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Album of the Week: And So I Watch You from Afar – The Endless Shimmering The Endless Shimmering by And So I Watch You from Afar Pushing the musical envelope has always been part of And So I Watch You from Afar’s forte. The instrumental experimental progressive math rock act from Belfast, Northern Ireland, use an abundance of guitar shredding and rhythms that escape the inhibitions. It’s a sound that hits on multiple levels and never lets up. Their fifth full-length album The Endless Shimmering released on Oct 20 by the Los Angeles indie label Sargent House shows the band moving forward while bringing back what made them great in the first place. The main difference between The Endless Shimmering and the past couple of albums from And So I Watch You from Afar is that they stopped doing the group chanting and singing. They went back to purely instrumental jams, much like what’s in their initial releases. There’s also a different tone that keeps the band’s raw amplification intact along with having everything sounding clearer. It’s an album that pleases the senses. The variety of progressions within each song’s structure also makes for an interesting listening experience. A band pushing their sound forward by harking back to their beginnings is unheard of these days. Usually they will keep going with whatever they discovered while making a successful album and riding the wave of its success, but musically it amounts to something that’s nothing like what they started out with. And So I Watch You from Afar reached back to their artistic origins in stunning fashion and made an album that’s brilliant. Check out my top tracks off of the Album of the Week: “Mullally” is a scorcher that exudes energy and vigor; seismic breakdowns occur at many instances for a powerful structure that shocks the ears. And So I Watch You from Afar has a knack for making a track seamlessly transition into another and “All I Need Is Space” is a great example: There’s some hypnotic guitar work happening from start to finish, and then it goes into the title track with no stopping. The longest song in the album is “Dying Giants,” and it has a build-up that crushes everything in its musical path. And So I Watch You from Afar are currently touring Europe with a handful of notable shows coming up. These include Lido in Berlin on Nov 9, Festival La Ferme in Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, on Nov 18 and Academy 2 in Manchester on Nov 24. They’ll also be spending New Year’s Eve at Roisin Dubh in Galway, Ireland. Hopefully they come back to the States next year and rip it up at a venue in the New England area. While we all wait for that to happen, grab a copy of The Endless Shimmering and get electrified. Bandcamp: asiwyfa.bandcamp.com/album/the-endless-shimmering Web site: asiwyfa.com Album of the Week: Bully – Losing Losing by Bully When their debut album Feels Like came out during summer 2015, Bully instantly catapulted themselves into being one of the top independent acts of the decade. Alicia Bognanno screams honest and truthful lyrics while getting highly amplified with her guitar. The rest of the band has guitarist Clayton Parker backing up Bognanno while drummer Stewart Copeland (not the one from The Police) and bass guitarist Reece Lazarus make up a stellar rhythm section. This act from Nashville combines the raw grit of classic ‘70s era punk with the electrified coolness that came with alternative rock’s boom in the early ‘90s. Their sophomore release Losing, which hit record store shelves on Oct 20 via the legendary Seattle label Sub Pop, is a great continuation of a style that wears its heart on its sleeve. Losing is a little less tame than the band’s debut: Bognanno gets more intense during the chorus of various songs. Each track also has a hard-hitting structure that musically breaks down while also maintaining a certain level of catchiness. Bully walks a fine line between being worthy of adoration by rock ‘n’ roll purists and accessibility by the casual music listener: not a lot of bands can pull that off these days and it’s definitely a special trait this band possesses. Right from the first song, you can definitely experience an act of catharsis from Bognanno. She gets personal and straight to the point when she sings. It’s all done in a very unapologetic way. That certain aesthetic is inspiring and profound. The fearlessness has to be respected. Let’s delve into that fearlessness a bit more with my top tracks off of the Album of the Week: “Kills to Be Resistant” begins in melodic fashion but, when the chorus hits, everything is unleashed: It gets louder and louder until it reaches a level equivalent to a jackhammer. “Guess There” starts out relaxed and groovy; Bognanno’s and Parker’s guitars have extraordinary and supercharged distortion. Another great example of that distortion is “Not The Way” along with an infectious amount of harmony. Bully will be rolling through Great Scott in Allston, Mass., on Nov 12, but the show is reported sold out; hopefully you already have a ticket or you can grab one somehow. If you end up getting into the show, get yourself a copy of Losing. It’ll energize the senses with lyrics that make you think. Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/0T5W8q4JXryl3iiogSJ0zC Web site: bullythemusic.com Album of the Week: Courtney Barnett + Kurt Vile – Lotta Sea Lice Lotta Sea Lice by Courtney Barnett + Kurt Vile Songwriting collaborations have the ability to meld two distinct styles to create an astounding sound. When everything lines up correctly, there’s an experience of two artists riding on the same wavelength. Lo-fi Americana fuzz master Kurt Vile and garage rock upstart Courtney Barnett got together to put out an album titled Lotta Sea Lice that was released Oct 13 via Matador Records. It’s a great fusion of Vile’s eccentric melodies and Barnett’s deadpan pop sensibilities. Vile’s trademark twang also complements Barnett’s signature wit. Barnett and Vile initially got together out of mutual admiration and it grew to them putting together an all-star band in Barnett’s home country of Australia that was met with wide acclaim. The music that comes out of both of them writing together is electrified folksy pop that incorporates noticeable characteristics from both musicians. There’s some quirkiness but there’s also a stunning amount of musical brilliance. It sounds like the product of two songwriters playing acoustic guitars while backed with a talented band. Lotta Sea Lice brings a lot to the senses for the listener to enjoy. There have been countless collaborations in music over the decades, but what makes this one with Barnett and Vile different is how they fuse their weirdness together. Both of their artistic identities are present, but they both take a backs eat to the result. A few songs are low key and relaxed while others are amplified and hard-hitting. The harmony of Barnett and Vile leaves a lasting impression. Examine that impression and more with my top tracks off of the Album of the Week: An anthem for isolation, “Fear Is Like A Forest” has more of a rock tone than the more stripped-down songs; the track has a blues tinge that throws love out the door and embraces being by yourself. “Continental Breakfast” is an adorable song about crushes and the importance of friendships from afar; there’s an acoustic base present while the steady, soft drums set a relaxing mood. Barnett also does a great version of Vile’s “Peeping Tomboy” and she nails a bit of his drawl. Barnett and Vile are currently in the midst of a tour supporting Lotta Sea Lice, and New England fans can catch them at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston on Nov 4. It’s bound to be a special experience with different versions of both of their songs being played along with the originals they wrote together. Don’t forget to grab a copy of the album while you’re there. This record is ideal for fans of either musician’s solo material, but it’s also ideal for anyone who likes great music. “Continental Breakfast” music video: youtube.com/watch?v=wHCtH15dpmU Stream Lotta Sea Lice: open.spotify.com/user/sleepingrobot/playlist/23Jsut3kmuQtdwCdLvEgm8 Web site: courtneybarnettandkurtvile.com Album of the Week: Night Idea – Riverless With the originality and inventiveness seen in their 2016 debut Breathing Cold, Night Idea’s sophomore release had an immense amount of anticipation months before it came to be. The progressive rock act from Richmond, VA, unveiled Riverless to the masses on Oct 13 via the Chicago vinyl-only label Gigantic Noise, their hometown cassette-only label Hand to Mouth Tapes and their other hometown label JUJU. This new album pushes along their uncanny style of songwriting while incorporating electronic dimensions. It has more of a psychedelic vibe than their first album but it also keeps their trademark abstract style intact. There’s an abundance of variety with nothing sounding anything close to generic. Guitarists Carter Burton and Reid LaPierre complement each other in wonderful ways with Burton taking the lead on vocals and LaPierre backing him up to provide harmony. LaPierre also brings electronic presence via his sampling and keyboard skills. Joey Anderson on bass guitar melds his talents with Ethan Johnstone’s multi-dimensional drumming to be the backbone for Night Idea’s sound.

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