Review Roundup #7
Ten more albums from this year that I thought were great and deserve your attention (links to the albums are embedded in the album art)
The Healer
Sumac
Atmospheric Sludge Metal
The Healer is a bold and expansive work that showcases Sumac's mastery of blending various metal subgenres into a dense, experimental soundscape. With only four tracks spanning 76 minutes, the album emphasizes improvisation, intricate rhythms, and a raw, physical presence that’s at its best when it's emotionally weighted and rhythmically innovative, pushing the boundaries of metal with its unique blend of heavy riffs, psychedelic elements, and intricate compositions. It makes for a significant yet challenging listen that’s worth the ear-splitting.
Highlights: well… there’s only four songs so, “Yellow Dawn”
Passage du Desir
Johnny Blue Skies
Progressive Country
Sturgill Simpson’s evolving identity and genre-defying career can count another highlight: Passage du Desir. His use of the pseudonym is less a “Chris Gaines” and more a cover that allows him to go back to the days of High Top Mountain and Metamodern Sounds without having to address the issues of “why are you revisiting your past?” The answer: because when you’re as brilliantly poignant and musically reflective as Simpson, it’s not like that well is dry. Ruminative and challenging, Simpson, performing as Johnny Blue Skies, continues his life-long exploration of alienation, identity, and self-discovery, all while re-discovering his past self, and looking back at his deeply personal journey.
Highlights: “Swamp of Sadness,” “Scooter Blues,” “Jupiter’s Faerie”
Big Ideas
Remi Wolf
Dance-Pop
Remi Wolf's Big Ideas explores a mix of genres, from disco-funk to indie folk, while balancing playful, vibrant energy with contemplative lyrics. There is a near-constant blend of infectious beats and personal storytelling, addressing themes of identity, vulnerability, and the desire for freedom. While some tracks are more lighthearted and others experimental, the album's standout moments come from deeper reflections on self-doubt and fear of judgment, making Big Ideas a dynamic and emotionally resonant work that serves as a brilliant addition to Wolf's burgeoning signature sound.
Highlights: “Cinderella,” “Toro,” “Slay Bitch”
My Light, My Destroyer
Cassandra Jenkins
Sophisiti-Pop
My Light, My Destroyer is Cassandra Jenkins’ deeply introspective exploration of determination and desperation, which she navigates through vivid imagery and varied musical styles. While recovering from COVID-19 in isolation, Jenkins began crafting the album, which combines her Americana roots with ambient jazz and experimental soundscapes. The album's standout tracks showcase her ability to blend humor, vulnerability, and existential contemplation, while pushing her creative boundaries, embracing both the familiar and the avant-garde in her most personal work yet.
Highlights: “Delphinium Blue,” “Aurora, IL,” “Only One”
King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2
Denzel Curry
Southern Hip Hop
Denzel Curry is probably the only rapper who could come close to drawing comparisons to David Bowie. His ability to transcend genres and reinvent himself is only amplified by King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2, a sequel to his 2012 mixtape, that pays homage to the Memphis rap scene by blending modern production with cultural references from 90s Southern rap. While the album features his usual share of dark, trap-influenced tracks, Curry's energetic delivery adds a playful edge, turning the project into a celebration of heritage and character-driven storytelling rather than a straightforward horror story. But were you seriously expecting “straightforward” from the man who brought us Taboo, ZUU, and Melt My Eyez See Your Future?
Hightlights: “HOT ONE,” “G’Z UP,” “HIT THE FLOOR,” “HOODLUMZ”
When I’m Called
Jake Xerxes Fussell
Americana
Jake Xerxes Fussell's fifth album represents his most patient and compelling work to date, an album where he artfully reimagines traditional folk songs to reflect crushing modern life. Moving beyond his earlier, more hurried interpretations of folk material, When I’m Called sees Fussell taking his time, exploring the depths of uncertainty, loss, and connection through a collection of songs that span centuries and styles. With a blend of thoughtful reinterpretation and skilled musicianship, Fussell transforms forgotten songs into meaningful reflections on the shared human experience, bridging past and present.
Highlights: “Cuckoo,” “Leaving Here, Don’t Know Where I’m Going,” “Going to Georgia”
All Hell
Los Campesinos!
Indie Rock
All Hell, Los Campesinos!’ seventh album, captures the band's unique blend of humor, melancholy, and indie-emo charm as they reflect on adulthood, their individual evolutions, and the damaging influence of fan culture. Embracing a self-referential and DIY ethos, the album serves as both a celebration of the band's journey and a gift to their dedicated fanbase. With a mix of playful and poignant lyrics, diverse cultural references, and a matured sound, All Hell showcases the band's growth while remaining true to their distinct take on the power-indie-emo-pop sound.
Highlights: “A Psychic Wound,” “Feast of Tongues,” “kms”
No Name
Jack White
Garage Rock Revival
I. Cannot. This album is so goddamn good. It’s better than any other solo thing Jack White has done, or any other project besides the White Stripes. Hell, it’s better than the last two of their albums too. Beyond just the surprise of releasing an album out of nowhere with no press and no…well, name, this return to his raw, primal, bluesy roots is like a rebellious slap in the face. Spontaneous in more ways than one, rocking riffs, and intense vocals, this is the high-energy good shit we all knew and fell in love with Jack White for. More. More. More!
Highlights: “Bless Yourself,” “That’s How I’m Feeling,” “It’s Rough On Rats (If You’re Asking),” “Tonight (Was A Long Time Ago),” Jesus, they’re all so good, just listen to it, yeah?
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU
JPEGMAFIA
Experimental Hip Hop
Somehow, someway, JPEG found a way to make Scaring the Hoes, last years frenetic, terminally online masterpiece collaboration with Danny Brown, seem tame. I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU doubles down on his confrontational, chaotic mix of noise, rap, and punk to create a totally dizzying, high-energy, genre-blending experience. Here, JPEG is raw, provocative, and fully embracing his role of agitator extraordinaire, full of contradiction, defiance, and discord. His ability to somehow, someway, maintain his coherence—and his sanity—through it all, is why every release from him is a true event.
Highlights: “SIN MIEDO,” and especially the mid-album trio of “it’s dark and hell is hot,” “New Black History,” and “don’t rely on other men”
Imaginal Disk
Magdalena Bay
Synthpop
Oh dear, sweet Lord above. Thank you for blessing us with another entry in the good book of Magdalena Bay. Imaginal Disk blends sci-fi themes with a vibrant, eclectic sound that only they could produce. The narrative is loose, vaguely involving extraterrestrial…something, but that is really all just an excuse to showcase the duo’s lush production, instantly catchy melodies, and inventive storytelling. It’s an utterly brilliant balance of perfect pure pop and deeper critiques of adulthood and modern life. Imaginal Disk creates a neon candy world you never want to leave.
I saw a blurb describing the duo somewhere, I wish I could remember where, that said the magic of Magdalena Bay was their ability to transport each individual listener to their own childhood memories of pop, whenever and whatever they may be. I have never read a more perfect description.
Highlights: seriously, the whole thing, but if you insist… “Killing Time,” “Image,” “Death & Romance,” “Tunnel Vision,” “Feeling DiskInserted?,” and “That’s My Floor”
Happy listening!
