palmlines – island police EP
Release Date: February 2
Label: Self-released
Writing under the solo moniker palmlines, bassist/guitarist Clinton Callahan of Small Reactions and Hello Ocho steps outside the boundaries of the nervy pop and free-form psychedelic musings of his main projects and into something more modest, but no less enjoyable. The ease with which these ambient electronic instrumentals tumble out of your speakers is impressive, as is the rhythmic ingenuity displayed in their construction. Listening to these seven jagged yet elastic jams, I’m reminded of the clattering, scattershot drum loops Radiohead attempted on The King of Limbs, only exceedingly more animated and human. This isn’t a record about drafting specific atmospheres or utilizing certain textures; it’s one about movement and warm-blooded emotion. The vibe here is casual, almost conversational, which seems simple enough in theory, but in practice is a hard damn trick to pull off. Off all the records we revisited for this post, this may have been the most pleasant surprise. island police is quirky, lively, and effusive. With it Callhahan proves he has plenty to say, and he doesn’t need any words to make himself heard. – GC
More Info
Bandcamp: ppaallmmlliinneess.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @ppaallmmlliinneess
Reverends – Derealization Blues
Release Date: September 3
Label: Fat Elvis Records/Fonoflo Records
It might seem easy to write off Reverends‘ debut LP as another example of heavy-psych revivalism, but that doesn’t do justice to the band’s ability to span the genre’s past and rewrite it with youthful impudence. More than a history lesson in psychedelic rock, Derealization Blues is an exploration of the mundane through a surrealist lens. Led by vocalist and guitarist Dandy Lee Strickland, the five piece has taken their time in the writing and recording of the 7-track album.
Reverends never wholly commit to any particular style or genre, and even though the writing is meticulous, the record never feels over-calculated. The thoughtful openness of the title track has more in common with CSN than Ty Segall, but the band immediately shifts gear into the spaced-out “Witch City.” This ability to casually alter the mood is a sign of Reverends’ confidence in their songwriting and a significant part of what energizes Derealization Blues.
In short, the album is bold and expansive, a sonically diverse palette focused and intensified by its limited scope. Hints of Pink Floyd, Black Angels, and even Jefferson Airplane appear throughout the record, but these similarities are incidental encounters as Reverends cruise through the cosmos by way of lost loves, societal angst, and spiritual awakening. – RR
More Info
Web: reverendsband.com
Bandcamp: reverendsatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @SomeHighSun
Instagram: @reverends_atl
SoundCloud: @dandy-lee-shaky-strickland
Twitter: @strickdand
Shy Layers – Shy Layers
Release Date: July 30
Label: Growing Bin
Pitchfork got it exactly right when they called Shy Layers’ eponymous debut “one of the year’s great, unexpected pleasures,” and named the LP one of the 20 best electronic albums of 2016. But even with such high and repeated praise from one of the world’s most foremost music sites, the project has continued to remain in relative obscurity. Which is a shame because Shy Layers is a beautiful, inventive, magnetically mysterious work that deserves greater attention.
The product of multi-media artist and Brooklyn transplant JD Walsh, Shy Layers creates music that is effortlessly tranquil and warm. To label it as some derivative of yacht rock might be somewhat accurate, but it ultimately feels too confining. Yes, Walsh writes songs that glide along smoothly like gently rolling waves and balmy coastal breezes, but they’re far more evocative and transportive than that. The African rhythms and glimmers of French pop give his debut just enough of a foreign bent to place it just outside the purview of the average American listener. As such, the experience feels far more cinematic and dreamlike, steeped as it is in the haze of the unknown. The combination of electronic and natural instrumentation is meticulous yet exceedingly organic, which helps provide Shy Layers with perhaps its defining quality: it’s a highly detailed, diligently constructed work that remains imminently listenable. Winter may be setting in, but it’s reassuring to know the Mediterranean seaside is just a click away. – AS
More Info
Bandcamp: shylayers.bandcamp.com
SoundCloud: @shy-layers
Twitter: @shylayers
The 200s – Oh Yes, Hello My Friend
Release Date: August 24
Label: Self-released
It seems highly improbable that a band featuring members involved with Col. Bruce Hampton, Kebbi Williams’ Wolfpack, the Last Waltz Ensemble, Jimmy Hall, Velveteen Pink, and the Atlanta Funk Society would escape both our scrutiny and that of the Atlanta scene at large, but here we are. Self-described as a “psychedelic indie funk band,” the 200s seem to like nothing more than immersing themselves in the churning waters of a deep groove and seeing whatever jazz/funk/classic rock wave they can stir up. If that sounds dangerously close to a group of dudes engaging in a bunch of self-indulgent noodling, you needn’t worry. Anyone who knows my musical tastes can vouch for my general aversion toward jam bands. And while there is some degree of improvisation happening here, in the end, these are four consummate songwriters who understand the power of strong hooks, and, more importantly, how to craft them. There isn’t any one song on here that screams this is the single or the perfect jam, just ten consistently solid songs that warrant repeated plays. If I had to think of a word to describe Oh Yes, Hello My Friend, I’d be tempted to choose ‘professional,’ but professional rarely sounds this spontaneous and fun. – GC
More Info
Web: the200satl.com
Facebook: @the200sATL
Bandcamp: the200s.bandcamp.com
SoundCloud: @smr-200-274549439s