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In many respects, September's a pretty manic time of year - students and all that - but not, it seems, in terms of records. The standout release this month was by far and away TV On The Radio's Dear Science; the only album to score above 8, in fact.
That's not to say there isn't any good stuff out, though: there most certainly is. The Acorn, Hauschka and Volcano!'s are all underrated LPs worthy of your attention and pennies, plus the big releases from Metronomy, Mogwai and Friendly Fires don't disappoint. Maybe we're just getting more miserly with the marks?
TV On The Radio
Dear Science
(4AD)
Says Rob Webb: "TV On The Radio's rapid ascent to somewhere very near mass popularity - a surprise given the often oblique nature of their cultured, soulful art-rock - means that Dear Science has become probably the most hotly anticipated LP of the year. That's all the more troublesome considering the slow-burning nature of what TV On The Radio do (or did). But whether Dear Science stands the test of time like classic records must is impossible to predict right now - at this moment in time, it's sounding like one of the albums of the year, and its makers' latest, greatest masterpiece."
Read the full DiS review HERE
Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires
(XL)
Says Reef Younis: "Thankfully Friendly Fires haven’t been too tarnished by the endless glow stick paradigms associated with the now dreaded nu-rave tag, and their laboriously recorded, self-titled debut only serves to confirm the burgeoning distance from a world of garish neon and questionable colour combinations. Assured, short and ultimately sweet, [this] is a glib reminder that you don’t need an M6 underpass, New York penthouse or guestlist to have an all night disco party, and remind us there’s no shame in getting your groove on."
Read the full DiS review HERE
Metronomy
Nights Out
(Because Music)
Says James Skinner: "The second album from Joseph Mount's Metronomy project (and first that sees the band billed a trio) sees electronic disco leanings meld with a welcome sense of warmth and songcraft. The joy and longevity emanating throughout is at once jubilant and effortless: a luminescent pop-not-quite-masterpiece as much an indication one waits a little further down the road, Nights Out is eminently worthy of your time and investment."
Read the full DiS review HERE
volcano!
Paperwork
(Leaf)
Says Jane Oriel: "Paperwork is a worthy listen because it contains all the elements that had us take notice of volcano! the first time around. As such, moving forward was always going to be a challenge as where could they go from here? Less jaw dropping than its predecessor but still an excellent piece of work by any standard."
Read the full DiS review HERE
Mogwai
The Hawk Is Howling
(Wall Of Sound)
Says Luke Slater: "The Hawk Is Howling may not induce the apprehensive anxiety of Happy Songs For Happy People or even match the apocalyptic ambience of Rock Action, but when taken in isolation it holds its own as Mogwai's first solely instrumental album (there's not even a subtle and softly spoken Scots accent being passed through a vocoder). Perhaps Mogwai have made a rod for their own back-catalogue but, after over a decade of output, The Hawk Is Howling proves they still remain worthy of their place on the post-rock pedestal."
Read the full DiS review HERE
**Chad VanGaalen
Soft Airplane**
(Sub Pop; read the full DiS review HERE)
**David Holmes
The Holy Pictures**
(Read the full DiS review HERE)
**Ben Folds
Way To Normal**
(Epic; read the full DiS review HERE)
**Hauschka
Ferndorf**
(FatCat; read the full DiS review HERE)
**O'Death
_Broken Hymns, Limbs, & Skin _**
(City Slang; read the full DiS review HERE)
The Acorn
Glory Hope Mountain
(Bella Union)
Says Daniel Ross: "Vocalist Rolf Klausener is just so_ clued-up, using simple but brilliantly effective touches here. It seems so easy. When he sings, in a Carl Wilson-esque broad shimmer, of climbing constellations moving in semitones, his vocal line takes a gentle upward curve – as an audience we’re vaguely conscious of it happening, but it forces you irrevocably to listen to what he says next. _Glory Hope Mountain is an excellent achievement, and heralds Klausener as a major talent in the idiom of narrative song, primed to rival Daniel Bejar, Colin Meloy, Spencer Krug and others. The next LP should be excellent."
Read the full DiS review HERE
DiScuss: Was September a good month for records? Probably not as strong as last month, but TV On The Radio put out one of the albums of the year, didn't they? Yes? Good.
