When I hear the genre “house music,” I still cringe a little inside from the early–2000s pre-conceived notion that it was all going to be heavy beats and ridiculous dancing. But HNNY is remarkably more restrained, feeling a bit more like a soul record than anything else. Which makes sense, because HNNY has a tendency to sample American soul music, which gives his music a certain vibe.

I don’t think you could actually dance to Sunday. That’s not a bad thing, for the record (no pun intended). Check out Cheer Up My Brother for a little bit of a flavour of how HNNY sounds: if anything, I’d call this house music because I’d listen to it while chilling at my house.

Fans of laid-back pop music with soul influence definitely shouldn’t pass this up. And fans of great music in general should give this a listen to.

The post HNNY: Sunday appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

Devon Walsh’s voice really carries this project. He’s one half of this musical duo, but I get the feeling that Majical Cloudz is really his baby. His voice is fantastic, but the mood of the whole thing really sets the band apart. This is a contemplative record obsessed with loneliness, and it’s beautifully morose.

While this wouldn’t be my Monday morning listening, it absolutely is something I’d put on when I’m feeling a little introspective. It’s honest and real, despite its synth origins. Highly recommended.

The post Majical Cloudz: Are You Alone? appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

Clearly influenced by their more dream-pop contemporaries, Fading Frontier is a step or two closer towards Beach House while still retaining the dynamics that made Deerhunter work before. But now, with the additional songwriting skills that come with both experimentation and experience, Deerhunter are putting those dynamics to better work.

From the opening track, it’s clear that Fading Frontier is a better record than what’s come before. It’s got more structure, better hooks, and more memorable melodies. This is a better Deerhunter in every way, and it’d be a shame if you missed it.

The post Deerhunter: Fading Frontier appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

What’s impressive is how the different musical pieces in Elements all represent grasping at something new, something not totally understandable — creation myths, colour, the edge and shapes of our landscape — and presents it as a fully-orchestrated and masterfully-conducted whole.

Einaudi’s work is highly cinematic — as beautiful as anything Zimmer or Howard Shore will ever do. This record takes you on a journey. Close your eyes and listen to it carefully, and you’ll be transported to another place. A place where your imagination can go wild.

Einaudi may have produced the best classical record of the past two years. It’s beautiful, organic, tense, and authentic music from one of the world’s best living composers.

The post Ludovico Einaudi: Elements appeared first on Unsung Sundays.

I’ve referenced old-school Black Keys a lot, because it’s one of the easiest ways to reference a sound people know. In this case, the comparison between JJ Grey & Mofro stands true, but it doesn’t imply the depth and world-weariness that JJ Grey & Mofro bring to their music. This sounds more like if Jerry Cantrell (of Alice and Chains fame) were to make a country record rock. It’s great, authentic stuff, and a ton of fun.

In that sense, there’s a trend going on right now in rock music to emulate that old-school blues rock sound that country crossed over into for a while. What the bands who are emulating these sounds lack is the experience. JJ Grey & Mofro have been around a long time — since the mid–1990s, in fact — and you can tell these guys have heard it all and they just want to make fun southern-influenced party rock.

Country Ghetto is a record that your Dad could listen to, but it’s also a record you could get in on. It’s more fun than many of the albums today’s imitators are putting out.

The post JJ Grey & Mofro: Country Ghetto appeared first on Unsung Sundays.