Alternative Album Chart: the best new indie and alternative albums this week
In a week of disturbing unrest, culture has been a vital boon. Art has always helped to make sense of the world, and as thousands gathered in hopeful solidarity in the wake of reprehensible riots, music and the community bonds it brings were palpable. As Nadine Shah said earlier in the week: “The scenes from Sunderland last night are rancid. Love and solidarity to all my brothers and sisters feeling scared and targeted right now.”
Immigration was at the crux of the shameful scenes, so it seems timely that our album of the week came from the Indonesian island of Java, in the city of Surabaya. This is timely because the city is one of the world’s keenest adopters of climate change action—a key driving force of immigration that was ostensibly a triggering concern. With the IEP predicting that 1.2 billion people could be displaced globally by 2050 due to climate change and resultant natural disasters, the horrifying reality was that if this is how a small minority treat their neighbours in need in times of relative prosperity, then what will happen with the faeces really hits the fan.
Thankfully, Thee Marloes present the flip side of that on Perak, offering a hopeful bounty of blended cultures. Soul mingles seamlessly with an array of traditional Indonesian sounds to create a unique record. Music like this beautifully presents a brighter future and shows how evolving culture can sweetly reconcile trying times.
The same can also be said for the Osees. While their latest album might not be their strongest, the cult band have built up a community around them in their reign as the paramount name in garage rock. As Short Porch told us, their band pretty much formed off the back of the fierce energy that the Osees provide, furthering cultural connections and keeping the camaraderie of rock ‘n’ roll alive.
Below, we look at all the most notable releases this week. Our writers delve into the records you ought to know about and break down their constitutions. Enjoy…
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Perak – Thee Morales – 4
Soul music, both as a musical style and a movement, is such a broad and varied field that it is practically beyond comprehension. Today, the scene is unimaginably diverse, storied by countless artists across the globe putting their own unique spin onto the heartfelt sounds of soul. Tucked away on the Indonesian island of Java, in the city of Surabaya, a raw genre revolution has been quietly bubbling away for a number of years, spurred along by local musicians like Sinatrya Dharaka and Tommy Satwick. After recruiting a singer in the form of Natassya Sianturi, these musicians were ready to bring this local soul movement onto the global stage with the release of the debut album Perak.
Particularly for a relatively new band, Thee Marloes demonstrate an incredible sense of artistry and maturity within their songwriting. From the opening track of Perak, the trio wastes no time in establishing their own unique sound: a mixture of cinematic soundscapes, retro soul, and a healthy sprinkling of jazz influences in there, too. Particularly within the world of neo-soul, artists can often get so bogged down in trying to adhere to modern sensibilities that they lose the spirited magic of the soul’s 1960s golden age. In contrast, Thee Marloes are skilful in paying tribute to that period while imbuing those sounds with their own experiences and listening habits.
Perak is an incredibly diverse record, both in musical composition and lyricism. Although most songs on the album revolve around love and relationships, they are delivered in multiple ways, ranging from heartbreak and bitterness to jubilation and infatuation. The mixture of English-language and Indonesian tracks on this record, along with the ever-changing atmosphere between songs, helps to keep Perak from ever feeling stagnant or repetitive. Even the most romantic individual on the planet would struggle to find a record as an expert in setting an amorous mood than Perak.
Another Day – Fucked Up – 3.5
On their latest album, Another Day, Canadian hardcore legends Fucked Up produce another vibrant batch of tracks that explore the highs and lows of everyday existence and the stark difference that one day to the next can bring. Just like life itself, the highlights on this one are excellent, and the odd low points are ones that we won’t be rushing back to relive.
A collection of ten well-constructed and purposeful pieces, Another Day is yet another reflection that Damian Abraham, Mike Haliechuk, Sandy Miranda, Josh Zucker and Jonah Falco still have much gas left in their creative tank. They’ve always been one of punk’s most imaginative outfits, and on their new record, they display this status again. Abraham’s distinctive throaty delivery remains, as does his intentional and effective lyricism, supported by big, narcotic, effects-laden guitars, expressive basslines and locomoting drums. The band create a cacophony of sounds, and often, there’s a lot to dig into and cheer about.
But it isn’t perfect. The asterisk that lets this album down is that it dances with incredibly poppy, sometimes too upbeat consistencies every now and again. While these are certainly in the minority, they do work against the overall quality of the album, as the band’s pursuit of total everyday joy crosses over into the territory of pure cheese, and their motivations get lost in the colourful mesh of five imaginations. Ironically, when they do pursue such a route, it also becomes more forgettable, which is a shame as the potent tracks really do hit the spot.
This Is How Tomorrow Moves – Beabadoobee – 3.5
In her third studio album, This Is How Tomorrow Moves, Filipino-born English singer-songwriter Beatrice Laus, better known by her stage name Beabadoobee, has brought a diverse collection of snappy indie pop tracks. Though few of the songs surpass the three-minute mark, Laus makes use of all 12 inches of real estate to explore a range of emotions, musical styles and instrumental ideas.
The thematic mood changes throughout the album from lovelorn lamentation through pensive optimism to cautious contentment. To describe it as a concept album could be a push, but in almost every song, Laus addresses a romantic interest or ex-partner. By the end, this theme verged on monotony, which would be my only major criticism of the record.
Sonically, the album has plenty to offer. The dynamic and versatile vocals we have grown to expect from Laus return in full force, this time with Rick Rubin and his famous Shangri-La studio at her fingertips. Working with Rubin and a fine selection of session musicians, Laus has created her most consummate record to date with tight instrumentation that ranges from momentous rock-outs to gentle, ruminative ballads.
Flight b741 – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – 3
It’s that time of year again – a new King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard album. The Australian band are one of the most prolific acts to have emerged in the 2010s, and their reign as one of the most innovative and creative bands seems far from slowing down. With Flight b741, the band aren’t at their best, but it’s a demonstration of their ability to make a record which truly encapsulates the word ‘fun’.
The record feels like a welcome antidote for anyone feeling low, asking us to revel in silliness with them. The album is certainly a grower, too; at first listen, some of the tracks feel a little underwhelming. There’s nothing here with the memorability of ‘Rattlesnake’ or the infectiousness of ‘Robot Stop’, nor are there songs as bizarrely brilliant as ‘The Lord of Lightning’ or ‘Trapdoor’.
That’s clearly not what King Gizzard was going for, though. Flight b741 offers up a slightly different side of the band, and while their musical prowess is still here, it’s definitely not the greatest thing they’ve done in recent years. Still, it’s also not their worst, either.
SORCS 80 – Osees – 3
Some artists spend years, even decades, crafting and perfecting an album, making sure every intricate detail from the cover artwork to the guitar tones is aligned with their intent. In contrast to that perfectionist attitude, groups like Osees have repeatedly shown that albums need not be a multi-year exploit, with the band pumping out more records than the golden age of Motown. Almost exactly a year since their last album, Intercepted Message, Osees have now unveiled their 29th studio album, entitled SORCS 80, which reaffirms John Dwyer’s reputation as the busiest man in garage rock.
Although the distinctive sound of Osees is quite captivating, there are multiple points on this record when the group are at serious risk of becoming repetitive and even stale. The inventiveness that Dwyer has become synonymous with takes a backseat to the somewhat formulaic nature of many of these songs. While there are some efforts to expand the band’s sound into longer, more subdued efforts like ‘Also the Gorilla..’ or ‘Lear’s Ears’, these tracks tend to fall flat. If you are making a song that is double the length of your usual effort, spending most of that runtime repeating yourself or building tension for a musical break that never arrives seems a waste.
Ultimately, the cult fanbase of Osees will likely be pretty content with SORCS 80, as it offers a deluge of the energetic, electronic, fuckless vitality that has fueled mosh pits for decades. However, there seems to be little here that hints at a long-term development in the band’s sound; in fact, the record often harks back to the sound of their earlier records, Mutilator Defeated at Last, which is particularly disappointing for a group that has always preached innovation over nostalgia—even if the nostalgia on offer is largely merit-worthy.
From Memory – Clothing – 3
“The gods are watching, they’re setting the sun on fire” is one of the first lines that breaks From Memory into the open. The lush, effortless melody infiltrates the ears like a flexible finger of psychedelia, leaving any and all meaning open to interpretation. Clothing might not be a household name, and searching for more information might only add to the mystery, but its intrigue is too strong to ignore.
From Memory is not fooled by its surroundings, and neither does it pretend to shun its own cultural significance. This is, for all intents and purposes, an album that knows exactly what it’s doing, even if the messaging is often misconstrued or unclear. Today’s world is plagued by technology-obsessed pariahs, civil unrest, media wars, and anti-artificial rhetoric, and From Memory is a response to and a celebration of absurdity in the very face of oversaturation.
As a result, this is an album that should and shouldn’t be taken at face value if for nothing other than its invitation into a brave new reality. This is a space where apocalyptic realms can be daydreams, darkness can be comedic, and survival can be surrealist. As Sterling put it: “Embracing absurdity is the only way either of us survive in this world. I’m sure that it informs everything we do.”
Oyster Cuts – Quivers – 2
Quivers are set to release their new album, Oyster Cuts, a tranquil example of indie college rock. The band are undoubtedly good musicians and songwriters, but unfortunately, there are many more misses than hits on the record. Overall, their new album sounds like something thumbed in, a solid EP extended in a hurry, lacking enthusiasm and neat execution.
As soon as the album starts with the track ‘Never Be Lonely’, it gets off on the wrong foot. A few notes are played on a guitar before a listener is plunged deep into poorly executed vocals. This represents the rest of the record, which lacks creativity and seems to take the easy option. Rather than building an atmosphere or delivering a vocal melody that lets listeners know they are in for something different, this is a cookie cutter of indie rock that doesn’t sound great.
That’s not to suggest that the whole album falls flat; there are some lovely songs. ‘Grief Has Feathers’ uses a synth sound that separates it from other pieces, while the chaotic distortion on ‘Fake Flowers’ is also particularly exciting. These moments are few and far between on a record that is difficult to get excited about.
