Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Releases of the Week: S.C.U.M & Feist



As we near the end of the busy late Summer/Fall indie release season, the number of great new releases on the horizon grows more and more sparse. This week, however, sees the release of a couple of gems.

The first is Again into Eyes, the debut full-length from arty London neo-post-punk outfit S.C.U.M (and yes, they are named after the infamous ms. Solanas' manifesto). The rekkid begs the question: Which is the best new-wave-psychedelic-shoegazing album of 2011? Again into Eyes or the Horrors' Skying? So far I'd say it's a toss-up for me, both rekkids are pretty damned fabulous. My one caveat is that whenever I look at S.C.U.M frontman Thomas Cohen, I want to hate them, but the rekkid is so good I can forgive the douche-a-matic sideburns.

The second release of the week is Feist's latest salvo Metals. I'm actually a little surprised at just how much I liked this rekkid on first listen. The music is moody, atmospheric, and magnificently composed and arranged. The use of horns and strings, the sense of musical space, and the use dynamic range of the sound are all quite masterful and delectable. This is a slightly darker and artier beast than her last (also delicious) rekkid, so I am afraid that the advertising agencies will have trouble finding a "1,2,3,4" here. That said, I highly recommend Metals to anyone with ears.

No comments:

Post a Comment