Articles
2009 Ten Favourite Labels
Simon Scott's Navigare
Traxx's 10 Chicago Tracks

Albums
Aerosol
Andrasklang
Aquarelle
Matt Bartram
Bassnectar
Bell Horses
Broadcast & Focus Group
Angus Carlyle
Celer
Ytre Rymden Dansskola
Do Make Say Think
Dorosoto
Isnaj Dui
Shane Fahey
Jan Garbarek Group
Lisa Germano
Rachel Grimes
Halogen
Hellothisisalex
Christopher Jion
P Jørgensen
Leyland Kirby
Klimek
KZA
Elisa Luu
Mountain Ocean Sun
Marcello Napoletano
Andy Nice
Nicolay
port-royal
Rameses III
Sankt Otten
Danny Saul
Simon Scott
Sleep Whale
Susanna & Magical Orch.
Syntaks
Traxx
Claude VonStroke

Compilations / Mixes
5
Crookers
Favourite Places 2
Music For Mathematics
Snuggle & Slap
Sander Kleinenberg 2
Y9

EPs
DJ Bone
DJ Nasty
Duque and Baxter
Filterwolf
Ghenacia & Djebali
Ikonika
Kez YM
King Roc
Vadim Lankov
Lavender Ticklesoft
Lo-Fi Soundsystem
Niko Marks
Seuil
Subeena
Mark Templeton

Sleep Whale: Houseboat
Western Vinyl

Hailing from Denton, Texas, Sleep Whale members Joel North (guitar, cello) and Bruce Blay (percussion, field recordings, guitar, bass, violin) follow up their recent EP Little Brite with the more satisfying full-length Houseboat. While the EP's material proved promising, it also at times suffered from an excess of clutter in its presentation; Houseboat, by comparison, strikes a more pleasing balance, with the group's bucolic electro-acoustic pop material exemplifying a noticeable refinement and control in its arrangements.

The album opens in full-flight with the rambunctious post-rock hoedown “Green Echo” before the group (abetted by singers Paul North and Asley Rathburn) makes a reasonably successful stab at vocal-based electro-rock on “Cotton Curls.” A stirring arrangement of strings and nocturnal percussion effects helps elevate “Roof Sailing” above standard post-rock, an effect fortified by a wistful call-and-response between an acoustic guitar and strings that also deepens the song's emotional impact. There's likewise a serenading quality to “Sleep Reprise,” which helps it make a strong impression despite a brief three-minute running time. On (largely) instrumental settings such as “Ferry Whistle” and “Light Tunnel,” North and Blay weave acoustic guitar picking and bowed strings into rapturous mini-soundtracks where electronic treatments and drums add auspicious colour and rhythmic heft respectively.

November 2009