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[albumlog]

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Murder of the Universe

KGLW continue their relentless saga of classic psychedelic rock with prog and metal elements, having fun effortlessly. Rock bands could be more spontaneous and careless like them today.

[albumlog]

Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog

This Old Dog suggests DeMarco is taking his time after years of success following 2014′s Salad Days. Between the electric-acoustic sound of Salad Days and the electric piano romantism of 2015′s Another One, DeMarco doesn’t bring anything musically new, but he’s surely more focused into retrospective lyrics. Nevertheless there are great tracks such as For the First Time, One More Love Song and On the Level.  We’ll soon see if he’s taking his breath or reaching his creative peak.

[albumlog]

Migos - Culture

Once you get used to Migo’s trademark chopped rapping you’re good to enjoy Culture: its minimal beats shows it’s obviously focused on the trio’s rapping. The album has two distinct halfs: the first one is upbeat and natural, the second half is more downbeat and melodic with lots of autotune vocals, which may wears you out to the point of suffering.

[albumlog]

 Pond - The Weather

Pond was always shadow of other bands (Tame Impala, MGMT) and aesthetics (60′s psychedelia and 70′s glam rock). Despite they’re being good, Pond is essentially artificial. So, in The Weather, in addition to sound like the usual glam psychedelic immitation, Pond adds Tame Impala’s Currents-class pop on Sweep Me Off My Feet and Paint me Silver - the album’s hit, a hello to fellow aussie King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on A/B, and the Jay Watson’s Gum-like cut Colder than Ice. At this point we know Pond is not about authenticity, it seems they’re about sounding good. And they’re ok at that.

[albumlog]

Dent May - Across the Multiverse

A thoroughly simple and enjoyable crooning album with a couple of great songs.

[albumlog]

Poolside - Heat

Heat reassures us: Poolside is not about challenging or innovating, it’s about pleasuring in the most unambitious way. There’s no marketing for the album release and the music itself haven’t moved one feet since Pacific Standard Time. Poolside is the definite band to let their music playing on the background of any pool party.

[albumlog]

TOPS - Sugar at the Gate

Sugar at the Gate portraits Tops trying to break out of their peculiar lo-fi vhs pop, unsuccessfully. Half the tracks the guitar, formerly prominent, is kept in background and the band goes slow and ambient. Those tracks (1, 5, 6, 8) sound like fillers. Dayglow Bimbo is a noisy alien. We’re left with a closer and Further, Petals and I just wanna make you real, three great tracks that sound like good old TOPS, but shows a band hitting against its own limits and not figuring out where to go.

[albumlog]

Mew - Visuals

Mew has never been a full-on emotional band. Their sound has been defined by precise formulas, clinical calculations of technical musicianship and pop sensibilities. This approach has produced a handful of hits and one great loose-concept album. It’s been a while since Mew impressed for the last time. Not that Visuals doesn’t please, it does, in a very unsurprising way: syncopated beats, delicate interludes, big synths, obscure personal lyrics, progressive rock routines packed into pop-sized songs.Mew’s formule is wearing out and it’s starting to feel not calculated but artificial.