Album Reviews: Bon Iver, Tennis, Djo

Bon Iver – Sable, Fable
Eau Claire, WI

As Bon Iver’s music has gone further down the experimental road, the earlier fireside charm has had a harder time fitting in. With his latest record however, we see an artist reconciling many sides of their sound into a more coherent and powerful sound than ever before, even if its not necessarily the most obvious step forward.  “SPEYSIDE” brings that classic tender Bon Iver guitar, and such an intimate production that it becomes startling to even hear other strings break in and open it into such glorious high notes. Shifting into his more experimental sounds, “Everything is Peaceful Love” mixes these rustic charms along a charming lo-fi set of synths and drum machines, blending so many ends of their career into one shimmering glow that it elevates itself from its familiar undertones. With Danielle Haim adding the charms of her sunnier tones vocally and in the production itself, “If Only I Could Wait,” feels futuristic and yet totally like home in one song. Though it tends to explore the least, “There’s a Rhythm” takes harmonies to the absolute limits, creating this glossy, smooth and warm moments that wrap around you like a blanket.

Tennis – 12 Blown Tires (Single)
Denver, CO

Released with the bittersweet news that this is in fact going to be from Tennis’s last album (at least for the definite future), their new single carries a lot of baggage, but does manage to use that to add some weight to its emotional impact. The sense of a longing or aching is almost unbearable on “12 Blown Tires” despite the fact that the track feels like a mostly joyous reflection on beautiful time spent with someone you’ve found a balanced romance with. This feeling of something so powerful it can feel like melancholy blended with ecstasy leans into the notes of road setbacks that helped birth the song, as well as the band’s natural knack for heavy productions that match often emotionally dense tracks. As such the whole song feels bathed in watery, glowing guitar rings to the wall, leaving you watching memory after memory flying by your mind’s eye like a Wong Kar-wai slow-mo sequence.

Djo – The Crux
Newburyport, MA

Since the outset of his music career, Joe Keery has so palpably enjoyed playing music in the bones of his recordings that his music has an infectious smirk to the energy. This self-fulfilment doesn’t carry everything though, as his new album is very hit and miss, and not a coherent whole, but occasionally swings out with such fun blends of inspirations that it makes up for its shortcomings. “Lonesome is a State of Mind” sets things off on a sparse Vampire Weekend-like tilt, but ultimately one that tries to leave things chipper but lo-fi. Despite its catchier hooks and a broader reach on singles charts, “Basic Being Basic” takes such a simplistic approach that it becomes kind of boring and literally monotone at times, almost to the point it would be charmingly performance-art-esque if the track didn’t suffer for it. There’s richer mixes of tones and production ideas on “Potion” as Keery takes a more 70s-mixed-with-early-2000s approach that leaves you more intrigued with what he’s doing in a Fleetwood Mac world. Meanwhile, “Delete Ya” swings between MGMT and The Cars for a mix of retro, demented pop and charged rock pop tones that cut sharp.

JayWood – Untitled (Swirl) (Single)
Winnipeg/Montreal

Where JayWood’s last single mixed trippy production with a sense of childlike euphoria, “Untitled (Swirl)” is more of a relaxing look through the kaleidoscope, sprinkled with some Unknown Mortal Orchestra-esque sprinkles. As the bass glides around the dizzy and sunny guitars, JayWood twists and bends his vocals through this lo-fi sound to craft something that flows effortlessly. Dripping with warped effects, you can feel the frustration with social media dependence, and the sense of pain in how significant even a basic human-to-human connection has become. The smooth groove of this track also begs to be roller-skated to in the way only the works of Deee-Lite or the “Jet Set Radio Future” soundtrack could really evoke. Constantly oscillating between its most psychedelic and rhythmic tendencies, “Untitled (Swirl)” finds the sweet spot to let your body and mind get lost together.

Penelope Trappes – A Requiem
Lismore, Australia/Brighton, England

Between ambient music and pop-folk, Penelope Trappes makes music that pushes the boundaries of texture and emotive power. With strings that meld with the electronics and synths to create sonic tapestries unlike anything else, Trappes is truly painting on this record. “Bandorai” starts things on a sombre and slowly sizzling note, as the deep, shadowy punches of bass and ghastly harmonies make the track like a dirge without outright saying it. Trappes builds things with more outright mounting direction on “Sleep,” with metal-esque chords lashing out to let the shift from cold, airy nothing to a wall of pain shake you to life. The floaty synths on “Red Dove” are a startling change of pace, as you’re taken to ethereal highs and icy depths, but ultimately kept in more melodic and moving footing than other tracks here. Letting the textures of the world bleed in fully, and breathing in the recording space, “A Requiem” is a masterclass in reverb and letting echo fully die out to get that final sonic imprint as it fades.

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