Tunng, Songs You Make At Night

Tunng, Songs You Make At Night

Starting out in the early 2000s, Tunng were among the first to regularly construct folk songs with copious amounts of electronic instrumentation. Thirteen years in, that conceit is less cutting-edge, but it’s no less fertile. The band’s original lineup is back and any trace of novelty has been replaced by the demeaner of a band is in command of a variety of stylings and of instruments — synths take center stage, and this is more an electronic album than a folk one, but acoustic guitar, horns, woodwinds and more enter in too, each at the perfect time. Tunng plays to the strengths of each song, and the album’s highlights sound quite different from one another, while on the whole it’s a cohesive, and remarkable, record. Highlights: “Sleepwalking,” “Dark Heart,” “Evaporate”

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Richard Thompson, 13 Rivers

Richard Thompson , 13 Rivers Richard Thompson — 13 Rivers Arguably the most consistently engaging artist of the last 50 years, Richard Thompson continues to write deep, dark folk-rock songs with an acerbic wit married to a soft, calm wisdom. This new album isn’t widely divergent from his established catalogue but miraculously Thompson, who was already a guitar hero in the 1970s, still manages to grow as a guitarist and sound fresh. Working highly intricate riffs into the undergirding of each song’s frame, he also solos on every song and as usual, his virtuosity remains connected to the music, always moving the songs forward rather than grandstanding. Plus, Thompson’s one of a kind voice only deepens in resonance over time. Highlights: “Trying,” “O Cinderella,” “Bones of Gilead”

Jacob Banks, Village

Jacob Banks , Village With the British, Nigerian-born future soul singer’s full-length debut, Jason Banks discovers the point at which today’s forward-thinking alternative R&B comes full circle and connect with classic R&B. Banks’s arrangements are contemporary, much of his instrumentation electronic and advanced, and he makes relevant enough cultural references to blend in with the hip hop set. his voice, though, recalls the soul men of yore, with a mighty, stirring baritone of which he is in full command. His voice rings out with power and sensitivity in equal measure. Banks brings some fusion from outside R&B world too, with traces of reggae and African sounds. This one’s worth checking out even if you don’t think you like soul or R&B. Highlights: “Kumbaya,” “Caroline,” “Unknown (To You)”

Vince Staples, FM!

Vince Staples , FM! The Long Beach rapper follows last year’s star-studded, experimental and genre-warping Big Fish Theory with more streamlined hip hop record. With only eight short songs, Staples’s approach is simple, straight and to the point, and packs an awful lot into his breathless 22 minutes. The framing sequence of radio show DJ interludes fills the record out, and it does feature a variety of guest cameos — but this time around, they’re all from the worlds of rap and R&B. The beats are highly varied in style, though mostly uptempo and staccato. Lyrically Staples focuses on a blend of black pride, commentary on the disenfranchised life in America, summertime hangouts, and also plenty of tried-and-true rap self-praise. Highlights: “Outside!,” “Run The Bands,” “FUN!”

Album Reviews by Stefan Wenger

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