In No Particular Order: Best Albums of The Week (June 4, 2021)

It’s a busy Friday!

With thousands of albums hitting the streaming world this weekend, I’ve narrowed it down to six of the best that found their way onto my radar for this week’s In No Particular Order.

Just like From The Inbox, I’ve created a In No Particular Order Spotify playlist to match my weekly album picks! Featuring the three ‘notable tracks’ from each release, check back every Friday to find something new in your music library.

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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cleopatrick – BUMMER

Nowhere Special Recordings

Hard Rock/Alternative Rock

Cobourg-based duo cleopatrick have made the most of the last year, slamming into the alternative rock scene with a domination presence and blistering sound. Their debut album BUMMER is a raw and visceral release that shows what a crunchy guitar riff and searing drum kit can accomplish across 10 tracks. Longtime friends Luke Gruntz and Ian Fraser turn their small town upbringing and frustration into personal songs that rip through with a relentless energy, as they saw good bye to the fake friends of their past and hello to the global sensations that they are.

Notable tracks: “THE DRAKE” // “FAMILY VAN” // “GOOD GRIEF”

San Holo – bb u ok?

bitbird/Counter Records

Indietronica

On his new album bb u ok?, Dutch producer/songwriter San Holo is telling a new story – this time about heartbreak and sorrow. His debut album album1 was about love and romance, but after a breakup, his perspective has changed and so has his music. Allowing himself to be vulnerable and candid, bb u ok? is an expressive and direct result of his experience. Combining melancholic sadness with glistening guitar pop, the new record is both ear-pleasing and heavy-hearted. As well, Holo brings along a handful of noteworthy collaborations, including Bipolar Sunshine, American Football, and Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) to round-out the dense, 20 track effort.

Notable tracks: “bb u ok?” // “i get lonely around people too” // “find your way”

Sunglasses For Jaws – Everybody’s Made of Bones

Pony Records

Indie psych-rock

After not one, but two chance encounters of bumping into Charlotte Kemp Muhl and Sean Ono-Lennon, London-based duo David Bardon and Oscar Robertson ended up recording an album at Ono-Lennon’s recording studio in upstate New York. Bringing along newly added vocalist Oliver Huband, the result is the cool and moody record Everybody’s Made of Bones. As Sunglasses For Jaws, the trio create detailed and cinematic psych-rock, fit for the the album’s protagonist, Frank, a man convinced his life is a movie. The neurotic and dissociative tendencies of Frank transpose into hazy, lo-fi performances, countered by chaotic, growling dark-pop tunes that border colourful and haunting.

Notable tracks: “Walk Me Home” // “What Does It Look Like” // “Over”

Alyson McNamara – Let Me Sleep

Ghost Pepper Records

Indie singer-songwriter

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Alyson McNamara wanted to approach her third record Let Me Sleep with a more deconstructed perspective. Giving her voice and lyrics more space since downsizing to a trio in the studio, McNamara lets herself be heard on the new album with a calming and captivating presence. Her stripped back delivery and moving lyricism create a sense of intimacy, brought on from her isolated songwriting process. Written from different locations, the one connecting detail is that McNamara would be alone. The solitude of a dimly lit bedroom or quiet living room comes to life through McNamara’s slow-burning guitar arrangements and honey-coated vocals, as she dives into topics of romance, self-assurance, and introspection.

Notable tracks: “Waiting” // “I’m Right Here” // “It’s Easy”

Ormiston – Hammer Down

Lisbon Lux Records

Indie pop/Synth-pop

Montreal-based indie artist Ormiston has shared his shimmering new album Hammer Down. Despite it being his debut release, Ormiston is no stranger to creating dance-inducing melodies, building a following with enthusiastic live performances and colourful indie pop hooks with a handful of prior releases. Hammer Down is a collection of lively nu-disco, indie pop, and dance-pop, as the producer/songwriter uses chromatic synthesizers and textures to build lush and groovy soundscapes perfect for summer days and overnight dance parties in tune with artists such as Tame Impala, MGMT, and label mate Fonkynson.

Notable tracks: “Rebel” // “Hammer Down” // “Better Days”

Boy Wonder – Kinda Blue Too

Independent (Rainbow Land)

Indie rock/Lo-fi rock

Toronto-based writer, director, and musician Ryan Faist creates under the moniker Boy Wonder. He’s directed music videos for the likes of Dizzy and cleopatrick (see above), and writes hazy, lo-fi rock on his own time as well. His latest album Kinda Blue Too is a washed-coloured collection of ten tracks, accompanied by ten videos featuring interesting people from around Toronto (check it out here). The laissez-faire paradigm on life itself and the animated delivery combine for a realist’s dinner party, bringing along his gritty, twangy vocal style, slacker rock influences, and his perspective on life, love, and the back and forth of sadness and happiness.

(Stay tuned for an upcoming interview featuring Boy Wonder)

Notable tracks: “Hoodwink” // “Daddy” // “Walkin’ In Amerika”