jasmine.4.t is a British singer-songwriter who was announced last year as a new signee of the Phoebe Bridgers-led Saddest Factory record label. You Are The Morning follows a trio of singles that dropped last year and features Phoebe Bridgers' entire group, boygenius, on production throughout the record as well as occasional backing vocals from the trio. I was extremely excited for the release of the album after loving all of the singles and this style of indie-folk and singer-songwriter music in general. Delightfully, Jasmine didn't disappoint. When I say my expectation were high for You Are The Morning I mean it, because the album's three singles are an astounding bunch. Lead single "Skin On Skin" is a wonderfully written tune that's able to convey some unique sensations with the physical descriptions in its lyricism. It's also the moment where I first fell in love with Jasmine's subtle but beautiful singing and when the song rushes into its surpris...
Anna Von Hausswolff is a singer/songwriter who has always made waves for their distinctly intense and occasionally brooding style of music that makes prominent use of the pipe organ. Her peak of critical acclaim came on 2018's brooding yet expansive Dead Magic . Her 2020 follow-up was an entirely instrumental record, meaning ICONOCLASTS had the chance to be a long-awaited return to form. Instead, the record presents a sound both brighter and more intimate than ever before, but finds a similar level of fascination in doing so. The singles predicted this shift in style, but they were all so good that I never had the chance to even be suspicious about it. "Facing Atlas" is the first of the singles to pop up on the record, and it's a great way to begin the experiment. The song sounds more like something you'd hear on a Susanne Sundfor record than what I expect from Anna. The beauty of its angelic chimes matches really well with a chapel-sized performance from Anna. ...
Agriculture are an LA black metal band who erupted onto the scene with a challenging but visceral self-titled debut in 2023. While I enjoyed that record, what I enjoyed even more was the Living Is Easy EP that followed it up and contained one of the band’s best songs to date, “In The House Of Angel Flesh.” With even stronger singles leading into their sophomore effort, The Spiritual Sound , I was expecting another outside-the-box black metal experience. That's exactly what I got. The album is essentially split down the middle by a titular instrumental interlude, and everything that comes before it is pretty great. That includes the staggering single “The Weight.” I still think it's one of Agriculture’s best songs yet, and the way it builds to an absolutely pummeling peak across 5 minutes should be studied. The way it concludes is so eerie and suspicious, it's just irresistible. As a whole, the record is often unsettled, both in its compositions and influences. The bes...