“Serpents” is a complete departure from Sharon Van Etten‘s early work. Admittedly, I missed her sophomore release, Epic from 2010, but was fully entranced by her debut, 2009′s Because I Was In Love. Here, she shatters the quietude of the stripped-down acoustic guitar of that earliest album with a folk-rock piece that is utterly haunting. Musically, “Serpent” may fit the title of her sophomore release, but it’s off her new album, Tramp, which was released yesterday via Jagjaguwar.

Download: “Serpents” by Sharon Van Etten

The Cave Singers are back with their third LP, No Witch, an album that promises great things on the tail of two already widely renowned releases. While only two songs have graced my ears thus far, it’s clear that the Seattle band continues its steady pace of creating phenomenal tunes.

“Black Leaf” is the standout of the two thanks, to a quick beat and rockin’ melody. It could very well be the “Dancing On Our Graves” of No Witch, though it’s been reported that No Witch, overall, has a heavier rock feel. “Swim Club” is pretty solid too, albeit finding more company with The Cave Singers’ softer, more melodramatic of songs. Where the former dominates in sheer presence, the latter makes up for in brilliant harmonies, unique folk sound-scapes, and creative expertise.

There’s no questioning the power and skill behind The Cave Singers; their music is a stronghold in the Northwest and it just keeps getting stronger. Be it the widely-heralded catalog of the band members’ former lives, including (but not limited to) notables Pretty Girls Make Graves and Murder City Devils, there is a technical prowess to this music that is unparalleled.

Head over to Jagjaguwar and grab a copy of No Witch by The Cave Singers. Get it on vinyl — it’ll be worth it.

Download: “Black Leaf” by The Cave Singers

Download: “Swim Club” by The Cave Singers

I found this Small Black video in the trove of videos on the Jagjaguar, Secretly Canadian, Dead Oceans collective Vimeo page. Small Black creates fuzzy lo-fi electronic pop in the vein of romance and various other pleasantries, and “Despicable Dogs” fits the description well. I love the dreamy nature the song takes throughout its four minute melody and cacophony. There’s beauty in dissonant harmony, and Small Black knows how to exploit this fact. The video appears to be a tribute to aging surfers stuck in the late 70s and early 80s with awesome Hulk Hogan mustaches and blond mops of hair.

There’s something very special and nostalgic about the video that brings forth an easy smile. An image title for the above photo leads one to deduce the guy is “Uncle Matt” and he seems like someone you’d want to get to know. What does it for me is the youthful guy from the band who pops up here and there. It makes me think of my dad and how as I grew older I realized that he’s a pretty cool guy rather than just the stodgy parent I always saw him as during my childhood.

In a way, it’s a video about coming of age and enjoying life for what it is. On the flip-side, there’s a hint of mid-life crisis going on, but more in the sense that the crisis has resided and joy has been achieved. However you look at it, it’s totally excellent.

“Despicable Dogs” is off Small Black’s 12″ EP, out now on Jagjaguwar.

Download: “Despicable Dogs” by Small Black

“Despicable Dogs” by Small Black from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

I would love to re-experience those four minutes during which I listened for the first time to “Albatross”, the new Besnard Lakes single. Filled with dreamy layers of vocals and lush, guitar-backed chorales, Olga Groreas sings to the very moment of disappearing love amidst a background of sound that evokes anything but sadness.

And I scream for you..
There goes my man

As these lines refrain in swelling synths and euphoric chords, it isn’t despair you hear in her voice. It is, in fact, a certain sound of triumph, of determination, as if now, finally, all the world’s possibilities are spread out endlessly past the edge of sight. It is the sound of hope in the face of loss and determined triumph over the pain of a breaking heart.

The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night comes out on Jagjaguwar Records in March.

The Besnard Lakes: Albatross [mp3]

The Besnard Lakes seem to have taken everyone by surprise; their music blends drone-y shoegaze and prog-rock with the playfulness of lightly orchestrated indie-pop. These elements make Are The Dark Horse one of the best comprehensive albums of 2007. Songs like “Because Tonight” are instantly classic in nature—The Besnard Lakes’ ability to dictate between sophisticated and precise string arrangements, and drone-heavy prog-rock give them an edge in a somewhat polluted independent music scene.

The combination of orchestration with structured proggy drones is nothing new, but The Besnard Lakes give it a refreshing twist in the inclusion of subtle pop elements. The vocal patterns further add to the uniqueness of songs like “Disaster” and “Devestation”, stacking vocals to the point where virtually all members are not only playing their instruments, but also singing in both unison and harmony. Again common with prog-rock, the songs build from softer, slightly sparser sounds, which crescendo into epic peaks before either softening at the end or going out with a bang.

Others remain fairly subdued in their overall nature, such as “Rides The Rails”, in which the listener is drawn more to The Beach Boys-y harmonic vocal pattern. But such songs are not without their signature progressive sensibilities. In fact, these songs make up much of Are The Dark Horse, from A-Side opener “Disaster” to concluding B-Side track “Cedric’s War”. It goes to show that The Besnard Lakes have a wondrous song-crafting ability—in Are The Dark Horse, The Besnard Lakes find a unique musical balance that make them one of the more forward-looking groups today.

This review was originally published January 14, 2008 on the old version of FensePost.

The Besnard Lakes: And You Lied To Me [mp3]

Jagjaguwar [12" LP, 2007]