10 Debuts of Note: 2016
Debuts of Note’s first annual look at the best debut albums of the year.
10. Light Upon the Lake
by Whitney
Sounds Like: A tauter Girls with orchestral flourishes a la Mutual Benefit or Andy Shauf (but, admittedly, poppier.)
Favorite Tracks: “Light Upon the Lake”, “No Matter Where We Go”, “Polly”
Homebase(s): Chicago/Portland, USA
Flipping the vinyl over for this album is a treat. The last song on Side A, “Light Upon the Lake” is, according to percussionist/vocalist Julien Ehrlich, the last song Whitney wrote for their debut. When you flip the record over? “No Matter Where We Go”, the first song Whitney released back in the summer of 2015. Chronologically, it’s apparent that Whitney doesn’t see their debut’s linearity as a necessary component for the success of their music — and rightfully so.
Created after the disollution of Smith Westerns (and unquestionably more welcoming than Cullen Omori’s solo debut New Misery), Light Upon the Lake feels like it’s scoring a stroll down a lush, hidden pathway — new lover in tow. Or, for that matter, a cozy night in with that same special someone. With influences spanning the past few decades, Whitney prove themselves apt at imitation — I’m game to see a sophomore release that proves they have their own sound, their own soul, as well.
9. Prism Tats
by Prism Tats
Sounds Like: Sludgier Beach Fossils, with some dark-ish wit in the vein of Majical Cloudz to boot.
Favorite Tracks: “Creep Out // Freak Out”, “Death Or Fame”, “Excess”
Homebase(s): Durban, South Africa : Seattle/Los Angeles, USA
“I don’t wanna make art, I wanna make money /
I just wanna sell myself so I can be somebody… else…”
That line, from Prism Tats’ Garett van der Spek on opening track “Pacifist Masochist”, kicks off Prism Tats, van der Spek’s self-titled debut. The lyrical tongue-in-cheek directness may take a number of listens before fully revealing its charms… but don’t let that keep you from investing the time necessary to enjoy this curb-stomp of an album. It’s a true “grower”.
With vocals, drum machine, guitar and programmed bass synth all provided by van der Spek, Prism Tats’ debut is a one-man rock ’n’ roll machine. Born and raised in South Africa, van der Spek says this album is “about the experiences I’ve had since I moved to America, that total departure from what was.” During a year where America decided to avoid crucial questions about its own identity, van der Spek decided to skewer our materialism (especially in reverb-laden “Excess”), poke fun at our plentiful absurdities (on “Death or Fame”) and plant his freak-flag — permanently. Let it fly, guy.
8. The Light
by Soft Fangs
Sounds Like: If Elliott Smith (RIP) had lived long enough to produce an album for Youth Lagoon.
Favorite Tracks: “Golden”, “Gone Fishing”, “The Light”
Homebase(s): Mansfield, MA / Brooklyn, NY, USA
Oftentimes if a debut has a narrative attached that adds a tinge of nostalgia to its uniqueness, I lap said album up. Such is the case with Soft Fangs’ singer/songwriter John Lutkevich (previously of The Devil and a Penny), whose debut, The Light, was (mostly) recorded in the attic of Lutkevich’s Mansfield, Massachusetts childhood home. Its sonic elements remain both airless and indescribable, even after dozens of listens, with Lutkevich’s vocals elegantly floating through the proceedings — seemingly weightless.
Lyrically, Lutkevich is in an odd lil’ bubble all his own. At times dour, even its darkest hours (such as midway through “The Wilderness” or “The Light”) pull you back from the ledge and remind you of the hopefulness inherent in our futures. Interestingly, my favorite moment from Soft Fangs’ debut is the tail-end of “Gone Fishing”, when a demo-y bit from final track “The Light” rises from the ashes, gives weight to the album’s thesis and (perhaps purposefully harkening back to “Dead Friends” off Soft Fangs’ self-titled debut EP) leaves you to ponder the most innate of questions:
“Running around high on speed, you’re convinced of everything /
But when the light comes who will you see?”
7. Leisure
by Leisure
Sounds Like: A hyper bass-n-synth-laden Real Estate channeling their inner Backstreet Boys.
Favorite Tracks: “Deeper”, “Moonbeam”, “Your Love”
Homebase: Auckland, New Zealand
The worst thing that could be said about Leisure? They wear their hearts completely on their sleeves. The second worst thing? They’re inoffensive.
I doubt anyone listening to Leisure’s self-titled debut is going to necessarily fall head-over-heels immediately. As with Prism Tats’ debut, Leisure is also a grower — but with a much more background noise, elevator music kind o’ vibe. And, no, I don’t mean that as a negative. See, sonically, these Kiwis (did I mention all five hail from New Zealand?) channel neo-soul like its coursing through their veins; the effortless nature of each track (imbued on this LP) will slowly unfurl, and impress, once these timeless tunes reach your own ears.
6. Emotions And Math
by Margaret Glaspy
Sounds Like: Stripped down HAIM meets Liz Phair’s lyrical sensibilities (with some Courtney Barnett cheekiness added in for good measure.)
Favorite Tracks: “You And I”, “Somebody to Anybody”, “Memory Street”
Homebase(s): Red Bluff, CA / NYC, New York, USA
According to The New Yorker, Margaret Glaspy has “…really tried to make songwriting a study or like a job.” She’s “tried not to make it conditional to how (she’s) feeling.” In this respect, Emotions And Math can be looked at as something of a collage concerning relationships (both good and bad, friendship or moreso) as well as a dissection of what makes passion tick.
To suggest that Glaspy’s solely a songwriter, however, would be disengenuous. Glaspy plays a majority of the instruments (and 100% of the guitar) on her debut, while also producing it entirely — first at home (on an iPad!), then in-studio. Citing Joni Mitchell’s Blue as a seminal influence, Glaspy’s raspy vocals and, at times, guttural exclamations (especially at the tail end of highlight “Memory Street”) indicate that this apprentice is well on her way to stealing some of the limelight from her inspirational master.
NOTE: Part of my adoration for Glaspy lies in her membership to my crew of individuals-with-ungodly-moles-in-horrendous-places… just fyi…
5. Roosevelt
by Roosevelt
Sounds Like: MGMT went full disco (Hot Chip helped out)
Favorite Tracks: “Wait Up”, “Night Moves”, “Moving On”, “Hold On”
Homebase: Cologne, Germany
Let’s make one thing clear up front: no debut this year came even a smidge close to being a better dance record than Marius Lauber’s Roosevelt. From the moment “Intro” leads into “Wait Up”, Lauber’s disco/yacht-rock seeps into those recesses of your being which many of us simply cannot control — the recesses that demand we dance. Midway through third track “Night Moves”, one of the aught’s single best disco breakdowns appears: you’ll be completely enraptured, wrapped around Roosevelt’s fingers just the way he desires.
Lauber has been around for quite some time, releasing his first track as Roosevelt back in 2013 (“Around You”, not available on the debut or Spotify but here it is on YouTube!) and, subsequently, almost half of this debut’s tracks throughout the past three years as well. Initially, this left me cold — I feel like debut albums should be as fresh as possible when introducing an artist to the masses. But with an album as bop-worthy as this gem, it’s understandable. Crafting something as undeniably catchy as this debut cannot come quickly (it’s no surprise to me that Lauber wrote most of the album while on stage, testing out new tracks with a live audience), but hopefully we won’t have to wait a full three years for a sophomore effort.
4. Full Circle
by HÆLOS
Sounds Like: The xx and Beach House composed a space opera with spiritual underpinnings.
Favorite Tracks: “Pray”, “Dust”, “Full Circle”, “Alone”
Homebase: London, UK
“I’m going to talk to you this evening on the subject of the spectrum of love. We know that, from time to time, there arise among human beings people who seem to exude love as naturally as the sun gives out heat. We would like to be like that and, by and large, man’s religions are attempts to cultivate that same power in ordinary people…” — Alan Watts
The above quote from Alan Watts, one of my single favorite philosophers of all time, opens during the introductory track of HÆLOS’ debut album (if you’re interested, you can read a rough version of the rest of Watts’ incredible “Spectrum of Love” transcript here.) It is an unabashed thesis statement for the rest of this debut, one that successful prepares you for the avenues of your heart, soul and mind you’ll have to open up in order to successfully appreciate this piece of art. From here, members Lotti Benardout, Dom Goldsmith and Arthur Delaney need you to relax, allow them the next hour of your time and completely submit yourself to their whims.
I first listened to HÆLOS’ debut wandering around Echo Park’s lush north side, hidden just south of the California 5 and 2 freeways. Whenever I would glimpse back at my phone to read a track title, the album artwork drew me closer to a truth I think HÆLOS are trying to capture. See, it’s easy to look at the cover of Full Circle and see an actual halo, a significant symbol of holiness in the Judeo-Christian culture. It’s also, however, not very hard to see a solar eclipse.
This album, in totality, pleas for us to look beyond what is simply ‘religion’ and seeks for us to engage with the natural world to discover true ‘spirituality’. These concepts are not easy to grasp and, certainly, not something many of the most devout would allow themselves to succumb to. But if our society can’t lift the blinders of division that institutionalized religion causes the world, what hope do we have for any kind of peace in our (or our future) generation(s)? I’m clearly rambling now — but I encourage any religious individual to fully submit to this album and allow themselves to let one iota of doubt while doing so. Perhaps, one day, we will recognize that all religions which challenge us to ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ are just as equal as the next.
3. 99.9%
by KAYTRANADA
Sounds Like: His own damn thing.
Favorite Tracks: “Drive Me Crazy”, “Glowed Up”, “You’re The One”, “Bullets”
Homebase: Montreal, Canada
I am still 100% guilty of finding new queer artists working in genres I, oftentimes, would rarely listen to and then completely falling for them. KAYTRANADA (Louis Kevin Celestin) is one such queer artist. I was introduced to KAYTRANADA — before listening to any of his music(!) — through this incredible piece of music journalism by Alex Frank of Fader. I was elated by Celestin including a bit from radio DJs at the tail end of “Leave Me Alone” which features one of them, out of left field, adding ‘Homo as well’ to the commentary, in hilariously awkward fashion. But I dare you to listen to “Track Uno” off 99.9% and not recognize Celestin’s absolute brilliance.
I won’t pretend that I can write to all of the intricacies and movements KAYTRANADA expresses in his music and I certainly can’t intelligently discuss the multiple genres that KAYTRANADA encapsulates on this debut in any refreshing manner. What I will say, however, is that the range of artists participating on this record — from Craig David on “Got It Good” and Vic Mensa on “Drive Me Crazy” to Anderson .Paak on “Glowed Up” and Little Dragon on “Bullets” — prove that KAYTRANADA’s not only capable of altering your perception of what a DJ — producer — engineer — multi-hyphenate can be, he’s got the breadth and reach to turn heads in the wider music landscape as well. I anxiously wait to see who Celestin works with in the years to come.
2. Close Eyes to Exit
by Klangstof
Sounds Like: The (best) depths of Interpol, the heights of Radiohead, the playful dourness of Damon Albarn.
Favorite Tracks: “Doolhof”, “Sleaze”, “We Are Your Receiver”, “Island”
Homebase: Amsterdam, Netherlands
If you were lucky enough to be introduced to Interpol back in 2002 via their debut album Turn on the Bright Lights, you were immediately transported into a dark, yet shimmery new world — one with crunchy basses, glittery hi-hats and heart-clutching guitar stabs on opening track “Untitled”.
Klangstof’s debut Close Eyes to Exit, the brainchild of songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Koen Van De Wardt, opens with an incredibly similar technique to great effect on lead track “Doolhof”. Airy, then pulsating synths lead into two simple guitar lines — one acoustic and pulsating, the other electric and sliding — and then proceed to invite the listener further and further into this strange parallel universe. Once the drums and bass appear near the 1:30 minute mark (and the deep synth bass soon thereafter), I was fully transported. I was elsewhere. It was like 2002 all over again, only my new sonic overlords were no longer Interpol — they were Klangstof. Then the 4:00 minute mark arrives — and you’re teleported once more.
One paragraph in and I haven’t even delved into the lyrical content of Klangstof’s debut. It will come as little surprise to those who spend time with Close Eyes to Exit that Van De Wardt was heavily influenced by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, particularly the band’s 1996 release OK Computer. Van De Wardt grew fond of this Radiohead album after being displaced from his home country of the Netherlands at age 14 and transported to the rural areas of Norway. As Van De Wardt puts it, “my life was torn apart and I had to start all over again.” And it’s not as if the lyrics on Close Eyes to Exit are completely dour — there’s a jocular attitude to the proceedings, despite the somber nature. Hell, Van De Wardt’s fully aware he’s not at all like his lyrics — when people meet him they “expect a very depressed young man and instead they get this smiling asshole”.
But Van De Wardt’s understanding of 2016’s world order is on full display here, speaking to his (presumably) younger audience like they’re actual grown ups. In title track “Close Eyes to Exit”, Van De Wardt’s clear about the unfortunate circumstances millenials are currently forced to wade through in a society where oftentimes the ‘youth’ see reality a bit more clearly than their ‘adult’ counterparts:
“The youth is too young to be taken serious /
And the adults are wrong cause the planet is flat /
The youth is too young to be safe and different /
All the adults are drunk cause they can’t stay in bed”
In truth, Klangstof’s debut feels like the sister album to my favorite debut of 2016 (more on that in a moment); the European counterpart to the direness of our current international state. By the time you reach the final track “Island”, it’s nearly impossible to know whether or not Van De Wardt’s saying their’s no room for a particular loved one or anyone on his island — is Van De Wardt speaking on a romantic and micro-level? Or on a humanitarian and macro-level? It’s inconsequential. Van De Wardt’s speaking as only he knows how: honestly.
And if that introduction on “Doolhof” can’t convince you to give Klangstof a chance? Check out the anthemic, thrashing outro during the final three minutes of “Island”. I promise, this debut’s got something for everyone.
1. Better Strange
by James Supercave
Sounds Like: Local Natives / Starfucker hybrid with The National-esque lyrical prowess and a lead singer whose unique vocals you’ll melt for.
Favorite Tracks: “Whatever You Want”, “Get Over Yourself”, “Virtually a Girl”, “Overloaded”
Homebase: Los Angeles, USA
I previously reviewed 2016’s Debut of Note:
Click here for a review of James Supercave’s Better Strange
And next week:
Click here for an interview w/ Patrick, Joaquin and Andrés of James Supercave.
Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order by artist/musician):
Farwell, Starlite! by Francis and the Lights
Maybe Sometimes — in C by Grace Joyner
I Had A Dream That You Were Mine by Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
Don’t Let The Kids Win by Julia Jacklin
Long Way Home by Låpsley
Do Hollywood by The Lemon Twigs
I, Gemini by Let’s Eat Grandma
For All We Know by NAO
Jurassic Technologie by PrOfiles
Never Enough by Public Access TV
Nothing’s Real by Shura
Tell Me If You Like To by Spring King
Guilty of Love by Unloved
Muffin by Xander Singh
Mind Of Mine by ZAYN
