2018 Album Favorites: Anteater Reviews 'Em

Anteater · 01-02-2019, 09:32 PM

2. Shmu - Lead Me To The Glow

Genre(s): Neo-psychedelia, Avant-pop, Dream Pop, Vaporwave

Sounds Like: early Mercury Rev, The Avalanches, Ariel Pink

Described by one of my Austin-locale friends as "Strawberry Jam Animal Collective on hard drugs", Shmu are a DIY fixture in the city and most definitely a strange duck. They avoid easy classification, blending experimental psych tendencies with vaporwave and postmodern electronic influences, lacing the whole thing with woozy melodies that keep everything from dissolving into complete primordial chaos.

Every song is a weird jewel, from the rollicking, coked up elevator synths of 'Hololeaps' to the capering off kilter sunshine poppin' title track. The closest they come to normalcy is the Krautrock flavored 'Rainbows' near the end of side 2, but it doesn't hold a candle to the blissful weirdness that permeates the rest of the cuts throughout.

As time goes by, the ante keeps going up for bands to build a sound that's truly theirs. So much has been done already that even leaving a real impression on someone can be difficult. So in light of all that, I can safely say that Shmu fit perfectly in a post-pop world where anything is possible and memes are quickly becoming the only language that really matters in the 21st century.

Karengirl · 01-03-2019, 02:52 AM

Hmmm...this Shmu has really interesting sound, which after just a quick listen, bears repeats. Think this would be a grower, with long-term potential.

Hahaa-the name is what drew me in (similar to a nickname I had for my Dad-we'll leave it at that!

) The artwork also grabbed my attention.

Love your reviews (better than any music feeds I'm getting from pitchfork, allmusic, and other music bulletins!-signed up for so many, I can't remember them all

)

Anteater · 01-04-2019, 06:44 PM

1. Perfect Beings - Vier

Genre(s): Progressive Rock, Jazz-Fusion, Third Stream, Avant-garde, Power Pop

Sounds Like: Yes ('73 to '75), Jellyfish, Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Beatles, late 80's/early 90's Talk Talk

A contemporary, math rock/post-rock flavored successor to the best and most experimental phase of 70's Yes, the Los Angeles based Perfect Beings have pushed the envelope further and further into cosmic grandeur with each successive release, of which Vier is the 3rd. Structurally, it is a four-part album that sounds like a cousin to Tales From Topographic Oceans...but with a wider palette of ideas, including Third Stream classic orchestrations ('The Golden Arc'), synth pop flavored ambient ('Vibrational') and jazz-fusion flavored post rock with Lou Reed inspired guitar buzzsawing ('Anunnaki').

Everything I've written here honestly does the actual album experience a disservice: there's nothing else like Vier in prog over the last few years, and all four songs tie together and reference eachother with little melodies and cues, giving the whole thing the feeling of a suite of some sort. This is how prog should be: challenging, relevant, occasionally poppy yet somehow head scratching and encouraging repeat listens just to catch everything you hear.

In short, it is my favorite album of the year. Enjoy!

windsock · 01-04-2019, 08:03 PM

Hey Ant, would you say the Gendel & Wilkes collab made it into your top 50?

Blarobbarg · 01-04-2019, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windsock

Hey Ant, would you say the Gendel & Wilkes collab made it into your top 50?

Great album. I actually missed it when I was making my list, it should have been in my top 50.

Can’t wait to listen to your top record, Ant, it sounds amazing.

Unitron · 01-04-2019, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anteater

Really enjoyed this song, was stuck in my head for a while today. Might check the rest of the album out.

OccultHawk · 01-12-2019, 01:37 PM

Quote:

17. Avantdale Bowling Club - Avantdale Bowling Club

Goddamn, finally a jazz inspired hip hop record that actually has good jazz. Jammed on this today. Sweet.

Anteater · 01-12-2019, 02:13 PM

windsock - I had it around 39 last I checked. I might do a "Honorable Mentions" post later where I give other albums I enjoyed outside the top 30 their due.

Blarobbarg: Vier is a godsend to anyone who loves the cosmic majesty that Yes had up to around 1975 or so. It would be a top class prog record in any year, but it definitely made 2018 for me.

Unitron: Lead Me To The Glow was a bizarre experience the first time I ran across it: it has a lot of great familiar elements that I enjoy in yacht rock and psychedelic rock, but utilizes those elements in headscratching ways. After three spins I became convinced its a masterpiece of sorts though.

OccultHawk: That was what struck me about Avantdale Bowling Club too: you don't see that many hip-hop records out there where the jazz elements are utilized super effectively outside of the whole chilled (but played out) Nujabes aesthetic.

OccultHawk · 01-14-2019, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Mitch Murder - Selection 5

What an insanely curious record! That is some deep dish old school sounding whackadoodle J-POP! It recreates the weirdness of all the **** noise blasting from every speaker available in some of the business/shopping districts back in the 90’s and probably before. It’s incredible to me that it’s been recreated so well by some Swedish dude. Absolutely culture melting stuff. How the **** did you discover this?

Anteater · 01-14-2019, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

What an insanely curious record! That is some deep dish old school sounding whackadoodle J-POP! It recreates the weirdness of all the **** noise blasting from every speaker available in some of the business/shopping districts back in the 90’s and probably before. It’s incredible to me that it’s been recreated so well by some Swedish dude. Absolutely culture melting stuff. How the **** did you discover this?

Mitch Murder has been a (somewhat) prominent guy in the synthwave scene since around 2010 or so. I had one of his older albums and got some ping in my email from Bandcamp about that album coming out...turned out to be worth picking up.

01-03-2019, 02:52 AM	#72 (permalink)
Karengirl Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: U.S. Posts: 109	Hmmm...this Shmu has really interesting sound, which after just a quick listen, bears repeats. Think this would be a grower, with long-term potential. Hahaa-the name is what drew me in (similar to a nickname I had for my Dad-we'll leave it at that!) The artwork also grabbed my attention. Love your reviews (better than any music feeds I'm getting from pitchfork, allmusic, and other music bulletins!-signed up for so many, I can't remember them all) __________________ Music Is My Breath, Blood And Food Without Music I Would Perish, The Actor In Me Would Die" ..Dhanush Last edited by Karengirl; 01-03-2019 at 02:56 AM. Reason: Color and size didn't register.