Summer - the time when musicians also have a rest: in these three months the release calendar is not so full of new albums. Nevertheless, we have selected ten records that will serve as a great accompaniment to warm days, and provided them with possible instructions for use, from waking up to the beach party.
Lana Del Rey "Ultraviolence"
Polydor, June 16
What to do: sit on the beach in the shade
"Ultraviolence" has already appeared on the spring album list but hasn't been released since; in fact, still little is known about him: the first single "West Coast" so far only shows that the disc can be at least as good as "Born to Die". There are suggestions that the album will turn out to be even more melancholy and sadder than the debut, and the sound, on which Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys worked, will further immerse the listener in the atmosphere of the sixties, so beloved by Lana. From "Ultraviolence", in general, now only one thing is required - that it finally comes out: constant release transfers do not lead to good.
How to Dress Well
"What Is This Heart?"
Weird World, June 23
What to do: wake
After the philosophical songs about death, which allowed the musician to endure the many losses of relatives and friends, Tom Krell, hiding behind the title How to Dress Well, moved on to music that was more sensual and mobile. If the first single from the album, “Words I Don’t Remember”, only hinted at it, then the second, “Repeat Pleasure”, on the contrary, does not count on anything other than dancing. Krell manages to make music as twisting and elusive, as understandable and accessible to many. It's worth noting that the title of the album is a quote. Why is that? Only Krell himself knows the answer.
Xeno & Oaklander "Par Avion"
Ghostly International, June 23
What to do: walk in sleeping areas
Judging by the two singles, the Brooklyn electronic duo Xeno & Oaklander in their new album, although it remains within the framework of the minimal wave, at the same time corresponds to its "airy" name: this music, although strict, but at the same time very attractive, almost transparent. The dark night here gives way to a gray dawn, but how it will sound in general is still a mystery, I hope that in the end it will be a very easy-to-climb record. Xeno & Oaklander is romantically involved in general, so it probably will.
La Roux "Trouble in Paradise"
Polydor, July 7
What to do: rollerblading in the park
Ellie Jackson worked on the second album for an unforgivable time - five years. During this time, she managed to disperse with the producer and find a new one, change the sound, sing along to Kanye West and be inspired by Neil Rogers - thanks to all this, the second disc will most likely sound in the spirit of the seventies and remind of the best years of disco. The main question is whether Jackson will be able to regain his places in the top, after all, a lot has happened in five years. However, critics who have already listened to "Trouble in Paradise" speak favorably about the album; it is possible that the listeners will not argue with them.
Sia "1000 Forms of Fear"
RCA, 8 July
What to do: dance like a child
In the four years that have passed since the release of the previous album, Sia Furler, practically unknown outside Australia, achieved popularity, managed to work with David Guetta, Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and Eminem, got her hand on songwriting - in a word, "1000 Forms of Fear" can to consolidate its position in the pop scene. Two singles from the album, "Chandelier" and "Elastic Heart", allow us to hope for the best, and the video for the first one confirms this at all - a very simple story with a dancing girl may well become the most memorable music video of the year.
Morrissey "World Peace Is None of Your Business"
Harvest, July 14
What to do: read the morning paper
It is already known that in his new album Morrissey mentions Ukraine and Egypt, sings about the gangs of Istanbul and concludes that everyone pity the bull more than the bullfighter. It is all the more entertaining that, unlike the lyrics, the music is as relaxed as possible. Of the unusual, at least, it is worth noting oriental motives - I want to believe that the whole album will be saturated with them; in the fact that he will be biting and, as is usually the case with Morrissey, aiming not at the eyebrow, but at the eye, I want to believe no less. The first two singles, however, are very conducive to this.
Jungle "Jungle"
XL, July 15
What to do: throw a beach party
The mysterious duo, hiding their names behind the letters T and J, play incredibly summer music - the noise of their synthesizers can sometimes be mistaken for the sound of the sea wind. The roots of Jungle can be easily found in the Bee Gees, and in other classical disco, and in the music of James Blake with his reinterpretation of dubstep. The band already has some great songs, and the debut album is more likely to be a beautiful collection of already known compositions than a full story. However, this is not at all a bad thing, as well as the fact that the group, in fact, has no face - of all the anonymous musicians Jungle is best and wittiest of all, it is possible to hide their appearance: instead of them, random people are sometimes photographed.
King creosote
"From Scotland With Love"
Domino, July 21
What to do: watch documentaries
Scottish bard Kenny Anderson, better known by the pseudonym King Creosote, has not released full-length albums for three years - not counting last year, recorded specifically for the fishermen's museum in his hometown. "From Scotland With Love" is not an ordinary album at all - it accompanies the documentary of the same name, in which there is nothing but archival chronicle and Creosote's songs. War and peace, love and friendship, life and death - all this is told through songs alone, which this time not about Creosote himself, but about the people of Scotland, as if caught by the camera during the shooting of the film.
Shabazz Palaces "Lese Majesty"
Sub Pop, July 29
What to do: watch fiction without sound
Those who have already listened to the second album of the Seattle hip-hop duo call it the future of hip-hop, absolutely space and incredibly impressive piece. It is known that "Lese Majesty" will consist of seven suites with titles such as "The State of Pleasure" and "High Rise to the Gallows". "They Come In Gold", the only track from the album so far available, suggests that rumors of exclusivity will be confirmed - this is a very unusual hip-hop, more reminiscent of the Anticon label, but at the same time done with a great sense of rhythm and measure.
Ivan Dorn
summer
What to do: do not be shy
The most anticipated Russian album was supposed to be released in May, but for some reason its release had to be postponed. The disc has no exact release date, no name, and how it will sound in the end, almost no one knows. In a few interviews, Dorn calls the already published "The Bastard", "Kissing Another" and "Penguin Dance" the most non-experimental songs. In the stories of those who managed to listen to the album, Jamie XX and the electro house appear. Dorn himself is not going to lower the bar, so the intrigue is growing every day.
