An avalanche of important new albums dropped last Friday, so this week’s Monday Round-Up is dedicated to my early favorites from that batch.
Skepta
“Konnichiwa”
Konnichiwa (Boy Better Know)
There are a bunch of great lines on the London rapper’s monstrous fourth LP, but my favorite comes about 90 seconds in. “Boy Better Know, man went to the BRITs on a train. / Man shutdown Wireless, then I walked home in the rain.” That image of UK hip-hop’s biggest star walking back to his apartment after setting London’s biggest music festival on fire is indicative of not only his approachable, everyman image but also his commitment to the culture and his city. Konnichiwa is the biggest UK-to-USA crossover record since Boy in Da Corner (2003) and Original Pirate Material (2002), and it’s great to know that Skepta didn’t need to compromise his roots to achieve his massive success.
Radiohead
“Daydreaming”
A Moon Shaped Pool (XL)
Judging Radiohead albums on pre-release singles is always dicey. So if you were unmoved by the muted lead single, “Burn the Witch,” don’t let that put you off. Second single, “Daydreaming,” is an impossibly gorgeous piano ballad that recalls past classics “Pyramid Song” and “Videotape.” It begins restrained and gentle, but it gradually swells to a stunning, swirling crescendo. There’s life in the old dog, yet.
James Blake
“f.o.r.e.v.e.r”
The Colour in Anything (Polydor)
For the most part, the sprawling, experimental The Colour in Anything is an opaque, hazy affair. Buried in the sonic and emotional fuzz is “f.o.r.e.v.e.r.” — a stunning, direct moment of clarity. Recalling his near-perfect cover of “A Case of You,” Blake strips everything back, proclaiming his naked devotion over nothing but a sparse, touching piano line.
Julianna Barwick
“Beached”
Will (Dead Oceans)
While I hate to pick one of the pieces out of Barwick’s third LP, “Bleached” is a microcosm of the album’s sublime, subtle beauty. Will is her most instrumentally rich LP yet, and the cinematic pianos and strings frame her vocals so well that it’s almost hard to go back to the a cappella sounds of her wonderful breakthrough, The Magic Place.
ANOHNI
“I Don’t Love You Anymore”
HOPELESSNESS (Secretly Canadian)
Frankly, I haven’t listened to this album enough to begin to comment on it, but this Oneohtrix Point Never-produced organ ballad grabbed me most at first listen. It reminds me of another of her previous collaborations with OPN, the sparse, gripping “Returnal.”
LUH
“The Great Longing”
Spiritual Songs for Lovers to Sing (Mute)
Another that I need more time with, ex WU LYF frontman Ellery James Roberts and Ebony Hoorn’s debut features a number of maximalist, feral anthems. That said, its closer highlights the disc’s diversity. A bit like a twisted campfire song, “The Great Longing” pairs the duo’s raw vocals with strummed acoustic guitars and faraway horns.
Kaytranada
“Got it Good” (f/ Craig David)
99.9% (XL)
The Montreal producer’s long-awaited debut is a vibrant collection that features touches of 90’s R&B, hip-hop, radio pop, light house, and astral jazz. My early favorite is this warm collaboration with TP favorite Craig David. Kay uses a languid vocal sample and jazzy drums to create the perfect canvas for Mr. Born To Do It to do what he does best.
