In No Particular Order: 4 New Albums to Soothe The Soul (09/18/20)
Better late than never?
Despite it not being New Music Friday anymore, you can still browse through some of the week’s biggest releases with the latest In No Particular Order. We are please to introduce four new albums, including debut releases from electronic artist Elderbrook, Australian pop-punk act Yours Truly, and dream-pop artist Be No Rain.
As always, you can find Dusty Organ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify to stay up to date on new releases. Also, you can find tracks from these albums and more on our Monthly Spotify playlist.
As well, we’re introducing a monthly newsletter and visit our Patreon account if you’d like to show your support!
Most importantly, if you enjoy something, don’t forget to share it around!
Be No Rain – Strawberry Backstory
7/10
Indie pop/Electro-pop
From a studio decked out with disco balls, fake ivy, and and strings of lights comes London musician Sam Frankl’s debut album Strawberry Backstory. As you might expect based on its place of origin, the album is an otherworldly and glowing 10 track collection of synth-forward tracks dripping with imagination, nostalgia and melancholy. It’s easy to imagine the moody lighting and shimmering disco balls playing a part in the songwriting, as Frankl channels the ghosts of ’70s and ’80s synth-pop into his music.
Performing as Be No Rain, the emerging artist has a haunting, echo vocal quality, adding to the sense of longing for someone or a better time. Strawberry Backstory has the makings of a teen drama soundtrack; borrowing elements from your parent’s dusty record collection while the effect-laden synth pop adds to dramatic montages or cutaways in moody Riverdale-esque fashion.
While most of Strawberry Backstory fits into a certain cut-and-dry mould of brooding vocals overtop a simple pop hook, there are moments that shine above the rest and come out on top, like the late-night technicolor hit “All Night, Right” with its cruising Hall & Oates vibe, or the dread-dodging lament “Media Luna”. Most surprising are the closing moments of the album with “Suck On Surface” as Frankl builds into a cinematic finish.
On Strawberry Backstory, the music feels genuinely Frankl’s voice and style. He’s crafted something of a blend with his melancholic, rose-coloured vintage sound, and his paradoxical nostalgic future-pop.
Notable tracks: “Media Luna” // “All Night, Right” // “Call Back”
Yellow Days – A Day In A Yellow Beat
6.5/10
Nu-R&B/Jazz/Soul
According to the press release, a day in the life of Yellow Days consists of revisiting the timeless works of Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, while watching “Soul Train” until 5am and testing his falsetto.
I’m sure that’s not entirely true, but it checks out on his sophomore album A Day In A Yellow Beat. The flavour and funk of ’70s soul is the first layer of paint on the mosaic of jazz-inspired R&B. Clocking in at just over an hour, A Day In is a lengthy but seamless record that flows effortlessly between tracks, shifting gears from piano lounge jazz solos to Outkast-like grooves and all that came before them.
While his previous work was all recorded from his garden shed in Surrey, UK, George van den Broek made the trek to LA to produce his new album from the sunny shores of California. Recording with a handful of masterful session musicians who have worked with the likes of Kayne West, Frank Ocean, and Raphael Saadiq, Yellow Days has brought out the big guns for the new record.
Or so you’d hope.
A Day In A Yellow Beat carries the musicianship in the details, with the subtly of the right chord or note or style bringing out the best of the record. But as an entirety, what works in its favour in terms of seamlessness and fluidity, also comes at a downfall, with some of the tracks playing out longer than necessary and melting together for an hour. The steady tempo of the album almost becomes hypnotic and brings the record to a plateau before even reaching the half way point; even after consecutive listens, the songs are hard to pinpoint which is which.
But it all makes sense. “This is really my first record where I can let it fucking all out,” van den Broek says about the record. What could have been condensed into a 12-14 track release instead plays out for 23 (counting interludes) as the artist wants to put out as much as possible – even if it is at a loss.
You can find a hint of life on the record in the second half, with the hip-hop track “!” featuring Bishop Nehru, “The Curse” which features a guitar feature from Mac DeMarco, the Jackson 5 bounce of “Let’s Be Good To Each Other”, and a few others along the final stretch.
Notable tracks: “!” // “The Curse” // “Let’s Be Good To Each Other”
Yours Truly – Self Care
7.5/10
Pop-punk
For some, the idea of self care comes in the form of bubble baths, chocolate, and maybe a glass of wine or two. For Sydney pop-punk four-piece Yours Truly, it comes in the shape of their debut release, filled with sugar-coated pop riffs and irresistible punk energy.
After finding their way into international popularity with their 2019 EP Afterglow, Yours Truly are continuing to make a statement with Self Care. Written about messy breakups, dealing with change, and navigating through the early adult years, Self Care is a therapy session of sorts, turning cathartic release into speaker-blasting riffs and hooks. It’s a capsule of radio-ready pop-punk circa the days of Sum 41 and Avril Lavigne, and with lead vocalist Mikaila Delgado, hints of old-school Paramore come out, with her performance on the record coming close to Hayley Williams. But despite their ties to their earlier influences, Self Care has a youthful and fresh energy that keeps it in 2020.
For a debut record, the young band are off to a fantastic start. Their cohesiveness and delivery are well beyond their years and status, and their new album is a formidable demonstration of why they deserve some recognition.
Notable tracks: “Siamese Souls” // “Together” // “Funeral Homes”
Elderbrook – Why Do We Shake In the Cold?
8/10
Electronic
British electronic artist Elderbrook has mastered the art of the live performance. Simultaneously playing drum pads, keyboards, loop machines, and singing gives the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter an impressive edge compared to his peers. The artfulness and musical ability comes from his background as a classical trained musician, and even more impressively so, has transferred into his debut full-length record Why Do We Shake In The Cold?
The 11-track record is an exploration of human interaction and connection, inspired by relationships in his life from friends, family, and loved ones, giving the electronic album a glowing personality.
Elderbrook doesn’t limit himself to one style on Why Do We Shake. He jumps between big beat and house on hits like “All My Love”, “Set Fire to My Gun”, and the sensational “Numb”, and flips into electro-pop on “My House”, “Take A Minute”, and “Back To My Bed”, the latter two playing into Foster the People vibes with its summery glow and indie pop feel. His styles collide on the stunning title track “Why Do We Shake In the Cold?”, mixing in electro-pop vocals with a hypnotic and big-room club beat as it shifts gears in the second half.
As a whole, Why Do We Shake is a captivating and glowing first listen from the growing electronic artist. His musical diversity splits the album into parts which can feel out of place at times, but at the same time, its great to see an emerging name be able to flex his talent in different directions. Even further, his ability to craft emotive and brooding music manages to take the euphoric genre into a more interpersonal way.
Notable tracks: “All My Love” // “Numb” // “Why Do We Shake In The Cold?”
