A slew of new records means a slew of mini-reviews!

What's up, everyone?  It's a been a busy couple of weeks in music-land, and with a bunch of new albums out I've decided not to focus on any particular one and do short evaluations of each.  Here we go!

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Annie Clark returns to the fold with her latest record since 2009's acclaimed Actor. The record starts out with a discordant wave of synths and abstract guitar figures on "Chloe in the Afternoon," which then resolve themselves very nicely by the first chorus.  The whole record has an air of slight dissonance about it, as if the songs are teetering on the edge of going mad.  Clark's arrangements are the spotlight here, as she uses all manner of instruments along with her own breathy tones to create intricate, varied soundscapes.  With highlight tracks such as "Cheerleader" and "Cruel," Strange Mercy may be Clark's strongest solo album yet.  4.1/5.


The Field - Looping State of Mind

Think loops are boring?  Listen to this record.  Axel Willner's newest record under his minimal techno moniker, The Field, is a dense, transfixing, semi-dance record that makes use of gradually shifting electronic loops to create its hypnotic effect.  Beautiful chord changes and driving beats make tracks like "Is This Power" and "It's Up There" brilliant works of minimalism.  Unfortunately Willner can't replicate these highest levels of beauty for an entire record, but this is definitely worth a listen for fans of good electronic music.  4.2/5.

Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know

Precocious English folkie Laura Marling returns for her third record at the tender age of 21.  Now an established artist, Marling attempts to change her formula a bit on the newest record, using fuller arrangements and a more "rock" sound.  While some of the results work to great effect ("The Muse," "Sophia"), others simply mask Marling's strengths, including the fragile beauty of her voice.  I'm happy Marling isn't getting complacent in her songwriting, but I think she can do better. 3.4/5.


Wild Flag - Wild Flag

Highly anticipated by fans of the seminal riot grrl group Sleater-Kinney, this supergroup's (an S-K reunion of sorts) debut record is, as expected, a callback to the '90s girl punk movement.  The music is a mix of spurts of punk energy ("Boom", "Short Version", "Romance") with a few too many laid-back songs mixed in.  This group's strength is their energy, and too many of these songs are flow-stoppers for this album to reach its full potential.  The record isn't bad, but it isn't anything special or unexpectedly great for a guitar-rock record.  3.1/5.


Thanks for reading, more to come hopefully next week!