In No Particular Order: 7 New Albums In A Special Double Header (10/02/20)

In this edition of In No Particular Order, I’ll be doubling down on the new releases to include the latest albums from this week and last week!

I’ll be keeping things short and simple since there is tonnes of music to great through, including the latest from Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens, Born Ruffians, and Sylvan Esso, while three other artists make their full-length debuts. I hope you can take a moment to check out each album and I’m sure you’ll find something to love!

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.

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Sylvan Esso – Free Love

September 25

7.5/10

Electro-pop/Alternative pop

Once again, North Carolina duo Sylvan Esso have created something colourful, captivating, and wonderfully unique. The pair of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn have been fashioning bubbly electro-pop tracks since 2013 and their third album Free Love falls into the same category. Layered minimalist beats, hand claps, and Meath’s angelic vocals sticks to their recipe for crafting catchy pop hits, and while nothing hits quite like their debut single “Hey Mami” or honourable mention “Coffee”, Free Love still finds moments to shine and keep the ear-worms rooted in your brain. It’s a strong and well-rounded release from a band that have figured out their strengths and are sitting comfortably with that confidence.

Notable tracks: “Ring” // “Ferris Wheel” // “Rooftop Dancing”

Sufjan Stevens – The Ascension

September 25

6.5/10

Experimental folk/Avant-garde pop

On the surface, Sufjan Stevens’ new album seems daunting – cruising at almost an hour and half for 15 tracks is quite extensive nowadays. And if you factor in how Stevens is known for carving a strange and winding path with his songwriting, The Ascension is not for the short-attention span types. The heaviness of the album comes in waves, with dripping synthesizers doing most of the lifting as they pulse and swerve for an hour in different patterns and lines. Stevens’ haunting and melancholic vocals almost disappear amongst the glitchy and unpredictable production of the record, giving the varying sonic landscapes top priority. The Ascension is slow-burning, and tension building, and if you can find the patience to sit down and listen to it all, there are rewarding moments built into the weaving chaos of Stevens’ glitch-pop.

Notable tracks: “Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse” // “Ativan” // “America”

Born Ruffians – SQUEEZE

October 2

7.5/10

Alternative rock/Indie rock

The Born Ruffians have been able to make the most of 2020 so far. They released their highly anticipated album JUICE back in April, and now just six months later, they’ve shared their second full-length of the year, SQUEEZE.

It’s a continuation of sorts to JUICE, mostly because the band had enough tracks from their recording process that they decided to split it into two albums – although SQUEEZE seems to have more of the B-sides. While it may not be as strong as an overall release compared to its slightly older twin brother, it showcases the Born Ruffians’ experimental side, mixing together a collage of influences, from ’60s folk-rock to ’80s-psych pop, and basement indie rock to create different pathways to catchy hooks and anthemic, Luke Lalonde-lead explosions.

Notable tracks: 30th Century War” // “Rainbow Superfriends” // Albatross”

Tempesst – Must Be A Dream

September 30

7/10

Psych-rock/Alternative rock

As is the case with many psychedelic-pop/rock records, they tend to be deeply rooted in the ’60s and ’70s, with their sound and detailing in line with the likes of King Crimson, ELO, Beach Boys, and The Beatles. And while you can hear plenty of influence from the decades before them, London psych-rock group Tempesst manage to find ways to sound unique and modern on their debut album Must Be A Dream. The track list slips into wavy, slow-burning psych-rock jams, as the band show some strength with their full-band harmonies and catchy riffs throughout the record. It’s an enjoyable first taste of a band that is just settling into their prime.

Notable tracks: “Must Be A Dream // “Mushroom Cloud” // “Voices In My Head”

Thunder Jackson – Thunder Jackson

October 1

7/10

Alternative pop

After leaving small-town Oklahoma for the great skies of Los Angeles, Thunder Jackson found his way after bumping into Pete Winfield (Until the Ribbon Breaks) in a cab. The two began working on what would become his self-titled, debut record. Heavily influenced by the synth-pop power of the ’80s, Thunder Jackson is an electronically-infused record filled with ballads, and sky-scraping choruses and climaxes.

But it’s his voice that takes the spotlight, with one of the strongest performances this year. His resounding tenor floats effortlessly up and down with his range, finding peaks and valleys that bring a fresh breath of life into his music. It’ll be exciting to see how his songwriting expands, hopefully finding bigger sounding tracks like “Institution” and “Caroline” more regularly.

Notable tracks: “Institution” // “Caroline” // “Led Astray”

BERWYN – DEMOTAPE/VEGA

September 25

8.5/10

Trap-soul/Hip-hop

You’ve heard it here first – BERWYN will be the next big name in hip-hop. Not because of some heavy-duty production from a lab, or lavish music videos, but because of his ability to naturally pour out his heart and spirit into his poetic and masterful songs. More impressively so, he locked himself in a “shithole flat” for two weeks to write and record his debut album DEMOTAPE/VEGA, channeling the emotions brought on from a tumultuous family life and upbringing. The 10 tracks are breathtakingly personal and vulnerable, taking on elements of soul and hip-hop to add depth to his songs in the style of Frank Ocean and Bryson Tiller, but stripped down and purely his own.

Notable tracks: “ASHTRAY” // “TRAP PHONE” // “GLORY”

Fleet Foxes – Shore

September 22

8.5/10

Alternative folk/Indie rock

Over the past decade or so, Fleet Foxes have been creating lush and nature-tuned folk music off and on, straddling between the anxiety and freedom of life’s existential ticking time bomb. Frontman Robin Pecknold and his band turn the moody, Washington style of their hometown of Seattle, and in this case, the chaos of 2020, into grandiose and unpretentious folk music on their latest album Shore. The entire album feels organic and truly free-spirited, as if the Fleet Foxes have thrown any self-doubts to the wind and allowed their expertise to shine after 13-some years, helping to elevate the album’s theme of finding the silver lining and being thankful for what you’ve got.

Notable tracks: “Sunblind” // “Maestranza” // “Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman”