Our favorite albums of the first part of the year- Nr. 02

So here we are again. Nothing changes, it all stays the same, nothing ever happens. For the umpteenth time now, we put in our 2 cents of what has been doing it for us in the first half of this year music wise. Hopefully you can find something in there that you agree with, which you overlooked at first, or which you maybe never even heard of. So much great music out there, this is our little grab out of that hat, enjoy!

02. Linda

Artist:POLIÇA

Album: Give you the Ghost 

Label: Memphis Industries

Not that many debut albums made my list this year, but this one definitely stood out for me. The amount of reverb on this album might scare a lesser band, but they've managed to make it work. The best description of the album I've read is that it sounds a bit like a sad robot (cue Marvin the robot) that is trying to recreate the 80s in its shed. 

'Dark Star' and 'Lay Your Cards Out' are two singles that will hopefully get the band the attention they deserve for daring to come out with something like this. What they are great at is balance. Whereas opening track 'Amongster' is made up solely from drums , singing and a synth, other tracks, such as 'Dark Star' have a wealth of instrumentation behind them. Both tracks still manage to sound light, sculpted and catchy, and that's a hell of a trick. Also: they have guitars! Yay!

02. Stef

Artist: WhoMadeWho

Album: Brighter

Label: Kompakt

I’ve loved a lot of what these guys have done, though I’m not sure I’ve actually loved a whole album. This, I love as a whole album. It has those great vocals that I just adore (that’s a real weak spot for me, which might explain why this album is higher on my list than on others), and all these songs have a tight rhythm that propel them forward.

I also like the aesthetic of the songs. It has this atmosphere I really love, this slight slant towards the melancholic/detached. Yet, the songs, thanks to the tight rhythm section, are all pretty danceable, and they are very “active” songs in the sense that they are pretty full on and accessible and catchy. That contrast between the content in the form, in this case, forms a wonderful combination that, instead of opposing each other, actually heightens both. Great album that I can listen to over and over again without growing tired.