Musicand andClubs Clubs Music
new music reviews Disclosure - Energy With Energy, Disclosure appear to be aiming to bring back the frenetic groove of their debut album Settle. While occasionally missing the mark, it generally reminds us just how talented they are. The first half, depending on your mood, is either a non-stop workout playlist or an ode to the still-closed nightclubs. With that, the lyrics call for unity and motivation throughout, while Disclosure’s trademark pulsing garage beats and high-quality production abound. On Lavender, vocalist Channel Tres implores “get closer, baby”, while follower My High contains a constant refrain of “please don’t fuck up my high”. The quality dips slightly in the second half, due partially to the reduced pace, with both the slow-jam interludes Fractal and Thinking ‘Bout You being pleasant, but an unnecessary change in tone. Birthday, with its lyrics about calling an ex-partner, feels out of place and can be skipped, while Reverie feels unfinished and ends the album too abruptly. However, while there are certainly a few missteps, Energy showcases not only the talents of Disclosure but a diverse array of collaborators. Fatoumata Diawara provides a superb Bambara vocal performance on Douha (Mali Mali) over a funky bassline, and Blick Bassy sings several dialects on Ce n’est pas. Overall, it is clear that Disclosure have not lost their touch, and hopefully they continue to improve. - Alex Howe
Angel Olsen - Whole New Mess Contrary to its name, Angel Olsen’s fifth studio album Whole New Mess isn’t exactly new. Almost all of the tracks come from the singer-songwriter’s preceding album, All Mirrors, released last year and marked by its orchestral instrumentation. Now, Olsen takes tracks which once felt meticulously produced and lessens the distance between listeners and her heartbreak, reducing the songs to just her and a guitar. She told Pitchfork that she wanted to record while she was still processing, ‘These are the personal takes, encapsulated in a moment,’ and you can hear it. While before, the emotional climaxes of songs such as ‘All Mirrors’ took the form of dramatic swells in orchestration (almost film-score-esque), the emotion now stems from Olsen’s intimate performance. ‘(We Are All Mirrors),’ the stripped-down version, allows the strains in her voice to shine through for a more vulnerable display of her heart ache. It’s likely no coincidence that ‘Spring’ is one of just two tracks not reprised from All Mirrors, a song Olsen told Apple Music was ‘one of the happiest on the record.’ In an interview with the Evening Standard, Olsen suggests that on All Mirrors she was separated from the songs because ‘other people had their hands in the pot,’ but that ‘On Whole New Mess, I’m feeling every feeling that they evoke.’ There are no external forces imposing on her new record, no collaboration, no elaborate production; it’s just Olsen, her guitar, and her pain. Whole New Mess is a mirror itself to its predecessor – a little messier, not quite as polished or restrained, but it makes you feel her heartbreak all the more for it. - Eleanor Palmer
Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song Kelly Lee Owens often speaks about wanting to find power through her music, and in nowhere is this truer than her intimate and expansive second album Inner Song. Across its ten tracks, the Welsh producer brings forth an intelligent, nuanced blend of techno and dream pop, whilst also letting her own voice shine out. Recorded over just a month, Inner Song reflects the deep and protective world Owens has created inside her head to cope with a world swirling with uncertainty, anxiety, and chaos. Each drum kick and textured synth shimmers with a personal intimacy, and amongst the soundscapes of Inner Song, the listener feels completely taken in. The album constantly shapeshifts, and with each listen each track throws up something slightly different. ‘Corner of My Sky’ is a strange, poetic paean to the Welsh landscapes with the Velvet Underground’s John Cale, ‘Arpeggi’ is a minimalist rework take of the famous Radiohead track. Certain moments on the album seem deceptively simple, but on closer inspection are instead drenched in symbolism. Album closer ‘Wake-Up’ is like this, with glistening strings speaking of a natural world drowned out by a culture of intrusive technology and instant gratification. There cannot be discussion of Inner Song without mention of ‘Melt!’, the dazzling jewel in Owens’ crown. A self-confessed ‘techno banger’, the track is also frighteningly complex – containing samples of glaciers melting and humans literally skating on thin ice, it’s a cathartic and emotive response to the impending climate crisis. Inner Song is a glorious exploration into the beautiful insides of one woman’s mind, a wondrous moment of serenity and peace produced in reaction to the troubled times we live in. When it seems like the world outside is crumbling to oblivion, sometimes looking inwardly is all you can ever do. - Ishmael Silvestro
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