December flew by – so I’m rather late again!
Bat For Lashes – The Haunted Man
Natasha Khan’s third album is starkly beautiful. Gone are the lush exotic arrangements of Two Suns, replaced with glacial synths reflecting the melancholy mood. A perfect autumn/winter album that shimmers like pale sun on a frosty day.
Björk – Bastards
The Biophillia project rolls on, an app, an album, a live residency and now the inevitable re-mix album. Some of these mixes bring the songs of Biophillia into focus, others add even more layers of complexity. A mixed bag – equal parts baffling and beguiling…
College – A Real Hero EP
I don’t actually remember buying this – must have been an odd amount of eMusic credit left and I’d favourited them some time ago (presumably after hearing on 6 Music). The title track is a lovely piece of swoony electronic pop, the rest are slightly throwaway instrumentals.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Frankie Said…
Do we really need yet another Frankie Goes To Hollywood compilation? Not sure, but this is a nice collection of single and 12″ versions – many of which haven’t had a CD release before. Not essential – but an interesting release if, like me, you’re a fan of 80s 12″ singles.
Space – Magic Fly
Not the loveable 90s indie-pop scallies – this is the original late-70s French electronic Space. I first heard the title track on Top of the Pops 1977 and when I noticed it was on eMusic I thought it was worth the credits. You can trace a line from this to current French acts like Daft Punk and Sebastian Tellier. Surprisingly fresh sounding given that it is 35 years old.
Sufjan Stevens – Silver & Gold
Sufjan’s second collection of Christmas EPs is a little less trad than ‘Songs For Christmas’, but there is much to like. Cost a fortune in eMusic credits – but there’s not much else to spend them on at this time of year!
Lindstrøm – Smalhans
I’m mainly familiar with Lindstrom from his remixes (he did a great mix of Jetstream by Doves) but this collection of original tunes is great. Dance music that sounds good at home can be tricky to pull off – but this gets it just right.
T-Rex – The Slider
Bolan was the master of the perfect single but the albums are rather hit and miss. This, along with Electric Warrior, is mostly hit. Metal Guru and Telegram Sam are, of course, the high points but the whole album shows just how great Glam could be…