Jens Lekman - An Argument with Myself

It's hard to believe it's been four years since Night Falls Over Kortedala. He was fairly prolific from 2003-2007: only two real albums but plenty of EPs to fill the gaps. But Jens does great stuff so I'll take what I can get. Here I like the title track but nothing else is particularly note-worthy. I just hope he's got another album on the way soon.

Gruff Rhys - Shampoo Hotel

Gruff Rhys is better known as the lead singer of Super Furry Animals, but I came to know him through his first solo album, 2005's Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, which is still one of my favorite albums of the 2000s. I love singing along, even though, perhaps especially because, it's sung in his native Welsh. A few years ago he had Candylion, an English-sung album which I thought was a bit too pink candy, too sweet and saccharine, too junior-high mixtape. He sticks with English for Shampoo Hotel but I'm liking the songs a bit more this time around.

The opening track samples Cyrkle's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which reminds me I need to explore some B. B.

Let's trace the song...

Toro Y Moi - Causers of This / Underneath the Pines

The hype is strong with this one. Instead of starting with his most recent release, I went to his 2010 debut, Causers of This. On the first few listens, it sounded pleasurable enough--very relaxed, fuzzy. With repeated listens, though, it seemed nothing really emerged from the muck. The initial track, "Blessa" is representative enough.

So I approached his 2011 follow-up expecting more back-up music. Underneath the Pines, though, is a step in a slightly different direction. Most of it sounds reminiscent of indie-electronic bands from prior decades, like Stereolab, Air, and Broadcast. That sound wasn't exactly new when those bands were doing it, so it's not like Toro Y Moi has conjured up a distinctive, new sound. But still, this album is well-produced and at least offers some memorable moments.

The penultimate track, "Good Hold," offers the best example of a memorable moment. It's a short track; in its two and a half minutes, it builds a hazy melody from a dissonant piano loop. Just when things get nice and breezy, the sound becomes muddled, as if you've been plunged underwater and your ears are adjusting to the pressure. There's no drowning here, so you're allowed to surface just in time to catch the coda. The submerged effect doesn't translate too well through speakers, but the effect through headphones will leave you wringing out your ears.