Crucial Releases for January 17
A handful of really good releases this week, featuring lots of hands, Ex-Void, Flora Hibberd, Delivery, Kele, Mac Miller, and jasmine.4.t
Weeks like this are why I like doing this column. There weren't a ton of new records this week, but the ones that caught my ear were good AND I discovered three new (to me) artists/groups. Not to mention a sophomore followup from a band I like AND a solo album from the lead singer of one of my favorite bands from the early 2000s.
With that all said, we will jump right into my pick for the week: into a pretty room by lots of hands. lots of hands is a new to me duo from the UK that combines lo-fi folk with slowcore, shoegaze, and glitchy electronic sounds. Fans of Alex G, Hovvdy, Chanel Beads, Elliott Smith, and Jay Som will appreciate this group.
lots of hands is longtime friends Billy Woodhouse and Elliot Dryden, who met at 16 through a school music program. Prior to this album, the duo self released three albums. into a pretty room is their debut for Fire Talk and their first fully collaborative album.
From the label:
into a pretty room exists in the tear-stained early mornings of adolescence, just as the sun makes its first appearance over the horizon and thoughts of the night before begin to subside. A collage of reworked demos, freewheeling session standouts, and swatches of instrumental electronics, into a pretty room offers a touching rumination of grief and loss, growing up and letting go.
The first of my 3+ listens got me interested in sharing this record, but with each repeat I picked up little elements I missed earlier and then this album grew to be something special. Whether it's a glitchy recorded melody underneath a few songs or the meandering banjo on "backseat 30", these songs keep giving with each listen. A highly recommended way to spend 40 minutes (or more!)
Fave songs: "game of zeroes", "barnyard", "masquerade”, “rosie”, and “backseat 30”
Learn more about the band and the record:
ClashMusic
Honorable Mentions
In Love Again by Ex-Void (Listen) - jangly, noisy indie rock with sweet melodies and fuzzy hooks. I enjoyed their 2022 debut Bigger Than Before and this release takes them to another level. Well done!
Swirl by Flora Hibberd (Listen) - rich, elegant folk that makes you feel like you are in a European cafe. A fantastic full-length debut from this UK singer-songwriter.
Force Majeure by Delivery (Listen) - fun and energetic sociopolitical garage/punk rock from this Australian band. I missed their 2022 debut album, so I'm glad to finally be on board.
The Singing Winds Pt 3 by Kele (Listen) - from the singer/guitarist of Bloc Party, his third installment in a project born out of the pandemic. (See The Waves Pt. 1 and The Flames Pt. 2). More electronic-based than Bloc Party, but the songwriting, lyrics, and his voice remain to make something familiar, but new at the same time.
Baloonerism by Mac Miller (Listen) - Miller's second posthumous record, originally recorded in 2014. I re-stumbled upon Miller's 2018 Tiny Desk concert recently, so this was a timely release. I wasn't his biggest fan, but that performance was something special and I grew to appreciate him solely based on that...
You Are the Morning by jasmine.4.t (Listen) - Manchester UK singer-songwriter Jasmine Cruickshank's debut album, produced by boygenius and released on Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records. Jasmine.4.t were recently named Billboard's Rock/Alternative Rookie of the Month for January. I'd also like to point out the entire band is made up of trans women. I wish society was in a place where this didn't matter, but January 20th (yesterday) made it even more important to support trans people, so please listen and share. 🏳️⚧️
