Hail Yourself

[Anti]

Of course after a hot streak, I hit a bit of a low streak of albums recently. Not all were bad, but the good ones didn't really invoke any serious thoughts or emotions in me. The best albums I've heard the past week or so have been new 2020 albums, but I don't really want to post about 2020 albums. Here are three albums I heard super recently that took me out of that trough.

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Cupid's Head by The Field

I only had two more Field albums to get through before finishing his studio album discography, so I put this on last night while studying for my exam on Monday. This is the first of the black album covers and it rightfully is so. The loops are definitely darker, but not in a depressed or evil sense, but simply a nocturnal sense. It was crafted for the night time. I'd say this is probably my second favorite record by him, only behind the truly astounding From Here We Go Sublime, which has been rising through the ranks of my overall.

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アンドロメダ [Andromeda] by t e l...�能力者

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永遠の愛 [Everlasting Love] by t e ...�能力者

Both of these are very similar in sound, so I figure it's worth just making one write up for the both of them. Andromeda is only 69 minutes and Everlasting Love is 103 I think. Both albums feature that iconic Telepath sound of warping ambient music with a romantic flair to them. While I find both of these albums to be excellent, I do prefer Everlasting Love. Track 5 on that album made me feel like I was having an out of body experience.
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...and for dessert!

[Anti]

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I Denna Skog by Dråpsnatt

If you enjoyed Min Tid Skal Komme by Fleurety, then definitely check out this album by Drapsnatt. I can definitely see Fleurety's influence here, but there is a more melodic and folk metal feel to this record. Also, the vocals remind me of Altar of Plague's Teethed Glory and Injury, even though this record predates that album. It wears its influences well, yet sounds distinct from other black metal records.
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...and for dessert!

[Anti]

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Garlands by Cocteau Twins

The ghostly, mysterious, yet dreamy debut by the Cocteau Twins has really clicked with me. It's a very gothic record that provides a glimpse of their incredible career. I love the twangy guitars and minimal percussion. It makes a very haunting album.
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...and for dessert!

[Anti]

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More Constant Than The Gods by SubRosa

Here is some hauntingly beautiful and crushing doom metal music. The female vocalist sings in slightly cryptic and apocalyptic fashion and the instrumentals sound absolutely massive. In a bit of a rush, but wanted to get this record out there.
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...and for dessert!

[Anti]

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Hour Of The Nightingale by Trees Of Eternity

Continuing the trend of female-led doom metal bands, Hour of the Nightingale might just feature my favorite vocals in any doom metal album I've heard ever. Granted, I normally look for the crushingness of the guitars and sludgy pace of the songs when looking for doom metal records, but this album is a serious highlight in the genre because the vocals are sooooo beautiful. While SubRosa's vocalist had an apocalyptic feel to her vocals, Trees of Eternity's vocalist sounds so ethereal and gorgeous that it just stops me in my tracks with whatever I'm doing. And don't worry, the album is still very doom metal in its pace and heaviness. I wouldn't call Hour of the Nightingale "crushing," but there is a monolithic feel to the record which definitely falls into the doom metal vibe of the record. This is one of my favorite doom metal records ever and revisits are only making this album sound better to my ears.

EDIT: After posting this, I just found out the singer passed away months before the release of this record. How unfortunate. It's absolutely contributing to the ghostly feel this album brings. RIP.
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...and for dessert!

[Anti]

Here are some great albums I've checked out in the past few days:

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The Moon And The Melodies by Harold Bud...eth Fraser

The Cocteau Twin's collab with Harold Budd yielded some of the most gorgeous ambient pop music I've heard in a fat while. Victorialand, an album that seriously grew on me, was the predecessor before this one. I wouldn't be surprised if that album was the main inspiration for this collaborative record. It's way heavier on the ambient pop side than the ethereal dream pop Cocteau Twins is known for, but it's still captivating and fits appropriately in their discography.

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Places And Spaces by Donald Byrd

The Turntable Lab reissue is what made me want to check this record out and it really was worth the check. Very accessible and fresh-sounding jazz funk, despite it being over 40 years old. I liked every track on here and while there are some highs are better than others, there isn't a dull moment on this album. I found it to be a perfect record to play in the springtime (which is coming up sooner than ever)

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Cartola (1976) by Cartola

When I started playing this record, I had to stop everything I was doing because it was such a perfect easy-listening record. I didn't want to do anything else but listen. I don't know an ounce of Portugese, but I still wanted to hear every sound that came out of his mouth. This record's beauty if definitely based on its simplicity. Wonderful record.

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Feathers by Dead Meadow

This one is pretty fun. A cult heavy psych/stoner rock album I found while browsing Reddit. It's heavy, but mellow, which is the perfect combination for an album to rip a bong to. If you enjoy Elder, but want something a bit milder in tone, I definitely recommend giving this one a shot.
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...and for dessert!

[Luigii]

I got to listen to The Moon And The Melodies again. Remember really loving that album a lot.

[Anti]

[Anti]

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Arthur Verocai by Arthur Verocai

I remember blindly purchasing this record at my local record store years ago because Madlib said if he could play this album every day of his life, he would. I enjoyed it a good amount at the time, and I LOVE it now that my tastes have matured and my patience with music has lengthened. And that's not to say that this is a lengthy or difficult record, because it's quite the opposite. It's less than 30 minutes in length and it's psychedelic pop bliss. It's just a 18-19 year old Anti wasn't ready for music like this. He was still in the trap and P4K essentials phase of his journey. Much needed revisit, and I'm glad I own a crisp copy already.

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Here Comes The Indian by Animal Collective

Underrated as hell. This record comes right before their incredible 4 album run, and it'll probably always be overlooked by those four masterpieces. But this is some immersive, alien experimental neo-psych that is just an experience. I think part of the reason I enjoyed this album more than others is my new appreciation for experimental and psych music that has bloomed over the past year or so. Plus, I'm really becoming an audiophile, because some of the odd sounds on this record are pleasant to my ears. I don't even know what the sounds are. They just sound like crumbling nature as you walk through a park trippin' on acid. Here Comes the Indian is also one of Animal Collective's least vocally-driven records, which may be part of its neglected attention. Regardless, it's still underrated as hell and I challenge others to give this a shot, especially if you haven't heard this album in a few years.
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...and for dessert!

[travelful]

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Dead Screen Scrolls by Clarence Clarity

Hey Anti,

Wanted to share this new ambient record with you. I thought you might enjoy it as its very apocalyptic but also soothing.
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Griselda, by Fashion Rebels
2020's Hip-Hop
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