Hello Ocho – In Portuguese
[ Zozaya Records ]
In the three-year gap between their self-titled debut and their sophomore LP, In Portuguese, Hello Ocho has perfected their methodology. Throughout the new album, the band utilizes a wild assortment of instrumentations which spill over into lush soundscapes before Chris Yonker and company corral them into delicate minimalism. The real key to the record, however, is the emotional backdrop which weaves everything together with a heart often missing in artsy experimental albums. Despite their predilection for pushing the envelope, Hello Ocho never become enamored with their own musicianship. Instead, they treat each vibraphone flourish and saxophone crescendo as a means to a decidedly spiritual end rather than components of a noodly jam session. – RR
[ Full Review ]
More Info
Web: hello-ocho.com
Bandcamp: helloocho.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @Hello-Ocho-104292336271719
Twitter: @helloocho
Lyonnais – Anatomy of the Image
[ Geographic North ]
If Anatomy of the Image only served to prove that Lyonnais is more than a side project, it would have been enough. But within this record lies a transcendental re-imagining of post-punk. Though the band builds upon their musical forebears, the meditative darkness and instrumental prowess drive the record into unique territory, both enjoyable and challenging, and inciting simple gratitude this record was created. – RR
[ Full Review ]
More Info:
Facebook: @lyonnaisband
SoundCloud: @lyonnais
Twitter: @lyonnaisband
Meat – Wasted
[ Self-released ]
Wasted isn’t much of a departure from Meat’s previous EP, Buff Yuppie, but that only serves to remind the listener how many shimmery pop songs are swimming around in Bleichner’s brain. Despite the use of similar guitar tones and vocal mannerisms throughout the 7-song effort, the record never sounds repetitive. On the final track, “Highways and Trees,” he steps away from the beachy sound of the rest of the EP in favor of a stripped-down approach. The result is a minimal, magnetic cut that is more engaging than anything else on Wasted. Warehouse may be getting all the press right now, but if you overlook Meat, you’re missing the better of the two projects. – RR
[ Full Review ]
More Info
Bandcamp: meatbandatlanta.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @meatbandatlanta
Mothers – When You Walk a Long Distance You are Tired
[ Grand Jury Music ]
Mothers’ debut LP is a staggering emotional journey through the mind of Kristine Leschper, fleshed out with delicate yet stark instrumentation. In only eight tracks, the four-piece engage in a tender deconstruction of folk that is never weak or insipid. There is a storminess which lurks beneath the simplest of Leschper’s lyrics, and her understated delivery only serves to amplify the controlled chaos provided by Drew Kirby’s often angular guitar work. Though When You Walk a Long Distance You are Tired sounds like a magnum opus, for Mothers it’s simply the next natural step in this stage of their musical journey. – RR
More Info
Web: nestingbehavior.com
Bandcamp: mothersathens.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @nestingbehavior
SoundCloud: @mothers-1
Muuy Biien – Age of Uncertainty
[ Autumn Tone ]
Considering the band’s youth, it’s impressive that Muuy Biien’s new album is such well-executed departure from previous material. Though the band has made a habit of mining post-punk history while remaining a forward-thinking punk ensemble, Age of Uncertainty is the first record to feel equally unified and exploratory. The 12-track album retains all the abrasive madness of 2014’s D.Y.I. but replaces its manic energy with haunting echoes and skeletal instrumentation. The somber tones are as appropriate for fist-pumping as moshing at a wake, but beneath the funereal sentiments lie the same vibrant perfectionism that have animated Muuy Biien since bandleader Josh Evans’ first demos. – RR
[ Full Review ]
More Info
Bandcamp: muuybiien.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @muuybiienofficial
SoundCloud: @muuy-biien
Twitter: @muuybiien