In No Particular Order – November 9, 2019
November 9, 2019
Welcome back to another edition of In No Particular Order! I know I’ve said it before, but I am hoping to finally get into a weekly, consistent release of In No Particular Order, so you can stay in the loop of some of the best new releases in music! Stay tuned for next week…if there is one – who doesn’t love a little suspense?!
Even though the number of music releases are starting to slow down as we head into the winter months, the quality of new music is staying right where it should be. This week I have two new albums for your ears to enjoy, including the latest from avant-garde electronic music star FKA twigs, and soul-pop up-and-comer Allen Stone, and a bonus note-worthy release from French producer SebastiAn.
Don’t forget to follow Dusty Organ on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date on new music releases.
Allen Stone – Building Balance
Long, curly hair, big round glasses, and a voice reminiscent of Stevie Wonder is probably the best way to describe Chewelah, Washington’s Allen Stone. The soulful R&B-pop singer/songwriter began singing in a gospel choir at a young age, and since then, Stone has been reaching for the heavens with his smooth, and luscious gospel vocals, and on his latest record Building Balance, he’s hit a new high. The lengthy 14-track effort flies by with plenty of groovy melodies, infectious sing-along choruses, and an abundance of replay value.
With a genre welcomingly stuck in the “good ol’ days”, funk and soul take some modern twists on the album. Hit singles “Sunny Days” and “Brown Eyed Lover” play with some retro sounds and musicality, and start the record off on a strong note. Stone credits most of his inspiration from musicians such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, and it shows on the bubbly track “Sweaters”, and the soft, slow, and passionate single “Give You Blue” – a song inspired by his recent engagement.
Building Balance is definitely Stone’s strongest collection to date, combining the timeless strengths of ‘70s funk and soul, and the crisp, reliant of modern production of nu-R&B/soul. It has its slow parts, with one or two tracks getting left behind, but for 14-tracks, the vast majority are hits and will certainly make your day.
He’s also on tour starting this fall, with the initial dates already sold-out for his one-of-a-kind karaoke tour. Plus, there are more dates across North America set for the winter and spring. Head to his websites for tickets and more.
8/10
FKA Twigs – Magdalene
Many music nerds remember the 2014 debut album LP1 from British electro-pop star FKA Twigs. The artistic, glitchy and chromatic album turned heads with the young star’s glossy production abilities and atmospheric melodies.
Her sophomore full-length Magdalene is a follow-up almost five years in the making, and a lot has happened in that time. She released a 5-track EP and short film, broke up with long-time boyfriend Robert Pattinson, and had surgery to remove fibroid tumours from her uterus. So you could say, things haven’t been entirely smooth sailing for the 31 year old. And like a true artist, she took her painful experiences and turned them into a record that encompasses her passion, maturity, and artistic flare.
Magdalene finds its softness on the edges of its production, holding in a jagged, pixelated interior of twigs‘ falsetto vocal style and nightmarish pop tones. The record certainly shows how twigs has matured, both musically and in life, with most of the lyrical content pertaining to her past issues and recovery from surgery and the break-up.
Lead single “Holy Terrain”, which features hip-hop star Future, and production credits to Skrillex and Jack Antonoff, is slightly overproduced, and twigs becomes lost in the feature and the production. However, she finds other ways to shine throughout the rest of the album.
“Home With You” shares an uncanny resemblance to the music of Lana Del Rey; minimalistic production, with a woman’s haunting falsetto lamenting dark lyrics. But mixed in with the rest of the album, it doesn’t fall as flat as most of Del Rey’s music. It serves almost as a mid-album interlude before finding her artistic strength again with tracks such as the spirited and dazzling ballad “Cellophane”, and “Mary Magdalene”.
Her loyal fans will be relieved after waiting five years for another solid record, but for others unfamiliar with her sound, I expect some polarizing opinions on the 9-track effort. Decide for yourself by finding her music on her website, and catch her on tour this year as well.
8.5/10
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed what you’ve discovered, follow Dusty Organ on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date on new music releases.
Enjoy this honourable mention release below:
