Lorde "Virgin" (2025)

Virgin

release date: Jun. 27, 2025

format: digital (11 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,02]

producer: Lorde & Jim E-Stack

label: Universal Music New Zealand - nationality: New Zealand

Track highlights: 1. "Hammer" - 2. "What Was That" - 4. "Man of the Year" - 6. "Current Affairs"

4th studio album by New Zealand pop artist Lorde, aka Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor. The album follows four years after the album Solar Power (Aug. 2024), which received positive reviews, some found it a shiny, yet formless affair, and others saw it as a potential masterpiece. In that regard, Lorde has devided fans and critics since her international debut with the album Pure Heoine (Sep. 2013), which attracted some attention, although, her follow-up Melodrama from 2017 is widely regarded as her actual breakthrough album, which both peaked on album lists world-wide and secured the artist various international music awards but also was such a massive success that Lorde vanished from the spotlight for a period of time. She has already experienced the kind of success many dream of but few ever experience and the short journey to the top in pop surely has its toll.

Personally, I'm not in the target group, and I have lukewarm feelings regarding the type of music she has produced, so far. Lorde is a name that is impossible to neglect and that's the only reason I listened to her albums. Again: I'm not part of the target group and I simply don't enjoy this album that much. To me, it's generic pop music, sounding like much else out there that I don't find any enjoyment in. It's definitely uptempo, it's lush, and it's primarily held in a positive vibe - there's just too many things about it, I don't like. The arrangements are too heavily crammed up - effects to fill in gaps to avoid boredom or blanks? Then: many tracks sound alike, and I guess that's a good parameter telling you, it's not your style like when I'm trying to understand a Wagner opera: I get bored and think it's touching on obnoxious.

Then why 3/ 5 instead of below 2,5, you may ask? Well, I acknowledge the inert qualities, I guess. It's not like I feel exposed to harmful matter and there's definitely good energy in the music, which I also find shaped for physical movement as I probably would even appreciate this at the local gym. Especially "Hammer" is a quite catchy electropop tune. Just as quite decent background muzak. And I'm not really on par with any of the critics, as they mostly praise this as her second best album. So, it should be good, only not for me, and if this is a genuine contender to her best ever, I kind of get the hint: I shouldn't look down this alley for hidden gems - possibly making this my only comment on the music by this contemporary giant pop star.

Not recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian, NME 4 / 5, Pitchfork 7,6 / 10 stars ]

M.I.A. "MATA" (2022)

MATA

release date: Oct. 14, 2022

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]

producer: various

label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "F.I.A.S.O.M. Pt. 2" - 4. "Beep" - 5. "Energy Freq" - 6. "The One" - 8. "Time Traveller" - 9. "Popular" - 11. "K.T.P. (Keep the Peace)" - 13. "Marigold"

6th studio album by M.I.A. following six years after AIM (Sep. 2016) is M.I.A.'s first album to only be issued in digital format. AIM had initially been released as her final studio album but the desire to release new material made her change her decision. MATA is a typical M.I.A. title - instead of refering to an individual, the title is an ironic pun hinted at the change of the name of Facebook to Meta. Furthermore, the front cover depicts a Christian cross in the writing of MATA in vertical letters, and M.I.A. has been outspoken in finding a meaningful life after turning to Christianity, and then, when pronounced in 'working-class' British, 'MATA' becomes 'matter' - meaning this is the / what 'MATA[r]'s. The album consists of thirteen tracks of which none is longer than 3:36 minutes and three tracks are below two minutes making it a relative short full-length album with a total running time under 33 minutes.

MATA is in many ways a typical album from M.I.A. with lyrics touching on social and political awareness. It's music about her role, about being parents, and about living at a current age where global issues demand our full attention.

M.I.A. is confrontatory in her very approach, and that has made her both extremely unpopular but also the opposite, and she's been perfectly aware of this from the very beginning of her career. The song "Popular" says everything about being just that, and that's just very much the very essence of her narrative. "F.I.A.S.O.M. Pt. 1" and "F.I.A.S.O.M. Pt. 2" are other neat examples of her gift with words to elaborate on issues of concern. Here, it's an abbreviation for 'Freedom Is A State Of Mind' ('whatcha gonna do with mine?'), which she uses to deal with exactly what it implies, and at the same time it cleverly refers to being 'Fearsome'. She speaks her mind of the things that she encounters - there's no hiding behind a public image or a media persona, and at the same time, that also reveals her conflicts of trying to be herself in a world where the media image is out of your own control. She rides along, reacts to issues and accusations and no matter what always find herself in the middle of a conflict she never asked for. And the fact that she never writes a song just to make it sound like a good hook or rhyme, but starts off by having something on her mind, and then makes a song about it incorporating rhymes, hooks, and beats is something extremely rare these days.

Anyway, MATA is another fine album from M.I.A., although, its not really among her absolute best, but in this case, much less will do, 'cause she's always right there in the midst of war zones reporting about actual human issues and not really caring about being [TaylorSwift-Reehannah-and-the-like-radio-friendly]-pop-ulaaar!

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Slant Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

Eee Gee "Winning" (2022)

Winning [debut]

release date: Feb. 25, 2022

format: digital (14 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,76]

producer: Rasmus Bille Bähncke

label: Future Classic - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Favourite Lover" (4 / 5) - 2. "You Don't Have to Tell Me It's Over" - 5. "Contraband" (live session) - 6. "Bad Person" - 7. "Love Hurts" - 8. "Winning" - 10. "All or Nothing" - 11. "Killing It" (4 / 5)

Studio album debut by Danish act Eee Gee [stylised 'eee gee'] aka Emma Grankvist is virtually a debut-out-of-the-blue. I first listened to the song "Favourite Lover" and then "Bad Person" without knowing anything about artist or nationality, and I remember thinking it must be yet another one blending Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish, although still doing that quite nicely. But after realising it's music by Danish songwriter Emma Grankvist and upon listening to the whole album, I have to admit it's much more than a copy and quite a remarkable achievement. Why hadn't we heard about her before? And speaking of influences, I also found it's waaaay too simple to mention the aforementioned two American stars as only sources 'cause there's also traces of much else. There's a tongue-in-cheek (Lily Allen-like) presence and songs that are stronger singer / songwriter or alt. folk related that reminds me of Cat Power or Sharon Van Etten, or was it Ane Brun leaning on Joni Mitchell? And then why even compare?!

The album has a total running time above 45 minutes with songs written by Grankvist, and most of the music is co-composed with producer Bähncke. Granted, this may not be highly original, but it's a most powerful collection of personal songs produced in high-end arrangements. Yes, there's influence and traces of others, but looking at the whole picture instead, this is simply one of the strongest Danish debut albums in years.

Highly recommended.

[ Politiken, 👉Soundvenue 5 / 6, Undertoner 4 / 6 stars ]

Julian Cope "20 Mothers" (1995)

20 Mothers

release date: Aug. 28, 1995

format: cd (ECHCD 5)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Julian Cope

label: Echo - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Wheelbarrow Man" (live) - 2. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" - 3. "Try Try Try" (Top of the Pops performance) - 4. "Stone Circles 'n' You" - 10. "Adam & Eve Hit the Road" - 15. "Senile Get" - 16. "The Lonely Guy"

11th studio album by Julian Cope is like the one year old predecessor Autogeddon released on the Chrysalis-owned sublabel Echo. With the album, Cope returns to his 'habit' of releasing extensive albums - 20 Mothers is nearly 72 minutes long and is divided into four 'phases', as was also the case with Peggy Suicide (Apr. 1991). His new album is similar to his most recent concept albums without it' being absolutely obvious where the focus lies, because it's more of a unifying album for all of Cope's thematic interests: climate and environment, the condition of our planet, consumerism, cars, religion, prehistoric cultures, and then as a more recent theme of his: stories from one's own lived life about family relationships. In the same way that themes are diverse, the music aspect is even more varied than on most of his other albums. Yes, there is the usual neo-psychedelia and space-rock, and then you'll also find indie rock, funk, and tracks with a clear folk touch, but also elements taken from Europop, synth-pop and rock & roll - in other words, the range is w--i---d----e, and the seemingly conceptual title, supported by the cover featuring family members - wife Dorian and friends, all of whom are actually mothers (as mentioned in the inlay) - then the album basically covers everything, and in that way it comes across as a bit of an all sorts mix - on all levels.

20 Mothers is by no means a bad album, the best side to it being Cope's stories, but at the same time it's somewhat incoherent and occasionally odd to listen to in its entirety.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

 

back cover: 
Julian with his
two daughters

inside:
Julian with family and friends
(wife Dorian on Julian's right)

Kraftwerk "The Mix" (1991)

2009 remaster

The Mix

release date: Jun. 11, 1991

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

10th studio album by Kraftwerk following a full five years after Electric Cafe (1986) isn't officially a compilation, although it may perfectly appear as that since it's dedicated to compositions stemming from all of the band's studio albums beginning with Autobahn (1974) right up to the most recent studio album Electric Cafe (1986). Ralf Hütter has offered his thoughts on why it's not to be considered a compilation or let alone a remix album, as others would claim. He states that these tracks are an expression of the band's live versions of well-known songs, all of which have been subjected to reshaping during the many years of performances. Since '86 percussionist Wolfgang Flür has left the band and as of '87, he was practically substituted by Fritz Hilpert. In 1990, Karl Bartos also left the band, after which Fernando Abrantes took over in his place and on the album here, but Abrantes left shortly after the release only to be replaced by Henning Schmitz.

Incidentally, 2009 is the year in which Kraftwerk reissued all of the it's essential albums in newly remastered editions - like this one - and they also reissued the box set Der Katalog (2004) with a back cover label '12345678', indicating the band's 8 studio albums from 1974 to 2003. Regardless Hütter's explanation, and intention, it doesn't change the fact that the tracks on The Mix have all been taken from previously released studio albums, and yes, they are here in completely new remixed versions. The album consists of 11 tracks and has a total running length of 65 minutes.

From both Autobahn (1974) and Radio-Aktivität (1975) only the respective title tracks have been included; from Trans Europa Express (1977) three tracks are included: the title track, "Abzug" and "Metall auf Metall"; from the album Die Mensch-Maschine (1979) only "Die Roboter" has found its way the this; from Computerwelt (1981) we again find three selected tracks: "Taschenrechner", "Computer Liebe", and "Heimcomputer", and from Electric Cafe (1986) only the song "Music Non-Stop" is included. With a bit of quick math, that sums up to only ten tracks, and that's because, in addition to album tracks, there's also room for "Dentaku", which is a Japanese version of "Taschenregner" in a slightly different version, originally featured as a B-side to the single release.

The album received a slightly luke-warm reception, but still landed at number #7 in Germany and at number #15 in the UK. Kraftwerk also released the new versions of "Die Roboter" and "Radio-Aktivität" as the two (promotional) singles from the album.

The Mix is a fine album without dazzling. However, I think that especially the earliest compositions have been altered and given a more modern sound in such a way that they certainly don't stand as improvements to the originals. Later well-known tracks have been exposed to a little bit of everything, and at the end, the album is mostly for fans and connoisseurs, as others will be better served with the original versions. And of course you're are free to think what you want about all their fine tracks they have passed on and not included here. You may ask yourself why on Earth they didn't just release a double album, when there's plenty of material to revisit? It's certainly not an essential release, which basically functions more as bonus material - an appendix you can easily do without.

[ allmusic,com, Mojo 3 / 5, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5 stars ]

org. cover

I Break Horses "Warnings" (2020)

Warnings

release date: May 20, 2020

format: digital (12 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]

producer: Maria Lindén

label: Bella Union - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Turn" (4 / 5) - 2. "Silence" - 4. "I'll Be the Death of You" - 6. "The Prophet" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Neon Lights" - 8. "I Live at Night" - 9. "Baby You Have Travelled for Miles Without Love in Your Eyes" (4 / 5) - 10. "Death Engine"

3rd studio album by I Break Horses as a follow-up to the more than six year old Chiaroscuro (Jan. 2014) is much as usual produced by the band's dynamo, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Maria Lindén, and it's like the duo's two previous albums released on British label Bella Union.

Six years is a long time between releases in modern popular music culture, but it's the pace of Lindén and percussionist Fredrik Balck who seem in complete control, although part of the explanation for the long wait may have to do with Lindén's perfectionism and the fact that some recordings were lost. The album consists of 12 tracks varying from 1 to 9 minutes and with a total running time of 54 minutes.

Musically, the album lands somewhere in between the first two albums - Hearts from 2011 with its guitar-driven shoegaze and My Bloody Valentine-esque wall of sound versus the more electronic synthpop release from 2014. You'll find energetic uptempo tracks with almost inaudible guitar as background instrumentation, but otherwise it's a more strict synthpop and electropop version of dreampop guided by keyboards, synths, and drum programming, the duo presents here. Lindén is undoubtedly the duo's leading figure - in addition to her vocal contributions, she handles guitar, bass, and keyboards, while Balck, in addition to his part of co-songwriter, apparently is content to contribute as the duo's rhythmic planner.

Warnings has been released to fine reviews, and it's an album that may leave you with a feeling of something ingenious and original pointing back to the best by The Knife, but which also borrows from Cocteau Twins and Radio Dept., but cleverly avoids imitation, because it appears thoroughly new. Lindén doesn't reveal an impressive vocal as some contemporary pop artists, but on Warnings the vocal side is more of a contribution to the tone of dreampop in line with the sound of a synthesiser or the keyboards, and the rhythmic contribution of percussion and drum programming varies from trance-like monotony over more traditional simple rhythm structures to something almost dynamic organic as you would find on albums by The Creatures.

With Warnings, I Break Horses has made a minor masterpiece by balancing the positive energy of their debut with the greater rhythmic complexity of the follow-up. It's a huge musical overview with ties to various styles, which creates rare dynamics, and it's an inviting and captivating sound that deserves all the great reviews. With Warnings the duo has made a most surprising leap to the front of bus.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Under the Radar 4,5 / 5, NME, 👍The Line of Best Fit 4 / 5 stars ]

2020 Favourite releases: 1. Gorillaz Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez - 2. Kesi BO4L - 3. I Break Horses Warnings

Kraftwerk "Electric Cafe" (1986)

Electric Cafe

release date: Nov. 10, 1986

format: cd

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]

producer: Kraftwerk

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Boing Boom Tschak" - 3. "Musique Non-Stop" (video-version) - 4. "Der Telefon-Anruf" (4 / 5) (single-udgave) - 5. "Sex Object" - 6. "Electric Café"

9th studio album by Kraftwerk released 5½ years after Computerwelt (1981) is the first album where the whole band is credited as producer - and the whole band is no longer as it used to be. The front cover shows the usual four faces, which are supposed to look like Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, and Wolfgang Flür, however, only the first three actually appear on the album, while Flür is only credited as a permanent member. On his own initiative, he would leave the band after the album release at some point in '87. Additionally, Bartos has been 'promoted' from solely being credited 'electric percussion', he's now credited keyboards, 'electronics' and as lead vocalist on track #4. All six compositions are credited Hütter, Schneider, and Bartos, and only tracks #1 and #6 were created together with the songwriters Emil Schult and Maxime Schmitt, respectively. The original version counts six tracks with a total running time at just under 36 minutes.

Stylistically, the album doesn't introduce new elements or a change of sound, and the music is easily seen as an extension of the '81 album, and in reality most of the compositions were composed already in '82 but the production and mixing of the new Kraftwerk-album, which was intended to showcase 'top-of-the-art' sound quality was delayed for various reasons - including the fact that Hütter was injured in a cycling accident. The composition "Tour de France" had originally been intended for the this album, but as the album proved to be further delayed the song was instead selected for a stand-alone single and EP, and similarly, various titles for the new album were in play. In 2009, Electric Cafe was released under the original working title: Techno Pop, which came with the addition of "House Phone" and a shorter version of "Der Telefon-Anruf". The album release was met by lukewarm reviews, and nationally it peaked at number #26, at number #9 in Sweden, but at a more modest number #58 on the albums chart in the UK, which by this time already featured big synthpop names like New Order and Depeche Mode, who delivered breakthrough albums. Two singles were released from the album: track #3 "Musique Non-Stop" (Oct. '86) and "Der Telefon-Anruf" (Feb. '87), as the best composition from the album, although, also sounding like inspired by New Order.

Electric Cafe is not really a poor album, but it's yet another step in the wrong direction, where you find much of the compositions sounding like repetitions of previous ideas and parts of familiar songs - in general, the album doesn't stand as something that others could take great inspiration from, and the band appears most of all like a train that has lost its steam and perhaps should consider a (permanent) return to the garage.

[ allmusic.com, Uncut, Drowned in Sound 3 / 5, Smash Hits 2,5 / 5 stars ]

2009 cover

Kraftwerk "Computerwelt" (1981)

Computerwelt

release date: May 10, 1981

format: cd (1986 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Computerwelt" - 2. "Taschenrechner" - 3. "Nummern" - 4. "Computerwelt 2" - 5. "Computer Liebe" (4 / 5)

8th studio album by Kraftwerk released three years after Die Mensch-Maschine (1978) - also seen as number five in the list of classic Kraftwerk albums counting from Autobahn (1974), which by Hütter and Schneider is regarded their first, although, they actually released three albums before that. Like the band's recent albums this was recorded in the band's Kling Klang studio in Düsseldorf, and as usual it's the band's founders Hütter and Schneider who are credited as producers. On the 79 album we saw percussionist Karl Bartos as co-composer and on this, he's been granted a more prominent role as composer, and he is thus exclusive composer together with Hütter on all of the album's tracks. Schneider is credited the music on four of a total of seven tracks, and once again Emil Schult is credited album cover and as contributor as songwriter of three songs. And - one might be tempted to add - percussionist Wolfgang Flür is only credited as... percussionist, although rumor has it that he only appears in the credit list and doesn't play on the album at all, but officially it's the band's final album with Flür as instrumentalist.

The album continues deom where the '78 ended, and may at first sound like a mere extension of that, but Kraftwerk basically defined their strength in the present by composing small hooks and catchy melodies, made sharper as pure 'pop' tunes. This is best expressed on "Computer Liebe", as song Coldplay has used on its 2006 hit "Talk", just as La Roux incorporated parts of the track in the song "I'm Not Your Toy" (2009), and LCD Soundsystem has used a sample of "Heimcomputer" (track #6) on the song "Disco Infiltrator" from its debut album LCD Soundsystem (2005).

Reviews were again quite positive and in Germany the album reached number #7 (as Autobahn had done back in '74), and number #15 in the UK. Four tracks in total were selected for singles release: in order tracks #2, #5 , #3, and #1, with no significant rankings. The second single "Computer Love" didn't initially perform significantly, but when it was re-released later that year as the B-side to "The Model" (from the 78 album Die Mensch-Maschine), then it topped the singles chart in the UK (although it was more likely "The Model" pulling that home). In retrospect, the album has achieved a fine position as an influential album, appearing on a number of lists counting the best albums of the 80s.

In my opinion, the album is a classic Kraftwerk album, although without reaching the same heights as the previous four. In the early eighties, the band was overshadowed by bands and artists who managed to write better hooks and music that wasn't so strictly electronic, although most of them drew great inspiration from Kraftwerk's back catalogue. I don't find a lot of recycling in many of the album's compositions, and it may be seen as the band's first step away from the strong influence they have otherwise had in shaping synthpop.

The title track makes it essential.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Mojo, Select 4 / 5, Uncut, Q Magazine 5 / 5 stars ]

Kraftwerk "Die Mensch-Maschine" (1978)

2009 remaster

Die Mensch-Maschine

release date: May 19, 1978

format: cd (2009 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider

label: Kling Klang / EMI - nationality: Germany

Track highlights: 1. "Die Roboter" (4 / 5) - 2. "Spacelab" - 3. "Metropolis" - 4. "Das Modell" (5 / 5) (officiel video) - 5. "Neonlicht"

7. studio album by Kraftwerk following one year after Trans Europa Express and it's like that produced by the two co-leaders of the band, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider.

Musically, the album falls closely in the same style as the '77 album with the addition of more danceable rhythms - especially heard on tracks #1, #2, and #4. Possibly, the biggest difference is that the balance of power - or at least the composer credits between the two founders appears to have changed. The music is now no longer solely credited Hütter and Schneider, as has been the case on all of the previous six albums. Percussionist Karl Bartos is here for the first time credited as a co-composer, and even on all six tracks, three of which solely with Hütter. Schneider, on the other hand, is only credited as co-composer on three tracks, and then Hütter stands alone as songwriter on all tracks except "Das Modell", which is co-written by Emil Schult. The fourth and final member of the band, Wolfgang Flür, is only credited 'elektronisches schlagzeug' ['electronic percussion'].

The album received generally positive reviews and reached a fine 12th position on the German albums chart list and went to number #9 in the UK, as the band's second best-charting album here. Three singles were released from the album, with track #1 as the first single, reaching number #25 on the national chart list, followed by track #4, which didn't chart, and finally track #5, which again didn't make it to the charts. "Das Modell" was reissued again in '81 as B-side to the versioned single "Computerlove" and was by then often chosen over the A-side by UK radio stations, after which EMI issued the single with "The Model" on the cover listed as A-side, although it was the same recordings with "Computerlove" on the A-side, but now the single reached number #7 in Germany, number #4 in Ireland, and going all the way to number #1 in the UK - as the first and only single by the band ('74's "Autobahn" is the closest competitor as the best-selling single at No. #11).

"The Model" from '81 was probably the first time I really took notice of the band and I especially remember the excellent music video that was made to promote the reissue, but I only got to know of the album during the late eighties without being terribly impressed back then. The strict synthpop was definitely not my favourite genre - I needed a clearer connection to new wave and / or post-punk to accept the music, and therefore Kraftwerk and artists like Tangerine Dream, Electric Light Orchestra and Brian Eno were typical examples of music I opted out on, while instead, I was much more excited about Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark, Human League, New Order, and German band Ideal when they combined synth with new wave and post-punk. After the turn of the millennium, I rediscovered Kraftwerk. It's not music I've listened to intensively but still find fascinating - especially considering all the artists they've inspired over several decades since their start in the 70s. Kraftwerk has exerted a great influence on the British 'second wave' with artists such as Human League, Gary Numan, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, OMD - on the development of the hip hop genre - and again during the late eighties and early nineties they have inspired the industrial rock genre and especially an entire techno scene, not to mention post-rock artists of the 90s, and when more comtemporary artists after 2010 find a starting point for their music, it's not seldom in combination with one or more of the aforementioned styles AND basic synthpop and electronic performers, making Kraftwerk one of the most influential bands ever.

Die Mensch-Maschine is well-produced, it has fine touches for strong pop-melodies and it may not sit as the band's most interesting release, but it's worth much more than just to know of.

Recommended.

org. cover
l-r: Bartos, Hütter,
Schneider, Flür

Billie Eilish "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" (2019)

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? [debut]
release date: Mar. 29, 2019
format: digital (14 x File, MP3)
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,48]
producer: Finneas O'Connell
label: Interscope Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 2. "Bad Guy" - 3. "Xanny" - 7. "When the Party's Over"

Studio album debut by 17-year old Billie Eilish (full name: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell - yeah...) produced by her older brother, 21 year old Finneas O'Connell [aka FINNEAS]. The two are children of actors Maggie Baird and Patrick O'Connell.
Stylised as new enfant terrible prodigy Billie and brother Finneas have made a tight collection of art pop and electropop compositions that are... nicely bottled.
The album and Eilish have been lauded with critical acclaim almost world-wide where common denominators use phrases as "game-changer", "artistic vison[ary]", "haunting", "impressive cohesiveness" and Will Hodgkinson of The Times describes the nature of the album, when stating that it "captures one of those rare moments when an artist knows exactly how her audience feels because she feels the same way too." All right, all right, hold your horses, Will... when will that ever occur??
I do not agree, and others also point to opposite stands when eg Roisin O'Connor of The Independent says it's "dull and bloated" and simply rates the album below average. Because once you have listened through the album, it turns out more like a collection of artsy fartsy material that the music industry promptly swallows up like art critics when facing new art by Jeff Koons. All others find themselves as uninvited guests asking themselves what it is they don't get - and what the in-crowd praise as a new-found treasure.
I don't enjoy it one bit. It's over-the-hill hyped because she's predestined to fill out some spot (that really wasn't there). Nothing more. And there's nothing there except The Emperor's New Clothes. After having read several positive reviews it's quite a disappointing affair.
Not recommended.
[ 👎allmusic.com, The Guardian, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👉The Independent 2 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "The Now Now" (2018)

The Now Now
release date: Jun. 29, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Gorillaz, James Ford, Remi Kabaka
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Humility" (feat. George Benson) - 2. "Tranz" - 3. "Hollywood" (feat. Snoop Dogg & Jamie Principle) - 4. "Kansas" - 5. "Sorcererz" - 7. "Lake Zurich" - 8. "Magic City" - 11. "Souk Eye"

6th studio album by Gorillaz released 14 months after Humanz (2017). The album is credited Gorillaz consisting of live band musicians James Ford, Remi Kabaka together with Damon Albarn featuring a (smaller) bunch (than ordinary) of additional musicians; however, in reality, the only permanent band members are Albarn and visual artist (and lyricist) Jamie Hewlett - the latter only responsible for the artwork on this release. Gorillaz is and has always been Albarn's musical outlet where he experiments with a variety of guest artists, and for this album, he has "invited" Gorillaz' live musicians James Ford, who is credited for handling drums, bass, guitar and synthesiser, and Remi Kabaka, only credited for playing percussion on track #7, to join "the band" to record an album, which means: Albarn has directed, composed and let others participate in the process - just like old-timer guitarist George Benson, rapper Snoop Dogg and house musician Jamie Principle all do on selected tracks, but also a few other featuring artists playing bass, percussion, or additional vocalists on specific songs are all credited as co-composers. This also includes Albarn's former Blur-associate guitarist Graham Coxon featuring on track 8.
The Now Now is rather different from its predecessor by being more laid back. The 2017 album was loaded with guest appearances - and loaded to a degree where the sensation of a whole album was put in a drawer on the expense of the single compositions. This is much more in the spirit of an album like The Fall from 2010, where it's not so much about showcasing hit singles but rather the embodiment of a tone or a specific mood. In that way, it also reminds me of Albarn's so far only solo album Everyday Robots from 2014. Instead of having 'euro-pop' dance floor hits, there's simply much more focus on neo-psychedelia and synth funk to make it "hit" material. But altogether, it's undoubtedly Gorillaz as we have come to know "them", and also more of a grower.
The album was met by lukewarm to positive reviews, and the main reason seems to be a founding natural ingredient in all productions by this project: a need to experiment and incorporate various styles, inviting other artists in the process-making - and yes, sometimes it went that way, sometimes another way, and this time... this way. It all depends on how things turn out while Albarn is at the steering wheel. But he is also that "one component" that binds everything together - and pretty much as always: that ain't bad.
I really enjoyed Humanz, which wasn't liked by a lot of music critics, but I find that this is a much more coherent album, but also a much more delightful listen, and to me, The Now Now is not only the band's best album in years, it's simply one of Albarn's best efforts, ever.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut 3,5 / 5, 👍Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, SputnikMusic, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

Robyn "Honey" (2018)

Honey
release date: Oct. 26, 2018
format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Joseph Mount (primary)
label: Konichiwa Records - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Missing U" (live on Later) - 2. "Human Being (feat. Zhala)" - 3. "Because It's in the Music" - 4. "Baby Forgive Me" - 6. "Honey" (live on Later) - 7. "Between the Lines" - 9. "Ever Again"

6th studio album by Robyn released some 8 years following her previous studio album Body Talk from 2010. The album has various producers - with Joseph Mount as the album's main producer on 6 out of 9 tracks, and with Klas Åhlund (Robyn's main co-writer on 5 tracks), as producer on 4 of the songs.
The album spawned the two singles, "Missing U" released in August and the title track released the following month reaching number #13 and #23 respectively on the Swedish singles charts. The album topped the charts in Sweden and it's her best-faring album on the US albums chart list as number #40, and it was soon attributed positive reviews from major music magazines and sites world-wide, which I fully understand.
A first listen doesn't necessarily convince the listener of a major development when comparing to her previous albums, but already on a second or third confrontation I notice how the songs are composed with a slower and more progressive approach where the single songs stand out as near-monumental compositions - musically as well as lyrically. There's a presence of maturity all over the album - something one cannot ascribe her previous seven albums, and the sensation is more indirect but perhaps more life-strong as contrary to her bolder dance-floor hits.
Honey is no less than one of Robyn's best and most coherent albums to date, as well as a major album of the year. For a year or so, I had this at a first spot, but in retrospect I found two albums bettering another really strong release by Robyn. She dunnit again!
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5, 👍NME, Q Magazine, The Times 4 / 5 stars ]

2018 Favourite releases: 1. Jon Hopkins Singularity - 2. The Fratellis In Your Own Sweet Time - 3. Robyn Honey

Let's Eat Grandma "I'm All Ears" (2018)

I'm All Ears
release date: Jun. 29, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,78]
producer: David Wrench
label: Transgressive Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Whitewater" - 3. "It's Not Just Me"

2nd studio album by Norwich-founded electropop-duo, Let's Eat Grandma consisting of the friends Jenny Hollingworth and Rosa Walton.
The album offers an energetic release with electropop tunes with a twist of something in between art pop and indietronica and sometimes fused with progressive pop. It's mostly moulded as a warm, positive sound, but it also contains a bitter-sweet tone and plenty of classic synth pop.
I'm All Ears has generally harvested critical acclaim from near and afar - which is the main reason for my interest here. I just don't quite understand the general reception. It's nice, and it's fine. I believe, that's the most positive, I can come up with. I don't find it specifically original, and the majority of the songs are easily forgotten. The singing voices of the two front figures are much alike and all together not impressive as musical instruments. I find elements of songs that I really like, but as an overall experience, I'm bewildered and confused 'cause it must contain something, I just don't appreciate. The best thing about the band is its name.
Not recommendable.
[ allmusic.com, Mojo, NME, The Times 4 / 5, Q, The Guardian 5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

I Break Horses "Chiaroscuro" (2014)

Chiaroscuro

release date: Jan. 21, 2014

format: digital

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Maria Lindén

label: Bella Union - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "You Burn" - 2. "Faith" - 3. "Ascension" - 4. "Denial" - 7. "Disclosure"

2nd studio album by Swedish duo I Break Horses following the 2011 debut album Hearts consists of 9 cuts with a total running length of just under 46 minutes.

Maria Lindén is the band's multi-instrumentalist, who has also composed the music, while the lyrics have been created in collaboration with percussionist Fredrik Balck.

Chiaroscuro is a markedly different from Hearts, which largely departed from a familiar scene crowded by bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Mary Chain, and which was an album you would be tempted to label as shoegaze revival. Compared to that, this new album sounds as the music from a completely different artist. Here, the duo steps into the keyboard universe of electropop filled with keyboards, synthesizers, sequencers, drum programming, and various software programs as elementary instruments. In this way, the guitar has stepped much into the background or is completely out of a soundscape, which is far from a copy, but in terms of style nevertheless builds on music that reminds of The Knife, Crystal Castles, Cocteau Twins, and Beach House (another Bella Union band). If you enjoyed the band's grinding 90s sound, you will probably be disappointed or think that it's completely different people behind the music here, but just as the debut was Lindén and Balck, Chiaroscuro is made by the same duo, and it also proves how inspiration is a thing you collect from various places.

It's both a happy-go-lucky pop atmosphere, certified dance beats, and gloomy timbres without losing a sense of coherence. It's a fine and artistically challenging album that may not be called the best of the year, but Chiaroscuro garnered international praise and is quite an exciting and original follow-up to Hearts.

[ allmusic.com, Drowned in Sound 4 / 5, PopMatters, Uncut 3,5 / 5, Gaffa.dk 5 / 6 stars ]

Björk "Volta" (2007)

Volta
release date: May 7, 2007
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,04]
producer: Björk
label: One Little Indian - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 1. "Earth Intruders" (feat. Konono Nº1) - 2. "Wanderlust" - 3. "The Dull Flame of Desire" - 4. "Innocence" - 11. "I See Who You Are"

6th studio album by Björk is a primarily self-produced album with various others producing and co-producing single tracks. Here, it's Timbaland and Danja (tracks #1 and ¤4 - with Timbaland also co-pro. track #8), Mark Bell (track #9) and Damian Taylor (track #6).
Volta signals a return to a more melodic mainstream pop universe with more traditional electronic instrumentation and with compositions based on drum and bass in a dance pop sphere. It feature several guest musicians including Congolese music project Konono Nº1 and Toumani Diabaté, Antony Hegarty (Antony & The Johnsons) feature on two tracks, Min Xiao-Fen (also on two tracks), Mark Bell, and Sjón.
"Earth Intruders" is the only great track on an album, which is a bit of... everything and nothing, really. Generally, I find the somewhat disappointing predecessor Medúlla (2004) slightly more interesting, although that fails on other parameters. Volta is certainly more pop-minded - at least more danceable, but it's basically also easier forgettable.
This is not one of her better album - in fact it's her so far least favourable.
Not recommended.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, NME 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 ]

Blondage "Blondage" (2016) (ep)

Blondage, ep [debut]

release date: Sep. 15, 2016

format: digital (5 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]

producer: Blondage

label: self-released - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: 1. "Lucky Black Skirt" - 2. "Dive" (2,5 / 5) - 3. "BEG" - 4. "Pray" (2,5 / 5) - 5. "FLF"

Studio EP debut by Danish synthpop duo Blondage, which basically is identical to the duo Rangleklods who most recently released the acclaimed Straitjacket (May 2015). Esben Nørskov Andersen and Pernille Smith-Sivertsen are both credited all songs and music as was the case on the 2015 album.

The 'new' name of the duo with reference to 'Blonde' and 'Bondage' may be a result of restarting a career with a more international edge after experiencing some attention from both the British and the US markets - and then some [national] critics already pointing to the odd ambiguous Rangleklods, which again was a made up name, although, in Danish only.

The five tracks here have a total running time of approx. 18 minutes and the style isn't far from what we heard on Straitjacket. You could add that the musical soundscape has been condensed to a lighter and less aggressive, or: less playful style, which doesn't include the archetypical progressions from house nor the electronic reminiscense from the first releases by Rangleklods. It's more like MØ (especially on "Dive"], Oh Land and the huge pond of contemporary generic pop, which loans and has its foundation deep in art pop, electropop and dance pop - and where 'pop' is the common denominator. Andersen and Smith-Sivertsen now sings on most tracks together utilising the new standard: vocoder and emulators. Instead of being groundbreaking or highly original, this mostly sounds like a detour into club and 'pop'-land. To me, it's too strained and willed likeable. Only composition with a positive outcome is the end-track "FLF" (abbreviated for 'Feel Like Falling'), which combines indie pop and electropop with a fine melody. Imho, this is the least interesting release by Esben Nørskov Andersen.

Some critics - see below - found this a fascinating turn, but still the duo never issued a full-length album. They released a few more singles - after a single remix released Nov. 2017, Andersen and Smith-Sivertsen - now a romantic couple - apparently decided to split as a musical duo but now with Smith-Sivertsen continuing as Blondage, while Andersen returned to his one-man brainchild project of Rangleklods.

[ 😮Soundvenue 5 / 6 stars ]

Trentemøller "Fixion" (2016)

Fixion

release date: September 16, 2016

format: digital (13 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: Anders Trentemøller

label: In My Room - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "One Eye Open" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 2. "Never Fade" - 4. "River in Me" (feat. Jehnny Beth) - 6. "Redefine" - 7. "My Conviction" (feat. Marie Fisker) - 11. "Complicated" (feat. Jehnny Beth) - *13. "Redefine (Trentemøller Rework)"

*Bonus track on digital album

4th studio album by Trentemøller following three years after Lost showcases the combo of Trentemøller's own stereotypical IDM microhouse progressive compositions in between more uptempo and bolder standard melody-structured and chorus-based songs with vocal arrangements made in collaboration with the two songwriters Marie Fisker and Jehnny Beth - much in the same manner as he presented with his 2013 album, only here, he has cut down on the number of featuring artists. With Beth he stood behind two single hits from this album, the almost electroclash-shaped song "River in Me" and the bolder post-punk / gothic rocker - the Siouxsie and the Banshess-like: "Complicated".

Although, the songs point in many directions - with inspiration from post-punk, from electroclash and from his catalogue of microhouse and ambient material it's still held together by a striking and predominantly coldwave soundscape. I suppose many would tend to label it darkwave and thus being inspired by gothic rock of the 1980s, but I also find it one of his better and more straightforward albums. Compared to his most recent album, this may contain stronger singles, but as a full-scaled album it lacks some of the cohency he after all demonstrated better on Lost.

A fine and yet somewhat flawed album with strong individual compositions and a lack of direction.

[ bandcamp ]

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Veronica Maggio "Den första är alltid gratis" (2016)

Den första är alltid gratis
release date: May 6, 2016
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,90]
producer: Povel Olsson; Klas Gullbrand; mfl.
label: Universal Music - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Den första är alltid gratis" (5 / 5) (live) - 2. "Vi mot världen" (4 / 5) - 4. "Dom sa!" - 5. "Gjord av sten" - 6. "Svart sommar" - 7. "Ayahuasca" - 8. "Verkligheten" - 9. "Storma tills vi dör" - 10. "Play och sen repeat"

5th studio album by Veronica Maggio is like the predecessor Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig (2013) produced by various people - but in particular by Povel Olsson and Klas Gullbrand, who have both produced 4 of a total of 12 tracks each, and the music is composed by an even bolder versatile group of people, although both Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare, Klas Gullbrand, and Povel Olsson are credited on several tracks. The title translates to 'The First Is Always for Free'.

The album topped the albums chart in Sweden as Maggio's third consecutive, and it's a really fine collection of songs, which in many ways sounds more like the natural sequel to Satan i gatan from 2011. Personally, I think her most recent 2013 album was a bit grey and not really particularly outstanding, to keep it politely. On this, on the other hand, Maggio appears to be back in uptempo gear with several sing-a-long choruses that somehow suit her best. Compared to her most recent albums, this one sounds more electropop-founded as opposed to the chamber pop feel found on the predecessor.

Now, Maggio may not possess the widest vocal range, but her voice works more than sufficiently when mixed with catchy patterns, and then she doesn't try one bit to imitate anyone else, which in contemporary pop culture is a seldom quality to hang on to.

The title track is one of her absolute best songs, but the album as such comes with a bunch of other strong songs and all in all, it's easily no less than Maggio's second best to date, basically changeling her 2011 album as her finest.

Highly recommended.

[ Gaffa.dk, Göteborgs-Posten 4 / 5 stars ]

Jean-Michel Jarre "Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise" (2016)

Electronica 2: The Heart of Noise
release date: May 6, 2016
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Jean-Michel Jarre
label: Sony Music - nationality: France

Track highlights: 1. "The Heart of Noise, Pt. 1" (feat. Rone) - 6. "Here for You" (feat. Gary Numan) - 7. "Electrees" (feat. Hans Zimmer) - 8. "Exit" (feat. E.S.) - 9. "What You Want" (feat. Peaches) - 11. "Switch on Leon" (feat. The Orb) - 13. "Why This, Why That and Why" (feat. Yello) - 18. "The Heart of Noise (The Origin)"

17th studio album by Jean-Michel Jarre is his second part in collaborative works featuring artists of various electronic styles. Both albums were recorded over a six year period from 2011 to 2016 and they are difficult not to regard as one and the same project, and thus should have been released as a double album. Both albums are highly experimental, and overall it's nice to witness a collaboration work like this where you witness a symbiotic end-result of the process involving different takes on a genre and style leaving equal evidence from both artists. That also means that the individual songs point in different directions as the featuring artists represent very different styles but together with Jarre the output still has his fingerprints all over, making it quite interesting, but not as a perfect overwhelming work of art. Both of the two parts are quite extensive, the first part running for more than 68 mins and this one just above 74 mins.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, The Guardian 4 / 5 stars ]

Jean-Michel Jarre "Electronica 1: The Time Machine" (2015)

Electronica 1: The Time Machine
release date: Oct. 16, 2015
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Jean Michel Jarre
label: Columbia Records - nationality: France

Track highlights: 4. "Automatic (Part 1)" (with Vince Clark) - 8. "Suns Have Gone" (with Moby) - 11. "Zero Gravity" (with Tangerine Dream) - 12. "Rely On Me" (with Laurie Anderson) - 13. "Stardust" (with Armin van Buuren)

16th* studio album by Jean-Michel Jarre is his first real studio album in 8½ years following the album Téo & Téa (2007). It consists of 16 tracks composed and played with 15 different collaborators featuring artists such as Air, Vince Clarke (Erasure), Moby, Fuck Buttons, Pete Townsend, and Laurie Anderson, and as its title suggests, it's the first of two collaborative albums of this sort.
Musically and stylistically, the album represents (at least on some of the songs) a move towards vocal-founded electronic and more strict compositions in terms of popular music tradition. According to Jarre himself, who had invited various artists to participate in his project, his intentions were to make an album that paid tribute to electronic music and an album that would reflect the link between his musical history to other artists, who were either deeply involved or closely (or somewhat) related in the making of electronic music.
My first impression was luke-warm but I have come to see greatness in this project, and knowing a few of the details about this album makes it much more interesting, but it also wins over time.
[ Renowned for Sound 4,5 / 5, The Guardian, Gaffa.dk 4 / 5 stars ]

*Some mention it as his 17th, 18th or 19th album requiring his 2001 album Interior Music (exclusively released for Bang & Olufsen in 1000 copies), his 2004 remix album Aero, and / or Oxygène: New Master Recording from 2007 being regarded as studio releases.