery he weaves with his words. On his sophomore album, These Two Windows, Benjamin does not break any new ground, musically speaking, but he does not need to do so. This is another strong collection of songs.

A Girl Called Eddy, Been Around

Sixteen years after her debut album, Erin Moran, a.k.a. A Girl Called Eddy is back with her very long overdue follow up Been Around. It's a captivating and as Pop Matters wrote, instantly charming album. 'One that is a 'classic-in-the-making that most musicians could only dream of delivering in a lifetime'. I found myself getting lost in this album, drawn in by Moran's velvety voice, poignant lyrics, and luscious and inviting musical arrangements. If you feel the need to get lost, in time and space for fifty minutes, Been Around will transport you off to where you didn't know you need to be.

Inner Odyssey, The Void

I have kept coming back to Inner Odyssey's The Void since its release at the beginning of March. It’s such an intriguing and epic album. There's a lot to unpack and consume here. It’s just not possible to do in one or two listens. 

The band's self-described modern progressive music is both complex at the instrumental level and accessible at the vocal level without denying its ‘70s progressive rock classics roots. While Inner Odyssey certainly has technical prowess and offers up some 'modern guitar fireworks....and musical meat.....they are prone more to offering luscious space and colorful accents (The Progmind).' It's here where the band really shines. 

With each listen, I have picked up on more and have better understood the intentionality behind the band's musical decisions, especially as it relates to the concept of the album where the protagonist looks to escape the realities of a life including failures and loss by diving into and getting lost in a digital/gaming world. It all makes for a cinematic-like musical journey.

The first single from The Void, The Reckoning, offers up the full array of what this band is all about where ‘Sweepingly epic harmonies are pitched against the crunch and hefty riffs, melting into songs that combine heaviness, technical prowess and breath-taking melodies (Metal-Archives). 

The Void is definitely an early contender for my favorite album of the year.