Written and produced by Marilyn Manson and singer/songwriter/producer Shooter Jennings, WE ARE CHAOS is evocative of David Bowie’s work with Brian Eno; it feels like two artists decamped to unfamiliar surroundings to take chances in both musical style and subject matter. The collection of songs runs from macabre glam-rock to heavier extremes, cohering thematically as a post-modern concept album around explorations in self-reflection. Although the album cover is a self-portrait, MM has said that he intends the work to be a mirror for the listeners and that they should fill in their own story as they listen to it. Perhaps that’s what listeners do with every work, but there’s something compelling and impressionistic about the invitation to participate in a Do-It-Yourself concept album. Is this MM’s answer to Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy ( Low , "Heroes” and Lodger ) all in one 10 song album? If anyone could scale that mountain while deconstructing it, it’s MM.
Erasure reunites for the momentous occasion of their 18th studio album, The Neon , which follows 2017’s World Be Gone . Like the glowing hot substance of the title, the music evokes an exciting and energetic mood. The Neon is a place that lives in the imagination. It’s a place of possibility bathed in warm light and this is music that takes you there. Vince and Andy pull inspiration from pop music through the decades, from bands they loved and want to share with a new generation. The Neon connects us to our pasts and our futures as it glistens with hope.
Written by Anjimile Chithambo in collaboration with Justine Bowe (Photocomfort) and New-York based artist/producer Gabe Goodman, Giver Taker , the gorgeous debut album by Anjimile, grapples with sobriety; reconciling trans identity, spirituality, and religious upbringing; and forging new futures that honor complex histories. Giver Taker spans evocative pastoral ballads, warm pop songs, and choral swells in a world where death and life are always entwined, wrapping around each other in a dance of reverence, reciprocity, and rebirth.
Washed Out, the Atlanta-based producer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ernest Greene, delivers his most accessible creation to date with his fourth album, Purple Noon . With each release, Greene has approached his evolving project with meticulous detail and a steadfast vision. Greene wrote, recorded, and produced Purple Noon following a brief stint of writing for other artists (most notably Sudan Archives). His time writing for others enabled Greene to explore genres like R&B and modern pop. These brighter, more robust sounds made their way into the songs of Purple Noon and mark a new chapter for Greene. The vocals are front and center, tempos are slower, beats bolder…you can hear the luxuriousness of Sade, the sonic bombast of Phil Collins, and the lush atmosphere of the Balearic beat classics. Mediterranean coastlines inspired Purple Noon , and Greene pays tribute to the region’s distinct island culture using it as a backdrop to tell stories of passion, love, and loss. Purple Noon ’s title comes from the 1960 film based on the novel The Talented Mister Ripley by Patricia Highsmith, and much like romantic Hollywood epics, the melodrama throughout this album is strong. Purple Noon adds a layer of emotional intensity to the escapism of Washed Out’s oeuvre, taking the music to dazzling new heights.
