Jonny Nash & Tomo Katsurada - “Sunshower Rite”
I’ve really been enjoying At The Emerald Pool, a collaborative album between frequent Horse Combinations appearer Jonny Nash and former Kikagaku Moyo frontperson Tomo Katsurada. Warm, dusky instrumentals share space with more vocal forward tracks, like the meditative single “Sunshower Rite.”
John Galm - “bonfire”
This new John Galm record, peace in the valley, is a fascinating, beautiful piece of work that foregrounds the ambient textures that occasionally punctuated his excellent last record, River of Blood. I’m told that most, if not all of these sounds were created by an acoustic guitar, which is an incredible thing to behold.
Cate Kennan - “So Far Away”
Another banger from the Kranky Records banger factory! The intimate song sketches and lofi ambience remain approachable and lucid in a way that reminds me of Dagmar Zuniga at her most accessible or Grouper at her dreamiest.
Shabason & Krgovitch - “Road”
The album bio for Shabason & Krgovitch’s Four Days in June notes that the deceptively simple, straightforward songs use the vernacular of accessible Americana and alt country to imagine a sort of “post-Adult Contemporary pop,” which is both very interesting to consider and also completely not essential to enjoying the record itself. It’s thoughtful, delightful stuff that totally rewards close listening.
Anna McClellan - “Roses”
I’ve had a soft spot for the music of Anna McClellan since 2018’s singular Yes and No. Her latest EP, Space, you big cloud, is some of her best work yet; my favorite track at the moment is the closer, “Roses,” an open hearted love song that's staggering in its directness.
Chanel Beads - “The Coward Forgets His Nightmare”
I can’t stop listening to Chanel Beads, they’re so strange and awesome.
Marisa Anderson - “Hamd”
The new Marisa Anderson is both conceptually irresistible (new interpretations of traditional folk songs from various countries that America has been in conflict with at some point in her lifetime) and an incredibly compelling listen. One of my favorite tracks, “Hamd,” is an adaptation of a nearly 19 minute long song for an ensemble of vocalists, drummers, flute, and more originally released on a collection of Sufi devotional music recorded in Pakistan.
Sea Oleena - “On Possession”
A month or two ago Avery from Wishbone told me about Sea Oleena’s really great 2020 LP Weaving A Basket and it’s been in regular rotation ever since. What a nice treat.
Horse Lords - “First Galactic Utopia”
For whatever reason I have been in exactly the right headspace to receive new Horse Lords this summer. The precisely controlled chaos of their unbelievable new record Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive! has activated a real Lordsphase for me over the last few weeks, blasting my way through their discography while sitting quietly at my desk at work.
That's all for June, check the full playlist below and stay tuned for more blurbs real soon!