THIS WEEK'S KEY RELEASES
The Amazing _ "Ambulance"
The open-ended nature of the Amazing's sound rises right out of the band's name itself. The amazing what, you might wonder. A modifier with nothing to modify, just gaping out into emptiness. But this sense of openness, of not knowing what's coming next or even where structure ends and improvisation or experiment begins is the band's chief strength. "Picture You," despite its dark album cover, always drifted towards some faint light. "Ambulance" has a lighter cover, steeped in white and bright greys, but these tones still feel cool, washed out, isolated. That feel permeates the record. _ Matthew Fiander
OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES
Gucci Mane _ "Everybody Looking"
MSTRKRFT _ "Operator"
Keith Sweat _ "Dress to Impress"
NOW HEAR THIS
Chaos Emeralds _ "Untied"
The electropop of Nashville's Chaos Emeralds is a maximalist version of the genre, everything within their grasp ballooning to massive size. "Untied," with its gigantic toms, neon arpeggios, and buzzing bass, rams it home: if something is worth doing, it's worth doing big. And it's nice that things are, indeed, this big: The song is a delectable slice of hyper-sugary cake, white-boy R&B if the genre had injected approximately seven liters of Pepsi intravenously before performing. It's brash and loud, and it's all the better for it. _ Will Rivitz
(http://popm.at/2afYRPO)
Madeleine Peyroux _ "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)"
"Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On)" is a slight misnomer _ though there's obviously a lot of wiggle room within the whole blues/jazz/funk/soul domain, the song hews a lot closer to country-fried blues than funk. The two genres feed off each other, though, and Madeleine Peyroux's affected drawl swings easily from country to folk to blues. Whatever it is, it's certainly of a period very different from where we are now _ its slightly off-time vocal harmonizations and understated guitar are equal parts '30s and '70s, the kind of reimagining Alison Krauss might do of B.B. King. No matter what disparate elements are thrown into the pot, the output is certainly, if counter intuitively, "funky." Whether blues, soul, or country, this one works. _ WR
(http://popm.at/29y7E2f)
WATCH THIS
The Jezabels _ "Smile"
The Jezabels have rightfully broken through into the pop-rock elite, especially on the strength of this year's excellent "Synthia." "Smile" is proof that their position is warranted, flowing from a deceptive soft rock intro to a chorus that strikes with the force of a gale. It's latently ferocious, waiting until just the right moment to bite with swirling guitars and crashing percussion operating under lead singer Hayley Mary's misanthropic howl. The song's wandering ethos fits in well with the video, featuring Mary's best "Bittersweet Symphony" impression: she wanders from place to place, not settling down for even a moment, while relishing the music behind her. _ WR
(http://popm.at/2agsC6t)
The Strike _ "Eye for an Eye"
Need a quick boost for a slow morning? Check out the Strike's "Eye for an Eye," a block of low-poly funk aimed squarely at the dance floor. Synth squelches and a bulky bassline prop up lead singer Chris Crabb's pop-punky belt, horns flourishing in the crevices and steady drums carrying the band through. The bridge drops out everything but simple bass and drums alongside the vocals, as smooth a breakdown as there ever was _ and then synth, horns, and guitar add in one by one until the climactic final chorus. If you've ever said, "Man, do I wish Maroon 5's pop was good," this'll tickle your fancy. _ WR
(https://youtu.be/OjFGuOt8w2U)
Cowboy Mouth _ "Broken Up"
The video for Cowboy Mouth's "Broken Up" is partly set in a brewery, which is an accurate distillation (pardon the pun) of the song's sound. It's a chunk of cheeky punk rock along the lines of the Dropkick Murphys, simple and memorable I-V-I chord progression and loud, crashing drums. Drummer and lead singer Fred LeBlanc's nasally vocals properly fit the snarky vibe of the song's lyrics, a kind of kiss-off to the girl who's just broken up with the narrator. It's altogether a cheery ode to the break-up _ and, given the wholesome, raucous punk featured herein, the video and lyrics fit perfectly with the music. _ WR
(https://youtu.be/cbWbvkITygI)
Aphty Khea _ "Onyx Glitz"
The video for Aphty Khea's "Onyx Glitz," shot by videographer Benjamin Brookes, features body parts snapping together and apart under an eerie ultraviolet light. It's appropriate imagery for the song itself, a sinewy piece of dubstep, which undulates lethargically under piano and massive bass. It's at times the pristine jazz vibes of Submotion Orchestra, at times the unsettling wormholes of Hyperdub's formative years, and always everything that made the genre compelling to begin with. Menacingly spacious and elegantly caustic, it shows there's yet life in the bassy half-time world. _ WR
(https://youtu.be/lLwsSQvk_hA)
