Eska – ESKA (Naim Edge)
As a former session musician performing with greats like Tony Allen, Grace Jones, and Bobby McFerrin, and recently tipped for a Mercury Prize nomination by Open Ear favourite Gilles Peterson, Eska’s debut solo album should pique interest. Having lost her sense of artistic self through many years of sessioning this work has been a long time in crafting. Its diverse mix of styles thus reflects both broad talents as well as a considered personal vocabulary taking in Reggae, Soul and Folk. That folky sense of place is worth noting as each stylistic take is marked by Eska’s London heritage. Check out ‘Rock of Ages’ here.
Fool’s Gold – Flying Lessons (ORG Music)
It’s June, and that means album release schedules have been tailored towards the bright and the beautiful. We suspect Fool’s Gold will do well out of having waited to release now as their shiny guitars bring chiming treble, while Afro-Funky drum patterns keep things rolling in a laid back, casual sort of way. It’s perfect summer fodder, and the 80s New Wave vocals ensure these tracks will catch ears on dusky terraces over the next couple of months. In other words, this is an upbeat album of Indie songwriting with a super chilled vibe that if you should really be checking out if you have any plans on lounging in the sun this year. Hear ‘I’m In Love’ here.
Ela Orleans – Upper Hell (HB Recordings)
We (that’s the royal ‘we’) don’t use the term ‘Trip-Hop’ anymore. It’s uncool, passé, and yet its influence lingers large in contemporary Ambient and Electronica scenes. We’re not going to go against the grain here, but it’s useful to recall the dark, brooding nature of that most 90s of musics, when noir-ish beats and soft vocals were cinematic and sought after. Ela Orleans has described her music as ‘movies for ears’, and with Howie B on production duties, you can see what we’re hinting at. Upper Hell is an engaging listen, filled with elegiac vocals and invocations of the under/other world that goes beyond what has come before it, yet channels its suppressed ancestry with grace. We like it. Check out ‘The Sky and the Ghost’ here.
Crazy P – Walk Dance Talk Sing (!K7)
Soulful House appears at its brightest here from the band with the former X-rated name. Big and bold is the order of the day; perhaps unsurprising with album art such as this. ‘Cruel Mistress’ is as Pop as it is House; it’s a white label with a star-studded name scrawled in Sharpie on it, while ‘Scrap the Book’ is classic Disco vibes that’ll come out of many a DJ’s record box as parties move from night into morning this summer. It’s technically on point too, yet great fun is to be had with the Technicolor shapes within. Check out ‘Witch Doctor’ here.
Hot Chip – Why Make Sense? (Domino)
So this is album number six from the guys at the top of the UK Indie Electro scene who look like they’ll be staying there for some time to come. That they’ve had so long to build a solid track record may well have bred expectations as well as that old idiom of familiarity/contempt. There are no great shifts here as they stick to the funky side of Electro on an album that they have said was recorded quickly and kept stripped of indulgence. That straightforward sounding process has not led to the loss of their usual eclecticism however, as the classic Hip Hop verse in ‘Love is the Future’ aptly shows. Expect to hear ‘Need You Now’ all through the summer and beyond. Listen to it here.
Jamie xx – In Colour (Young Turks)
Panned by some while revered by others, this was always going to be a tough release for Jamie XX thanks to the fickle nature of hype and backlash. This much anticipated release comes with a name and expectation that we’re going to work to ignore. So what does it sound like? 90s Electronica mainly, with lumps of Jungle and Acid House thrown in. There again, the filter of the last decade and a half’s creep towards slow beats, haunting vocals, and spacious production is clearly evident. Overall it works, and there are some downtempo instrumentals here that many of Jamie’s peers would be proud of. Check out ‘Loud Places’ featuring Romy from The XX here.
Melody Gardot – Currency of Man (Decca)
As far as Smooth Jazz goes, we’re not pumping it out at all hours. That said, we recognise quality and Melody Gardot has established herself as a significant name in the scene thanks to her fine song writing and top level musical backing. Influences include Gospel and Blues, most obvious on ‘Preacherman’ with its Janis Joplin-like vocals. Elsewhere, there’s languorous walking upright bass and louche horns on ‘Bad News’ alongside the usual delicate grand piano pieces you’d expect with the genre. Check out the stomp of ‘Same to You’ here.
SOAK – Before We Forgot How To Dream (Rough Trade)
SOAK has been making waves with the release of her debut which has the support of Indie king makers Rough Trade as well as the far more mainstream BBC. We can see why as her delicate guitar and soft, airy vocals complement each other perfectly on songs that belie SOAK’s short time in the spotlight. The majority of Before We Forgot How to Dream is downtempo acoustic Indie, though the highlight, ‘Garden’, is more upbeat and has the potential to be an acoustic anthem on the Festival circuit this year. Expect to get very used to this voice, as it’ll be standing out for a while. Take a listen to ‘Sea Creatures’ and see what we mean.
