Top 25 Album Discoveries June 2011

I've had tremendous fun listening to recent music to decide what to include in this round-up. I'm not trying to single out the most significant 25 new albums: the sole criteria is my own enjoyment.
Notable recent releases amongst the 40 or so that didn't quite make this short list include: Foster the People, Cults, What did you expect from the Vaccines, Mona, Owl City All Things Bright and Beautiful, City and Colour Little Hell, Architecture in Helsinki Moment Bends, Danger Mouse Rome and Sondre Lerche. As usual, most of these albums were released since the last update, but there's some older material I've just discovered.

Top Five

• Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
• Bon Iver
• Terra Naomi To Know I'm OK
• We Are Augstines Rise Ye Sunken Ships
• Maritime Human Hearts

The Antlers Burst Apart is a moody, dreamy album, self indulgently wallowing in slow tempos and chilling visions. There's a hint of the melancholy of recent Radiohead, even the spookiness of King of Limbs, although The Antler's harmony and instrumentation is quite different. There's no doubt this is highly sophisticated, intelligent music, but at times I admire it more than love it. It certainly requires time to absorb and understand, and is a work of great subtlety. It's positively upbeat compared to their last album, Hospice, but the gloomy lyrics and nocurnal feel mean that you might want to stick with Foster the People if you need a 'pick you up'. 7/10

Apollo Sunshine Shall Noise Upon is a 2008 release from Boston which is tinged with the psychedelic atmosphere of the 60's. It's the trio's third album and has majestic orchestration, melody, and often a relaxed, laid back vibe. I've heard them compared to Flaming Lips, but they have less drive, and it's far from derivative music. They are not afraid to be experimental, but if you're open minded, you'll want to explore this album which was apparently recorded in a "house inhabited by spirits". 7/10

Ben Harper Give Till It's Gone is a mix of slow ballads and surprisingly hard hitting rock tracks complete with distortion; it's a deeply personal response to a recent experience of divorce. It features Ringo Starr on drums on 2 tracks, but is very much a solo project, in contract to his last albums. I'm lucky enough to have seen Ben live in Fistful of Mercy, and his integrity as a musician is without doubt. I do sometimes wonder if the juxtaposition of styles are to the detriment of the album's structure, but Ben's ability to channel his pain into music and the authentic emotions (and lyrics) make his tenth album sound fresh. 7.5/10

Bon Iver It's difficult to do this masterpiece justice in a short paragraph, but its certain to be near the top of my 2011 top ten. It has the potential to become a classic album: meticulously crafted in a studio, it yields more on each listen. It's dominated by the timbre of Justin Vernon's gentle multi-tracked falsetto voice, but the backing instrumentation of strings, synths and percussion is just gorgeous. Bon Iver makes more use of electronics than on the more straight-forwardly folk influenced first album, For Emma. It's beautifully recorded and produced, and I really can't see myself getting tired of it. Above all, it moves me deeply, and I'm left with serene sense of satisfaction at the end. Expect a concert review after I see Bon Iver live in the autumn. 9.5/10

Death Cab for Cutie Codes and Keys has a quiet, understated and mellow vibe. It's their seventh LP, and subtle, lacking obvious hooks and at times distinctiveness. If you're wondering why it's on this list, I can detect musical genius lurking under the surface, and I've just purchased a ticket on Ebay for their upcoming (sold out) UK tour. Death Cab take time to build up atmosphere, with more use of keyboards than the earlier more guitar centric work, and the introspection is part of the charm. I'll be fascinated to discover whether (as I'm hoping) that live they'll overcome the emotional detachment I sense on this recording. 7/10

Deerpeople EP from Oklahama is self-released and you can name your price at Bandcamp. The five indie rock tracks pass by quickly, and the instrumentation from this quintet is tight and imaginative. Despite a lush, lyrical sound and inclusion of acoustic instruments alongside electric guitars, they can rock, and you'll want to turn the volume up and dance. They formed in 2009, and I really believe that they deserve greater recognition. Perhaps there's a fusion here in style between the folk of Fleet Foxes and rock of Aracde Fire, and I'm sure they'd be great fun live. It's just a pity they've entered such a crowded space of deer themed indie bands. 7.5/10

Eisley The Valley is the 2011 release from this DuPree family quintet from Texas, and merits inclusion here because it leaves me uplifted and feeling more content with the world. It's catchy, and the stand-out song for me is 'Sad'. My concern is a disconnect between the weighty, even tragic lyrics and lighter musical style: sometimes I wish they'd be less polite and stop worrying about scaring their audience. Don't let my suspicion that raw emotions of divorce and heartbreak have been sanitised put you off though: the album's saved by some lovely melody and vocal work. 6.5/10

Flogging Molly Speed of Darkness: this celtic punk folk is all about energy and fun: I relish the prospect of seeing them live in Reading this summer. They feel like a festival act, and I suspect there's a risk of their novelty wearing thin. There are similarities in atmosphere with Mumford and Sons in their instinct for melody and rhythm, but they have a distinctive sound and aren't afraid to rock. 5.5/10

The Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion: on first listen, I wondered if this was just a little too eclectic to make sense as a cohesive album, but I've become really fond of it. Ignore NME, who scandalously gave it 1 out of 10, and revel in the creativity and imagination. They've been compared to MGMT, but on some tracks I detect Cut Copy's influence in the strong dance beats, whilst Up All Night sounds like Neon Trees; although in truth there's a lot of variation of style between tracks. These two brothers from Brooklyn make a gloriously rich sound, and it's got more depth than other disco influenced music I've heard. This is their first album, and I'm expecting their next to be better structured, but just as feel upbeat and quirky. 8/10

Jason Kanaksis and the Coalition of the Unwilling EP is simply beautiful and moving. Jason's classically trained, and it's far from a hard rock record, being quiet, understated and calming in effect. He's collaborated with artists such as Cary Brothers, Joshua Radin and Pete Yorn, but The Dr's more than worthy of his own full length album; which I hope will follow this EP in time. He's an accomplished guitar player, but above all a sensitive musician whom I could listen to for hours. He's also a compassionate and witty human being, and his personality shines through in his music. 7/10

Jim Bianco Loudmouth hails from LA, like Dr Kanaksis, and his third album was funded by fans on Kickstarter. It's also lyrical and understated, for example in Slaughter, but tracks like Talented don't lack energy. If you enjoy David Ford, I'd urge you to check out this album from an artitst who has quite a low profile in the UK. He clearly has quite a sense of humour, but isn't without a tender side, and Loudmouth is heart-warming. 7.5/10

Joseph Arthur Graduation Ceremony. I've written about the amazing experience of seeing Joseph live and this latest album, a solo effort in contrast to his previous two, doesn't disappoint. It's produced by the uber-talented John Alagia (also featuring on Terra Naomi's latest release below) and maintains his sense of creative freedom and intricately layered, textured creations. The harmonies are beautiful and the lyrics exceptional. This isn't a showy album, and more accessible than some of previous work, it's exceptionally satisfying. A great choice as an introduction to Joseph if you've yet to discover his work. 8/10

Maritime Human Hearts really rocks, but isn't mindlessly bombastic: it's intelligent, adult rock from Milwaukee. The group emerged from the ashes of the renowned group the Promise Ring, and this is their third album. It has an uplifting effect on me, the guitars giving a really solid sound but with synths in the texture too. It's conventionally structured, with ten short songs, but when it's this well executed, it's not formulaic. They have been compared to Death Cab for Cutie, but I find this more uplifting, a summer record. A good track to start with is Annihilation Eyes: it should get your foot tapping. 8/10

Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane over the Sea. This is an album which polarises opinion, but I've fallen completely in love with it. Jeff Mangum's voice is certainly not beautiful, in fact at times it's painfully strained, but you can't fault his enthusiasm and commitment. The lyrics are not always completely comprehensible, but widely thought to be about Anne Frank. It contains elements of rootsy folk (I adore Magnum's acoustic guitar playing), psychedelic rock and lo-fi experimentation, with a motley mix of saws, banjo, zither and accordion. The experience of listening beginning to end (it isn't an album to dip in and out of) is akin to the most amazingly intense dream, intimate and yet surreal. It was evidently impossibly daunting to try to follow this utterly classic work, and so Neutral Milk Hotel split after this. I stumbled across Aeroplane after reading a comparison of Mangum's voice to Nils Edendorff's of the RAA, and it's an absolute hidden treasure. I recently suggested it to a friend, and he reported that he was having difficulty accomplishing any work after hearing it for the first time: it really does seize your attention. 10/10

Neulore Apples & Eve EP is gorgeous and a great discovery of an emerging band. It's a surprisingly mature first release from this Nashville based group who owe some debt to folk influenced groups like Mumford and Sons, but add a prog rock flavour. This is a concept album, obviously on a biblical theme, but ultimately about love. It's warm, with a rich acoustic centred sound, and I had a tender emotional response to it. At the time of writing, it's available as a free (legal) bittorrent download from Bands Under the Radar so there's really no excuse not to investigate if you like beautiful, heartfelt song writing. 8/10

Ours Mercy: Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy was released as their third album in 2008 and is driving, brooding rock music. Jimmy Gnecco sings about failed relationships with conviction, and the album is structured so it makes sense as coherently as a whole. It's quite catchy and melodic, but also darkly emotional, sometimes bleak and hard hitting. 8/10

Panda Bear Tomboy is dreamy music, all about lush harmonies and atmosphere.I can find Animal Collective impenetrable, but Lennox's solo work is more accessible, even if there's still a slightly sterile, contrived quality at times. The blurring effect acres of reverb and a softer feel than some of Lennox's other work mean that I enjoyed this more than I expected, and when in the right mood loved wallowing in its strange world. I particularly liked the energy and minimalism of Afterburner. 7/10

Terra Naomi To Know I'm OK was the fruit of a Pledge Music Project and is testimony to Terra's ability to reach out to her fans via social media. It finally fulfils her promise, having broken free of the constraints of a major label. The first six tracks show the magic of the producer John Alagia to bring these songs to a new dimension. The first track, You for Me, is currently available as a free download, and always makes me feel happy. The latter part of the album is more acoustically focussed, and here we can revel in her true magic (aside from the song writing): that amazingly pure soprano voice. I've been fortunate enough to meet Terra, which confirmed the authenticity which shrines through in her music. There's lots more about the making of this album, including interviews on the brilliant Rock is a Girl's Best Friend blog. 9/10

The Rosebuds Loud Planes Fly Low is this duo's first album since their divorce, but isn't as full of angst as you'd expect: in fact it can sound quite laid back. Sometimes I wish for a little more bite, and wonder if it lacks variety, but if you listen closely, the harmonies and keyboards are clever and Ivan Howard's voice is hypnotic. It's perhaps a late night album, exploring shadows and regrets, cathartic in its gloom. I've seen a critical review in a far more renowned web site than this one, but I think they've missed the point: this album's emotions are strong, but lie just below the surface. 7/10

The Ruse Love Sex Confusion is powerful rock music from LA, and the first of their five albums I've heard. Stand out tracks are the final one, Took So Long, and Hillside Ballroom, but the whole is very satisfying. They don't plumb emotional depths, or do anything to frighten the less musically adventurous, but if you like Coldplay this far less established band is worth taking notice of and is currently available as a free, legal torrent download here. 6.5/10

The View Bread and Circuses was a discovery stemming from my research in advance of this year's Reading Festival. This Scottish group's third album really rocks and is tremendous fun. It's accessible, tuneful, upbeat, and I'm sure it's sunny nature will work well at a British festival, even if it's raining. Now, this isn't going to move you in the manner of Bon Iver, but there are anthemic sing-along tracks, and it might get you dancing. Maybe too commercial for my taste, at least when I'm sober. 5/10

Warpaint The Fool is mesmerising and original, with imaginative use of instruments to create atmosphere and bass which your body can really feel. The sensual vocals are what really make this band distinctive, and at times it's disconcerting and almost tribal in feel, eery and bleak. This female quartet from LA have grown on me so that I've now completely submitted to this album and get lost in it. Needless to say I'm looking forward to their performance at the Reading Festival. 9/10

We Are Augustines Rise ye Sunken Ships: I really can't understand why this hasn't attracted more attention. The power of this rock album maybe explained by singer Brian McCarthy's reponse to the loss of his brother to drug addiction. The other half of this band consists of Eric Sanderson's varied and imaginative instrumentals. In sound, I'm sometimes reminded of The National, and there's certainly a melancholy streak and emotional intensity. The production is subtle and intelligent, and even if it doesn't break new ground, I love it. 9/10

Wild Beasts Smother is daring, startling and different. Hayden Thorpe has an unusual voice, similar to a classical counter-tenor, with a sense of vulnerability, and sensuality. Some of the emotions invoked are of unease, and sometimes Britten and Philip Glass' operas spring to mind. I'd understand if you considered their sound pretentious, but give it some time and effort, and you'll appreciate the Cumbrian quartet's willingness to experiment on their third LP.  7.5/10

Wilderness of Manitoba When you left the fire is an unassuming folk record, more gentle, relaxed and pastoral than their Rural Alberta Advantage neighbours to the west. It could be more tightly structured, but the gorgeous harmonies and rich acoustic instrumentation let me forgive that. There's certainly an element of Fleet Foxes and Low Anthem in their sound, and they don't break any new ground, but I love the sense of stillness and contentment I experience both when visiting Manitoba's countryside and listening to this album. 7.5/10