Category: Best Of
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30 | Daniel Caesar – NEVER ENOUGH
For someone influential enough in the alt-R&B space to have spawned a sea of imitators – somewhat dulling the genre’s sonic diversity – the moments where the original innovator tries something a little more refreshing are always a delight. Flipping effortlessly through new vocal tones and always delivering the striking falsetto his many fans love, […]
29 | Jeremy Dutcher – Motewolonuwok
Motewolonuwok is a landscape of rolling hills, gullies, open horizons and bright stars. The Two-Spirit 2018 Polaris Music Prize winner composes this scene with an earthbound orchestra and populates it with 12-person choirs made up of his close friends. It’s a defiant, gorgeous, collective taking-up of sonic space, brought to an emotional fulcrum on “The […]
28 | Omega Mighty – Notorious & Noble
Omega Mighty is back with another album for the bad gyals who turn up to their own rhythm. This sophomore project is delivered with Mighty’s renewed consciousness of her own cultural heritage and a message of empowerment for those who share in that— particularly Black women. With an assist from little sis, Haviah Mighty, this […]
27 | Laurence-Anne – Oniromancie
Laurence-Anne pulls us into her latest trance like a magnet. Every psychedelic track takes you to a glittering landscape as bewildering and spectacularly terrifying as Alice’s Wonderland. Themes of love, life and self-discovery are explored over delicate melodies on this synth/dream pop odyssey. Our Francophone protagonist compels us to join her as she wades through […]
26 | Bodywash – I Held The Shape While I Could
The dynamic songwriting duo of Rosie Long Decter and Chris Steward has never felt more alive and in-tune than on Bodywash’s new project. This album contains trance-inducing shoegaze reminiscent of Slowdive and the indie euphoria of Alvvays wrapped up in a nice sonic bow. The mixing and juxtaposition between the duo’s voices puts them in […]
25 | Terra Lightfoot – Healing Power
This fun rock collection is perfect for a heartfelt singalong on that road trip you take with trusted comrades to get away and re-centre. Its themes are absolutely essential for the bounce back: courageous optimism and audacious yearning despite life’s road bumps—whether it’s lost love, rejection or starting over again. The fifth project from the […]
24 | K-Riz – One Way Ticket
After being down for a while, K-Riz comes bounding back. Newfound freedom after injury and bad relationships left him seeing the light, and on One Way Ticket, K-Riz’s tightly-wound raps are inflated by a sense of joy and levity. His symphonic compositions are built by a parade of producers and instrumentalists from across the country, […]
23 | NOBRO – Set Your Pussy Free
NOBRO thinks society should take their rules of respectability and shove them up their ass. Filled with anthems embracing reckless and unashamed youth, this garage punk record is an escape into a world where women are able to be messy, unmonitored and unfettered by expectations of the norm. On their sophomore album, NOBRO finds the […]
22 | Kaytranada & Aminé – KAYTRAMINÉ
Kaytranada and Aminé carve out a musical realm where Aminé’s whimsical and unpredictable lyrics seamlessly merge with Kaytranada’s versatile beats, shifting from opulent soundscapes to innovative loops. KAYTRAMINÉ’s beats, initially entrancing in their raw simplicity, evolve into a hypnotizing journey. With playful sample manipulations, subtle notes of Afrobeats and reggaeton, and Kaytranada’s signature funky dance […]
21 | Joseph Shabason – Welcome To Hell
A rescoring of skateboard company Toy Machine’s seminal 1996 video “Welcome To Hell,” Shabason’s improvisational jazz album defies easy description. It’s the auditory analogue to skateboarding itself: a kaleidoscope of saxophone, organ, concrete, and adrenaline. It’s a concept album, but its concepts are copious and contradicting. The multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer has crafted a world […]