Rock

The songs on the acclaimed Californian quartet’s fourth album were edited and shaped from over 50 hours of studio improvisation, and while they unfurl gradually, they are melodically focused. ‘Hangman’ rides out on juddering tremolo’d guitars and their soundworld is textured and immersive, the rhythm section empathetic, subtle and supple. Even on ‘High Time’, when the two guitars swirl over an abrasive rhythm loop, Corey Hanson’s light, high voice – which carries a country-ish twang and a hint of Big Star’s Alex Chilton – sweetens the sound, and the song resolves with a coda of brass and strings. This inspired collection reaches a dreamy conclusion with the multi-tracked vocal mantras of ‘Seaweed Head’. MB

Sound Quality: 85%

The The
Ensoulment
earMUSIC 0219537EMU; LP: 0219535EMU

This is Matt Johnson’s first album in 25 years, partly due to ‘brooding, abstraction and evasion’ blurring his creative processes. But all that thought has been put to good use. His tunes and vocal delivery are strong and his lyrics characteristically insightful. A bluesy, jazzy, trip-hop feel prevails, with deftly arranged guitars, keyboards and brass. On ‘Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake’, he laments changes he sees in London and this ‘greedy, unpleasant land’ and longs for dissent and revelation. But Johnson’s critiques of our turbulent post-truth times are leavened with a wry humour, particularly ‘Zen & The Art Of Dating’. MB

Sound Quality: 85%

Pohl
Mysteries
Wrong Speed WRS062 (LP)

Sheffield-based duo Pohl have an unusual pedigree, comprising Will Pearce on guitar and vocals, and drummer Dr Linda Westman, a senior research fellow in the field of environmental politics at the city’s university. Their songs are brutally heavy and expansively spacey, with massive guitar lines and animated drum patterns. ‘Narrator’ has a thrilling momentum, its riff spinning around like a centrifuge and ‘Revelation’ is a funky take on Cosmic Doom, shot through with blasts of noise and biblical recitations. The mellotron and acoustic guitar of ‘Untitled 2’ offers light relief, but ‘End’ peaks with Pearce reaching nirvana via massed effects pedals. MB

Sound Quality: 80%

Personal Trainer
Still Willing
Bella Union BELLA 1607CD; LP: BELLA 1607V

Personal Trainer is essentially the project of Amsterdammer Willem Smit, who loves to hear music that takes him by surprise and makes him go ‘wow’. This feeling translates to Still Willing, where it always feels that something different is about to happen – and it often does. Seemingly straightforward songs can veer into sudden changes of tempo, flamboyant electronic flourishes and unexpected skronky saxes. It’s also stylistically broad: ‘I Can Be Your Personal Trainer’ has a hint of 1930s nostalgia via Brian Wilson. Lena Hessels plays a key role as Smit’s vocal foil throughout and he never allows his restless imagination to tip into self-indulgence. MB

Sound Quality: 80%