OPM: Voices Singing

Red Spells Red – Things You Have Never Seen

Gorgeous, lush ambient and kosmische that leans into the prog adjacent vibe of those genres’ earliest days. Shimmering and lovely, like a mirage or a dream, these tracks are certainly capable of providing a lovely background ambience, but there’s enough nuance and depth to them that they’re just as good for headphones-on deep listening. 

Reminiscent of early (and now classic) works by Klaus Schulze, Cluster, Tangerine Dream and others, but it does have some unmistakably contemporary touches, particularly in the sound design realm; the approach to piano and guitar are also more notably modern. It’s a bit less propulsive than many of those classics were, closer in terms of energy to newer ambient releases, and the slow unfolding of these tracks lets each moment shine. 

(Listened to the entire album)

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Alison Clancy – “The Valley”

An atmospheric, moody bit of ambient dream pop with female vocals and a lush, lo-fi aesthetic. There’s a tiny bit (perhaps more than a tiny bit) of Bjork in the DNA of this, which is what stands out the most, but it also teases influences from trip hop, classic synth pop, contemporary pop and others. Whatever the inspirations, with its breathy, deliberate vocals, bass-boosted piano, synth strings, and glacial pacing, it makes for an arresting tune. 

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Drosophiliac – MP3 Compressed Memories

A four-track EP of experimental drum and bass, sound collage, and general audio chaos. Mashing up pop songs, news footage, YouTube ephemera and whatever else was at hand, these tracks are a dense, at times bewildering but always interesting journey thru the artist’s psyche. 

Truth be told, it’s a pretty weird place, where there’s always something confusing or unexpected going on, or more likely, 3-5 somethings all at once. This one will definitely be polarizing, but if you’re into some combination of bold musical approaches, noisy aesthetics, leftist politics, and drum and bass, this’ll treat you well.

(Listened to the entire EP)

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B. Hamilton – “Release the Hounds”

Classic rock, or at least its spirit made sound once again, is alive and well, and songs like this are the proof. It sounds like it was recorded in an old-school studio and incorporates a wide range of influences deftly and seamlessly into a syncretic whole. A little prog rock, a little alt rock, a little blues rock and so on – if it’s on classic rock radio, it’s in this song. 

It’s not obvious, not worn on its sleeve, but subsumed into its soul. If you find the idea tiring, miss this one – it is unapologetically what it is – but if that sounds like a breath of fresh air, get on it.

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Patient Whales – Patient Whales Ate the Sea

A collection of amiable indie singer-songwriter folk-pop tunes. These songs are centered around guitar and voice as is typical but they feature a minimal but ample bit of production that really helps them shine. A bit of synth, some loops and drum machines, and a nice overall production sheen serve the songs well. 

It feels lo-fi without actually leaning into obvious lo-fi tropes– fuzzy and warm and welcoming rather than worn out and aged. Slightly reminiscent of Cat Stevens, Guided By Voices and maybe a touch a Grandaddy, but distinctively its own thing, and definitely worth checking out.

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