July has been another month of fantastic musical output. There has been an array of outstanding records from artists both new and returning, which has made this month’s choices more difficult than ever. We trust you will enjoy the selections.

Little Kid – Transfiguration Highway

Secret Meeting says:

Transfiguration Highway is an album that captures the feeling of shared humanity perfectly. The bonds we form and the love we share: they guide us, for better or worse, more than any divine force could. It’s a grand statement, but Little Kid make it at such a down-to-earth and human level – and not to mention with such great songs – that it’s undeniable. It’s a masterful record all round.

Check out our interview with Little Kid here.

Samantha Crain – A Small Death

Secret Meeting says:

Despite its difficult origins, A Small Death does not sound like a road to recovery. It is not a record that attempts to stitch together the frayed ends of what was once there. Instead, it finds Crain bursting like a butterfly from a shady chrysalis into brilliant technicolour. With bones set like steel, Crain rivals the recent shapeshifting of Angel Olsen as she bounds through stylistic guises.

Check out our interview with Samantha Crain here.

Courtney Marie Andrews – Old Flowers

Secret Meeting says:

On Old Flowers, Courtney Marie Andrews has taken her experience and owned it – channelling it into a remarkable record. She expertly describes her torment and angst – each song its own story – yet all is brought together as one. Rather than leaving her past behind, Andrews is moving forward, in control, on her own terms.

Courtney Marie Andrews features on the cover of Issue Six of the Secret Meeting Zine. If you’d like to order a copy or subscribe, please follow the link here.

A.A. Williams – Forever Blue

Secret Meeting says:

The real strength of this record is Williams’ ability to convey complex feelings so effectively. It creates a sonic Stockholm Syndrome, where you embrace the dark emotions that you would normally lock away or avoid. Such is the beauty of the bleakness, you can’t help but be drawn in. At only eight tracks, Forever Blue is a concise yet profound debut album that displays incredible craft both lyrically and dynamically. So while the record explores many grey areas, one thing remains absolutely black and white: you should immerse yourself in it immediately.

We also spoke to A.A. Williams earlier in the month. Check out what she had to say here.

Zoe Polanski – Violent Flowers

Secret Meeting says:

As Violent Flowers progresses, the initial warmth disperses for chillier hues: the programmed drums are that little bit harsher; the soundscapes are that little bit more ominously droning; the melodic freedom is that little bit more reigned in. The Willows, a fine example of this, has an analogue dreaminess that recalls 2018’s The Dream My Bones Dream by Eiko Ishibashi. But, Polanski remains comfortable in this guise too on a journeying debut that is anything but what its sepia washed sleeve may initially suggest.

July has been so packed with outstanding music that it feels wrong to limit ourselves to five recommendations. Once you have made your way through the albums above, we would point you towards Juliana Barwick’s latest ambient masterclass, Healing is a Miracle, and the pop gem Life Drawing – the latest musical output from Beans on Toast hero, Mr Ben & the Bens.

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