Take some time out, put on the headphones, drop the needle on the record, or queue up the latest releases on your phone.
Here’s four recently released albums that we’ve been playing at OUTinPerth HQ including new discs from Lorraine James, Mykki Blanco, Faker, and Simona Castricum.
Lorraine James
It’s Nothing Personal.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This new album from Lorraine James comes just four months after the release of her previous offering, Detached From the Rest of You, and it is another collection of electronic tunes where you’re never quite sure what direction we’re heading in. James keeps listeners on their toes, creating an immersive sonic experience.
Album opener U Get Me is a beautiful cacophony of rapid beats, squelching sounds, and an ominous, fractured melody. Tokyo starts with more beats and blips, but soon we hear a steady rhythm and a techno tune that sounds almost as if it is trying to break into our reality from another dimension. As the track progresses, it speeds up and slows down again, disintegrating before us.
As we head into the fourth song, Catch This, I begin to wonder if this series of blips and snipped sounds has more to offer. Then everything changes. There’s a moment of melody and echoing vocals, which launches us into another round of distorted beats. Slowly building in the background is a repetitive clarion call of ambient melody. It seamlessly segues into Oi! What U Tryna Be, which features more vocals than the previous tracks, while the beats fire away at breakneck speed.
An R&B vibe infuses Just the Same, which has more vocals than any of the previous tracks. They’re warped, muffled, and twisted over crisp drum ‘n’ bass beats and warm synths. As the journey continues, we’ve reached a point where things become danceable with Back 2 Skool Riddim, though it would be one very crazy dance floor. The manic electronic sounds continue with Got My Mojo Back. Cos I’m Worth It before things take a breath for a moment on the slightly more sedate Button Tekken Combo.
We round off the record with the dreamy I’m Lorraine James. She sure is, and nobody else sounds like her.
Mykki Blanco
Cafe Paradiso
★ ★ ★ ★
Mykki Blanco is back with their first album in four years, and it’s a smooth ride.
Opening track Little Feat is a late-night groover about dancing and romance, featuring Ian Isiah and Breakaway. The combination of the three voices is engaging and immediately immerses the listener in a sound dripping with soul.
Things head in a different direction with NYC DOGS. It’s raw, post-punk, packed with guitars and expressive vocals. If there’s ever a club night for pups and their handlers, this would be its anthem.
Butt Sex, the album’s lead single, combines funky basslines and disco-inspired production with an intentionally provocative vocal performance. From there, the album shifts back into a soulful vibe with Easy Does It, featuring Eanora Unlimited and Simone Alysia.
Waster in Soho, featuring Benet, is a spoken-word piece that serves as a lengthy introduction to the next track, FOXES, flowing seamlessly into it. Featuring Tama Gucci, the song explores imagery of rabbits, foxes, and hunting, and feels tailor-made for a live performance.
F*ck as Friends is a camp, theatrical number with a storytelling vocal and a backing track that steadily builds in intensity. The album then moves into more psychedelic territory with Hey Dopeman, featuring Frank Nesbitt. The following track, Tough Guy, shares a similar musical foundation and evokes memories of rival gangs in West Side Story while referencing Tommy Gnosis, a character from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
The album returns to a post-punk sound with Cut Me Open, featuring May Rio. Jangly guitars sit atop electronic drums and singalong indie-rock vocals. Rio also appears on Spread For Me, which further amplifies the indie-rock sound and stands out as one of the album’s highlights.
The album closes with God Is Alive, featuring Brandon Mayeri and the return of Breakaway. It’s a surprising spiritual ode incorporating jazz elements, orchestral flourishes, flutes, and grand proclamations. The contrast is striking: the album moves from provocatively titled club tracks to a church-inspired finale in just a handful of songs.
This album covers a wide range of styles while maintaining a consistently high standard. It takes listeners to many different and unexpected places.
Faker
Enjoy Your Problems
★ ★ ★ ½
Best known for their 2007 hit This Heart Attack, Faker are back with their first album in 15 years, and the project is now essentially a solo vehicle for frontman Nathan Hudson.
As soon as the catchy opening track Comet begins, it’s impossible not to hear echoes of the classic 1980s sound of The Cure. Fortunately, that’s no bad thing. The song is energetic, brash, and packed with hooks.
Frida continues the journey, drawing on a distinctly British indie sound filled with jangly guitars, thumping drums, and a strong vocal performance. Trust Fall follows with a similar style, driven by an energetic and uplifting chorus.
Things shift on Nightmare’s Coming Back, which opens with birdsong and a laid-back introduction before Hudson recounts a nightmare in which he’s turning into a tree. That revelation propels the track into a much more intense musical realm. The album’s affectionate tribute to 1980s indie sounds continues with Goldmine and Partner in Crime. Things become a little more experimental on 1TRK Mind and Nothing Else Here.
Doubt is one of the album’s highlights, blending guitars with electronic textures to impressive effect. The record then closes with the Bowie-esque Heavens. After listening to this album, I revisited Faker’s previous records and realised they had always shared some similarities with The Cure’s sound.
Simona Castricum
Villain
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Simona Castricum is another artist who opens an album with a sound that evokes the 1980s. The Dolls Know sounds as though it could have been recorded by Thompson Twins during their Here’s to Future Days era. It’s a compelling blend of crisp electronics, guitars, and slightly muted vocals.
The vocal performance is pushed much further into the foreground on Sweet Relief, a gentler and more reflective song.
Outgrown begins with pulsing electronic sounds and lyrics about strong winds that never blow and harsh words that never seem to land. It’s an intriguing track that would sound excellent on a late-night dance floor.
Reveal features a memorable hook paired with deadpan lyrical delivery about the ways people eventually reveal their true selves.
Rupture is one of the album’s many highlights. The track has been receiving regular airplay on RTRFM’s All Things Queer, and there are moments where Castricum’s vocal delivery recalls Bryan Ferry, making the song feel like a lost Roxy Music recording.
Reset is slower and moodier, while Villain / Reckless is an atmospheric instrumental that provides a change of pace. The album concludes with Say Less, which steadily builds towards an uplifting finale. If you’re not familiar with Simona Castricum a journey through her previous work will be a rewarding experience.
