Josh’s EOY roundup: a year of change
Josh interviews Split Chain
My year has been a rollercoaster of different experiences and experiments in terms of my music taste - I’ve made the active effort to expand what sounds I listen to and the results have been rewarding. This list is a collection of some new favorite artists and some I’ve been a fan of for years.
Top 5 releases
Everything Is Alive, Slowdive
It’s very rare to find a band that’s over 30 years old and can maintain an iconic sound while still keeping new releases fresh and full of new ideas. Slowdive are monarchs of the Shoegaze genre and their latest release mixes their dreamy sonic landscapes with some electronic notes to create a fresh new batch of tracks which I cannot wait to see live in February, 2024.
Fatalism, Polaris
It would be an insult to not have these metal titans in my list after what they have been through this year. The tragic passing of their lead guitarist months before the release of their finest album yet is nothing short of history-worthy. Fatalism is Polaris’ songwriting ability pushed to the max in multiple respects. It is a fitting last work for the incredible musical skill of Ryan Siew.
The Perfume of Decay, Tigercub
One of the perks of writing for a magazine is the new music you get exposed to. Tigercub has been of my favorite new finds this year - and I seem to have discovered them at the peak of their songwriting ability. This album is diverse in sound but has an outstaniding accuracy in keeping to the themes, imagery and concepts of the album. Only true focus and care can produce art like this.
Solar Music, Butcher Brown
Love it or hate it, jazz is BOLD. The very driving source behind the genre as a whole is experimentation and testing boundaries. This album has a very long list of tracks fusing jazz, electronica, rap, rock and more. Butcher brown brings a whole new level of creative diversity in this release. You may not like every track, but theres no way you wont find an earworm or two, no matter your taste.
Goodnight, God Bless, I love U, Delete., ††† (Crosses)
Deftones lead singer Chino Moreno and Far Guitarist Shaun Lopez have kept crosses to a consistent theme of dark electronica/altrock fusion that this latest release has paid testament to yet again. Fans were immensely hyped about its release and it did not disappoint. Conceptually speaking, they've hit the mark yet again for the sound we’ve been loving.