Album of the Week (4.15.2014)

Happy tax day everyone! As you sit around waiting to get audited, take a listen to this. It might help with your mid-career angst.

EMA
The Future's Void
Matador

Erika M. Anderson is the only combination of Bat for Lashes and PJ Harvey I've found that is actually worth listening to. Granted, I don't think there are any other variations of that combination in existence, but nonetheless the bluesy, lonely vocals over washed out industrial noise and string arrangements make for evocative listening. The term "masterpiece" is thrown around a lot, and while I'm not ready to give it that designation just yet, EMA's sophomore effort is a dazzling look into how digitalism is affecting everyday society, especially the creation of music. But where St. Vincent's near-perfect, self-titled album from earlier this year was about the rejection of the ever-expanding inclusion of all things internet, The Future's Void is about acceptance: that the age of the World Wide Web is here to stay, that the age of privacy is dead. The future is indeed void, and the void stares back.

Listen:
Satellites
So Blonde
Neuromancer
Solace

Also, there's a song called "Cthulu." What more could you possibly want?