Amen Dunes – Freedom (Indie Rock, Alt Folk, Whatever)
Amen Dunes’s fifth album is naturalistically weird. If put at a low volume in an upscale casual restaurant or a mellow party it would not strike anybody as bizarre, but when you hone in on the details of the music everything has a strange and unique timbre. Everything sits at a gentle volume and intensity and Damon McMahon’s inflected voice and fast tremolo vibrato cut through everything to deliver songs both catchy and esoteric. Freedom is both easily enjoyable and dense enough to accumulate more and more worth with every listen.
Favorite Tracks: Time, Miki Dora, Blue Rose, Believe
Soft As Snow – Deep Wave (Experimental Electronic, Witch House)
True to the name, Deep Wave feels as as if it is underwater. Distorted drums and analog synths repeat over and over forming a sound that is both oppressive and meditative. Reverbed out vocals join these elements to create an album that cycled in between the serene and the frenetic. Deep Wave sounds like the Norwegian duo is poking around many different moods and aesthetics within the scope of dark dance music and hoping something lands. Luckily for them, most of it does, and Deep Wave is an incredibly enjoyable and unpredictable listen.
Favorite Tracks: Black Egg, Tropical Speed, Pink Flushes, Snake