Circumambient - Grimes - Visions (2012, 4AD)

Over the past couple of years, quirky Canadian musician Grimes has built up a sizeable underground following for her ethereal synth-pop. But Visions, her third LP and first major release, is verging on breaking through to the mainstream. More polished than anything she has created before, the album is soaked with pulsing synth lines and booming kick drums. With less reverb, Visiting Statue could pass for a new Kylie Minogue track. And with a little more swag, Circumambient would be approaching modern R&B, a la The Weeknd. Indeed, in many ways Visions is aching to crossover. But it won’t quite make it— for want of a better word, it’s just a bit too weird. And it’s the reasons why that make it so special.

There’s a shadowy ambience that bubbles under the poppier aspects of her music, definitely assisted by frequent, deliciously unexpected harmonic developments. And then there are her vocals— they’re nearly always at the front of the soundscape, but few lines are decipherable. Most are layered, reverbed and pitch-shifted to the point of lyrical obscurity, resulting instead in a focus on the floating wisps of melody. Grimes also demonstrates an ability to use open space in her music to great effect, as apparent on the album’s less beat-driven latter half; although at times this use of space can end up being disengaging.

In a couple of years someone will probably repackage what Grimes is doing now and hit it big, but for now she is just a bit too ahead of her time to be mainstream. And that’s why this album is worth your time. (A review of Visions I wrote for Rave)

El Oeste - John Talabot - ƒIN (2012, Permanent Vacation)

Critics are praising it for its “supersaturated colours and tropical accents”. A bemused Talabot insists it’s much more dark and shadowy. But as RA’s Derek Miller puts it, “one man’s beachbum anthem is another’s depressive tearbait”, and there’s no denying John Talabot’s ƒIN is a fine debut album full of gripping, emotionally involving music, regardless of which lens you view it through.

Separator - Radiohead - The King of Limbs (2011, self-released / Ticker Tape)

This album keeps giving me more.

Oblivion - Grimes - Visions (2012, Arbutus)

Canadian electronica songstress Grimes just announced that her eagerly anticipated third LP, Visions, is going to come out on Arbutus late next January. Visions is set to be her breakthrough record; judging by the amount of hype she’s built up around her already, and the strength of her previous works, this could well be one of the first big releases of 2012. And for those who are finding it a bit hard to wait until then, here’s the uncoming album’s fantastic first single, Oblivion.

Fall Creek Boys Choir - James Blake & Bon Iver - Fall Creek Boys Choir (2011)

After he alluded to a collaboration earlier this week, James Blake helped premiere his collab-via-email with Bon Iver (or more specifically, Justin Vernon) on BBC1 last night. Officially released next week, Fall Creek Boys Choir is a spacious production; with James Blake providing his trademark watery keyboards and post-dubstep crackles and pops (with dog bark), while Vernon’s multi-layered vocals float and soar above.

According to James Blake, Fall Creek Boys Choir is just one of many that the pair have worked on, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see if any more get released. Also, underneath the official YouTube recording, Blake posted “Enough Thunder - Oct 2011”, of which one would only assume to mean his next release is titled Enough Thunder and is coming out this October. However, in the meantime you can check out his recently released, deliciously stripped-back single Pan here.

Frosti - Björk - Vespertine (2001, One Little Indian)

Which reminds me, I’ve been meaning to post this one for a while. Frosti is a track Björk wrote and arranged for a music box. It’s not even two minutes long, but it fits in perfectly with Vespertine’s introverted, personal mood; and is in my opinion one of the album’s most beautiful moments.