If there were ever an argument for circular breathing, it’s Montreal-based saxophonist Colin Stetson. The sounds on his latest release will be familiar to fans, but he seems preternaturally self-assured and confident here. If you’re unfamiliar with Stetson’s work, sample album opener “Hunted” and penultimate track “This Bed of Shattered Bone” to get a feel for his composition and performance style. To See More Light also features guest vocals from Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon. If you’re looking to expand your musical horizons without wandering into truly foreign sonic territory, this album is a terrific place to start. (Samantha Anne Carrillo)
TannhŠuser Gate ÒTannhŠuser GateÓ (Function Operate)
South African electro duo Tannhäuser Gate’s self-titled debut EP proffers four tracks of sybaritic synth-based EBM that calls to mind a throbbing horde of latex-clad, slithering goths. … in the very best sort of way. Opening track “Sex, Money, Crime” makes high art of surging beats and throaty repetition. “Obsession” infuses glitch that further inspires arm-dancing, while “Concrete Island” embraces the sound of sweating, yearning hardware. “Automatic Lover” combines quivering, quaking rhythm with atonal elements for a classic-sounding electronic hit. Tannhäuser Gate calls Cape Town home, but would clearly feel right at home at any number of dark wave watering holes. (Samantha Anne Carrillo)
Thee Oh Sees Floating Coffin (Castle Face Records)
Thee Oh Sees … I can’t quite place them in a musical niche in my brain because these weirdos truly do inhabit a world of their own—whether it’s slinging psyche/garage sludge into the faces of oppressors or merely letting it flow freely, like a river of decay, at a glacial, yet chaotic pace. Floating Coffin, their newest endeavor, captures a moment where they’re slinging snippets of fine rock riffs, barely discernible lyrics and wild “woooos” for a faceless audience; listen to album opener “I Come From the Mountain” for a sweet black eye of an intro. “Tunnel Time” and “Sweets Helicoptor” are also good songs. … Hell, they’re all good. (Mark Lopez)
