Release of the Month: September Picks

Release of the Month ~ September 2011

This month saw an onslaught of new releases, and as a result, the number of picks has doubled. Our staffers chose half a dozen albums from a field of over 150 new releases, and their selections are shared in this article. The metal, post-rock, modern composition, ambient and electronic fields are all represented: something for everyone to kick off the new season!

In terms of new music, this past September proved the old adage, “you wait forever for a train, and then a slew of them arrive at once.” For fans of instrumental-based music, it was the motherlode – an average of 5 releases a day. That’s a lot to sort through, but it’s also a sign that the industry is extremely healthy in terms of selection, if not in sales. This is a huge bonus for fans, although perhaps not for performers currently competing in a crowded market. Shelf space is no longer a factor, but it’s been replaced by web space – the number of sites that mention, review, or highlight a release.

Many artists have told us that they would rather receive a bad review than no coverage at all, a reflection of the belief that there is no such thing as bad publicity. (Conversely, a select few have complained that their review scores have only been “great”!) This pyrrhic preference makes sense in a glutted market; if no one hears a release, it’s worse off than a tree in a forest falling unheard, because a CD, record, tape or download that’s never played does not in fact make a sound. But the best way to be highlighted is still to record something superlative; it’s the one aspect of the industry that has never changed. Every release on this list was the #1 pick for at least one staffer; congratulations to all who made the grade.

1) FareWell Poetry ~ Hoping for the Invisible to Ignite
Gizeh
On the lyrical level, this month’s clear standout is an album of heartbreak and hope, of mangled dreams and bittersweet consolation. It begins as a tragedy, but morphs into a triumph. On the musical level, it’s a reminder of everything we’ve come to love about post-rock and more. The crescendos are intense, the valleys are deep and the timbres are diverse. On the physical level, it’s a lavish package of art cards, postcards and an emotionally heavy DVD: a treat for multiple senses. Hoping for the Invisible to Ignite has heart, soul, mind and strength; it’s a champion on every level. (Richard Allen)

2) Plaid ~ Scintilli
Warp
It’s been eight years since Spokes, with only a couple of lower profile soundtracks in between: an eternity in electronic music. But Scintilli makes it seem like Plaid has never been away. This stunning album touches upon various points of their previous work whilst incorporating some of the styles that have risen up in their absence. Opening track “missing” is the graceful child of The Black Dog’s “Chesh”, while “eye robot” features the lurching bass used in dubstep. By keeping the arrangements spacious and by trimming some of the excess that made Spokes a little over-ripe, Plaid have made the freshest, brightest electronica album of the year. It’s good to have them back. (Jeremy Bye)

3) Omega Massif ~ Karpatia
Denovali
Four years ago, I reviewed Omega Massif’s debut album, Geisterstadt. Although the album displayed a remarkable amount of potential, I thought the execution fell slightly short. This month, however, the band has delivered an album that not only lives up to its perceived potential, but surpasses it. I’ll be blunt: Karpatia may be the best post-metal album since Pelican’s The Fire in our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw. Fail to listen, and you’ll be leaving September’s hidden treasure unopened. (Tom Butcher)

4) Wolves in the Throne Room ~ Celestial Lineage
Southern Lord
Nothing says ritualized, DIY astral black metal-gaze like Wolves in the Throne Room. In fact, nothing comes close. This is the third album in a trilogy that includes Two Hunters and Black Cascade, a trilogy that focuses on finding a sense of spirituality rooted in the natural cycles and landscape of the band’s Pacific Northwest home. Celestial Lineage is easily the best work the band has ever created. It’s the product of a monastic winter isolation; for two months, brothers Aaron and Nathan Weaver focused on music alone. As a result, the album is rich in earnest drama, ecological narrative, and Popul-Vuh-esque synthscapes. Considering the breath of fresh air these guys have been in the traditionally depressive black metal world, it warms the heart and chars the soul to hear them push into new exciting territory. Choral sopranos lament and pipe organs cast a spell, creating a sense of urgency that casts its own gravitational pull. This is important music, created from the heart. (Nayt Keane)

5) Steven Wilson ~ Grace for Drowning
Kscope
He promised us something big, and he’s delivered in marvelous fashion. In his second release under his own name, Steven Wilson has created one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums of the year, and perhaps of his own quarter-century career. Elements of prog rock clash against harsh electronics, jazzy interludes make way for humungous walls of sound, and beautiful ballads are inserted in their midst to create a sense of balance. Very little singing is present, but Wilson’s honesty makes each word count. If you’re looking for one album this year that lies a bit out of The Silent Ballet‘s umbrella, choose this one. (Mohammed Ashraf)

6) A Winged Victory for the Sullen ~ A Winged Victory for the Sullen
Erased Tapes
Dustin O’Halloran and Adam Wiltzie: that’s like half an A-Team. They should just get together with Daniel Bjarnason and Ben Frost to form the whole gang. I might start a Kickstarter to get this going. Until this happens, at least we have A Winged Victory for the Sullen, whose debut album is a little more restrained than what we’ve come to expect from O’Halloran, and a little more fleshed out than what we’ve come to expect from Wiltzie, providing a level of depth that some feel is lacking in Wiltzie’s main project, Stars of the Lid. All in all, the album is a little sullen, a little wingy, and quite victorious. (Armand Babian)