Category: albums/eps

[album] Holm – Why Don’t You Dance

acute.pop

You probably heard of Mikkel Holm Silkjær as a frontman of the brilliant Danish post-punk outfit Yung, but on his debut solo record as Holm he opens up as he never did before.

On Why Don’t You Dance? (the title is inspired by the short story of the same name by Raymond Carver) he reflects on personal worryings which result in his strongest lyrical work to date. It is complemented well by the richly detailed, powerful music. It sounds brighter than his main group’s material but not less melancholic and thoughtful — some of the tracks are perfect guitar pop examples and some go into a more folky or gloomy directory.

The engaging, smart, and confident release marks a fantastic continuation to Mikkel’s solo career, and knowing how prolific is he, hopefully we are in for a lot more soon.

Stream below and buy the record here, out now through PNKSLM Recordings.

[album] Palace – Shoals

acute.pop

Atmospheric and moody, Shoals finds Palace in top form. The songs here are as beautiful as the cover of the album, and the soundscapes created stay in your head for a long time after it is finished.

Beautiful falsetto plays a leading role here and in general, all vocal textures go well together with guitar harmonies. It is hard to select singles from such a record — it is one of those LPs that is best listened to in its entirety and without breaks. All the tracks fit, complement each other, and create a strong perception of meaning to the work as a whole.

Check it out below and purchase the record here.

[album] AUA – The Damaged Organ

acute.pop

The Damaged Organ by German duo AUA is a complex album that is very hard to pin down or frame into something concrete and defined.

It is a blurry and experimental affair best experienced fully concentrated from start to finish — there are so many little details here, and each helps and contributes to the final product, a masterful body of work.

There is so much going on in every song and yet it sounds accessible and welcoming, like taking a short trip to a nearby planet in outer space. It is also quite catchy, which is best witnessed in the songs such as “Death in Space” and collaboration with Anika “Islands Song”. A perfect record to get immersed in.

Stream below and buy the LP here, out now via Crazysane Records.

[album] Spector – Now or Whenever

acute.pop

On their debut Spector were longing about never letting Friday night end, on Moth Boys they encouraged to stay high (because tomorrow is a lie). And here we are in 2022 — the Saturday comes eventually with a quiet ambient and instrumental piece, after which the duo goes full in with the bombastic and brilliant single “Catch You On The Way Back In”. They follow it up with 8 more great songs, before closing the LP with their best song to date, an anthemic 6-minute triumph, which “An American Warehouse in London” is.

Now or Whenever is not their best record, but only because it is hard to determine which of them is actually the best. It does not feature the acute maximalism (in a positive way) of Enjoy It While It Lasts, does not have the cinematic melancholy of Moth Boys and it is less varied, more cohesive and structured than recent EPs (combined together as Non-Fiction compilation). It is also much more guitar-driven, well-balanced, and truly feels like a mature version of the band that made such a loud entrance on the scene more than 10 years ago now.

Spector probably won’t get too many new listeners with this album. But one thing is for sure, it is another little masterpiece and all the existing fans would be here for what it has to offer, be it the group’s classic charm, Jed Cullen’s brilliant melodies and guitar work, or Fred Macpherson’s distinctive vocals & sweet, funny and one-of-a-kind lyricism.

Stream below and buy the LP & some more awesome merch here.

[album] I LIKE TRAINS – Live At The Brudenell 2021

acute.pop

Merry Christmas everyone! A massive present just came in from I LIKE TRAINS, who have released a live album of their most recent show at The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds.

It features many highlights from the group’s latest LP KOMPROMAT as well as other classic numbers + their beautiful “Last Christmas” cover. The video version is also available on YouTube.

Stream and download the album on a pay-what-you-want basis on Bandcamp.