Twin Oaks - Strangers (2022)

Today, a very similar post to the yesterday's one: a band I really like (this time it's dream pop from US though) with their third album and some line-up changes (this time the duo became a collective of three). Strangers is such a fantastic album, a great continuation of Twin Oaks' discography.

The album's opening sound already surprised the hell out of me: the aggressive, almost dub-step like wall of noise welcomes the audience to the new release. This was only a jump scare as the whole thing sounds more like the previous ones: the ridiculously moody dream pop ballads fueled by the emotional vocals by Lauren Brown. However, it seems that their music became more complex, there is more going on in the backgrounds with some interesting electronica bits, sampling and generally, very modern approach leads to the fantastic level of immersion the listener experiences. The flow of the songs is immersive, it's difficult not to get carried away.

But those are still mostly ballads. Somehow it works together very well (so well audible in New York). So the whole album ranges from dreamy ballads, through some alternative r'n'b-like vibes, up to full blown electronica - and it all is kept together by Twin Oaks signature, very moody style. 

Strangers costs 8 USD.

Check: Reflex

Country: California, US

Genre: electronica dream pop

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Oddfellow's Casino - Prince of the Starry Wheel (2022)

It's very weird but this is the first album of one of my favourite artists out there, that I post about about here. I wasn't sure if Oddfellow's Casino and his moody, folk-like avant-garde music fits the blog, but I stopped caring and just went for it. Especially that Prince of the Starry Wheel continues his strike of albums that instantly became my personal classics.

Singer/songwriter David Oddfellow developed his unique and outstanding style that encompasses the folkotronic mix of acoustic instruments and delicate electronic sounds, the use of harmonium (I recommend listening to his podcast album where he describes the origins of his fascination with this instrument) and very moody, folk-inspired lyrics. While his previous album, The Cult of Water, presented a fascinating story-like coherent narration, Prince of... seems to be more all over the place. Although the lyrics-heavy release certainly has a theme of sorts, being "an album of earth, feet, marches, burials and the passing of time" with the title borrowed from William Blake. Another special thing about David Oddfellow is how inteligent his texts are, how many stories they include, how much influence from various places include (they make me think of Neil Gaiman each time and I don't know a better compliment).

While his music certainly has this unique atmosphere, it's fast and flow-rich, more like The Decemberists than Her Name Is Calla if you catch my drift. The lyrics but also the smooth and pop-like engaging music is what makes Oddfellow's Casino one of my favourite artists ever and this is just a humble advertisement of his rich discography to everyone.

Prince of the Starry Wheel costs 9 EUR (7 GBP).

Check: The Quiet Man and his Dutch Wife

Country: UK

Genre: poetic folkotronica

Label: Nightjar Records

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Oka Sun - Twin Flame (2021)

Oka Sun is a musical duo (or "the love child between two long time friends" as they adorably state on their Bandcamp page) from California. Previously known as The New Tenants, the band consists of Yoshi and Mandy and a lot of lovely, artistic pop released on their debut album Twin Flame.

As the intro in The Storm suggests, the album is all about beautiful compositions on piano and violin. Their chamber pop or art pop songs are based on melancholic vocals that sometimes sound more dream-pop-like, sometimes like some kind of indie folk. And so the lyrics they write are very fittingly about finding home, feeling lost in life and tons of melancholia ("Endless seasons/ Growing weakness/ Somewhere I’m sleepless/ Reckless and restless") - a perfect marriage of indie pop/rock/folk and the dreamy genres. And so is the music in the backgrounds with the sad guitar/violin/piano combination that is so moody and atmospheric. But the artists prove they can navigate through various music genres like in the album's finish in Twin Flame where their music turns into very moody post-rock, and, I have to add, I dig this ending.

Twin Flame costs 7 USD.

Check: Twin Flame

Country: California, US

Genre: dreamy indie folk

Label: Old Press Records

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If Only the Trees - Drop the Air (2018) EN

If Only The Trees (not to be confused with If These Trees Could Talk) have their own approach to music that combines post-rock guitars and and indie folk rock atmosphere, so they are equally inspired by Mogwai as by The National. You can check out how this combination works on their debut "Drop the Air".

This inspirations can be treated very literally. The vocal parts have the same vibe of americana and American suburbs as Matt Berninger and his band has, while the guitar layer in which the vocals sometimes get lost, and which is built on the folkish part is deafening noise that is hardly worse that the Scottish instrumental blast. Those two ingredients function very often just next to each other (as in the great "The Way They Leave"), but are also satisfying alone, as "Let Alone Love" is a brilliant post-rock piece while "So Much Plenty Of" stands somewhere between what The National and The Black Heart Procession do.

"Drop the Air" costs 7 USD.

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If Only the Trees - Drop the Air (2018) PL

If Only The Trees (nie mylić z If These Trees Could Talk) mają swoje właśnie podejście do muzyki, łącząc w niej post-rockowe gitary i atmosferę z indie folk rockiem, w równym stopniu inspirowaną Mogwai jak i The National. Można tę mieszankę sprawdzić na ich debiutanckim "Drop the Air".

Te inspiracje można traktować bardzo dosłownie: części z wokalem mają tego samego ducha americany i amerykańskiej prowincji, co twórczość zespołu Matta Berningera, natomiast nadbudowana na nich warstwa gitarowa, w której wokal nieraz się gubi, zagłuszony fantastycznym hałasem, w żaden sposób nie jest słabsza od instrumentalnego uderzenia Szkotów. Te dwie składowa słuchać często tuż obok siebie (na przykład w znakomitym "The Way They Leave"), ale potrafią funkcjonować osobno, bo "Let Alone Love" jest fantastycznym kawałkiem post-rockowym, a "So Much Plenty Of" stoi gdzieś między twórczością The National, a The Black Heart Procession.

"Drop the Air" kosztuje 26 złotych (7 USD).

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House of Wolves - Daughter of the Sea (2015) EN

If I was to choose miss of moody and thrilling vocals, I would undoubtedly pick Rey Villalobos and his high-pitched whispers. The vocalist of a great band The Coral Sea ("Ah. Ah. Ah." anyone?) publishes under the name that is a literal translation of his surname. That's why there's a metal name while the music is as far from being metal as it can be. It's delicate and beautiful, there's hardly better adjective to it. Full of pain and love and every other item from a spectre of feelings. And there's acoustic guitar, "vintage grand piano, laid-back drums  & mellotrons dusted throughout" as it's written on his Bandcamp. What else can you wish for?

Among his inspirations, Villalobos enlists Chopin, when he was younger, he studied classical music. Apart from unique voice, the attention of a listener of his music draw dark melodies and soul-stirring lyrics.

"Feel like getting your heart broken this afternoon? Give Rey Villalobos‘s new material a few moments of your attention" compliments YVYNYL and you could hardly disagree.

"Daughter of the Sea" was recorded and mixed by Darragh Nolan in Ireland, it costs 8$.

(In the meantime, between writing this post and making it public, HoW released his new album! Worth listening to, I know 'cause I'm doing it right now)

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House of Wolves - Daughter of the Sea (2015) PL

Jeśli miałbym wybierać miss nastrojowych i wywierających ciarki wokali, bez wątpienia wskazałbym na Reya Villalobosa i jego wysokie szepty. Wokalista skądinąd genialnego zespołu The Coral Sea (ktoś zna "Ah. Ah. Ah."?) publikuje pod nazwą, która jest bezpośrednim tłumaczeniem nazwiska Californijczyka. Stąd metalowa nazwa, a muzyka tak daleko od metalu jak to możliwe. Spokojna i piękna, trudno użyć innego przymiotnika. Pełna bólu i miłości i całego spektrum emocji. A do tego gitara akustyczna, "vintage'owe pianino, wyluzowana perkusja i zakurzony melotron" jak pisze na swoim Bandcampie. Czego chcieć więcej?

Villalobos wśród swoich inspiracji wymienia Chopina, a w młodości studiował muzykę klasyczną. Poza unikalnym głosem uwagę w jego kompozycjach przyciągają mroczne melodie i wzruszające teksty.

"Masz ochotę na złamane serce? Poświęć chwilę uwagi nowemu materiałowi Villalobosa" zachwala YVYNYL i trudno się z tym nie zgodzić.

"Daughter of the Sea" nagrał i zmiksował Darragh Nolan w Irlandii, płyta kosztuje 31 zł (8$).

(W międzyczasie, pomiędzy napisaniem tego postu a publikacją, HoW wydał nową płytę! Warto posłuchać, wiem, że ja już to robię)

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