Category: albums/eps

[album] Fine Place – This New Heaven

acute.pop

There is beauty in darkness, and This New Heaven by Fine Place is a great example of that.

It is a new project of Frankie Rose (Vivian Girls, Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls) and Matthew Hord (Running, Pop. 1280, Brandy), and together they created a fantastic LP, on which they have recreated the atmosphere of the New York during pandemic after all the wealthy residents left the city.

They succeeded in their task and all the songs here are fantastic and moody pieces, carefully framed with cold, icy synthesizers, tight post-punk arrangements and delicate, distinctive vocals. Listening to This New Heaven gets you somewhere totally outside of this world and with every listen it immerses you more and more.

Stream below and purchase the LP here.

[ep] The Horrors – Against The Blade

acute.pop

Always ones to surprise their listeners, The Horrors are back with the new EP Against The Blade. It is their second release of the year after Lout (released back in March), and probably their most hard-hitting and experimental output yet.

The Horrors live in Prague’17

The album features 3 songs — the title track (that we have heard earlier), the smasher “Twisted Skin”, and an industrial techno monster “I Took A Deep Breath and I Kept My Mouth Shut”, their most different, impressive and absolutely bonkers song to date.

All tracks are complemented by masterfully crafted visuals, and EP is also available for purchase on limited edition green vinyl here.

The band will also play three shows in the UK soon, labeled as Metal Rain dates, on which the quintet would be supported by their favorite new outfits such as Giant Swan, Scalping, Mandy, Indiana, PC World and Proteus. Find more information regarding the concerts on their website.

Stream below.

[album] Strawberry Guy – Sun Outside My Window

acute.pop

Sun Outside My Window from Strawberry Guy is an entertaining and excellent lesson in beautiful, textured indie pop soundscapes — a masterful debut from the young artist.

Alex Stephens, the man behind the project, used to play in The Orielles and Trudy and The Romance, and here he goes full solo, inspired by composers of the Romantic period, carefully creating his own, wonderful take on psychedelic pop.

Listen below and buy the LP here.

[ep] Squid – Remixes

acute.pop

The authors of one the best records of the year so far, Squid, have just done a run of great concerts in Europe and before they are back on stage in the US in November the group drops a new two-track EP of remixes.

Squid live in Prague’21

It features the reworkings of  “Global Groove” and “Narrator”, done by Cosey Fanni Tutti and Loraine James respectively, who take both tunes into the new, electronic direction, deconstructing them on the way and turning them into the new creatures of their kind.

Listen below and get both remixes here. Squid’s massive debut LP Bright Green Field is out now via Warp.

Back in the summer, they have also released a limited edition 12″ Near The Westway for Record Store Day, with two songs recorded live and direct to vinyl at Metropolis Studios.

[album] Philip Frobos – Vague Enough to Satisfy

acute.pop

Vague Enough to Satisfy by Omni’s Philip Frobos is an interesting and one-of-a-kind record. It is described as a “lounge-inspired punk album”, and also it is a soundtrack to his novel of the same name.

Musically it sounds a bit less sharp than the music of his main band, but still, it is not that far from the post-punk that we love so much.

The general atmosphere is quite laidback and comforting, and an album has that otherworldly feel — without context or any information it would be impossible to pin down when it could be released. It sounds very cool as it is, but with the book, the experience should be even better (cannot wait to read it).

Check it out below and buy both products here, available now through Upset The Rhythm and Hex Enduction Books.