September has been another month of fantastic musical output – with an array of outstanding records from artists both new and returning – making this month’s choices more difficult than ever. We trust you will enjoy the selections. Check out our Album of the Month playlist on Spotify here.
Fenne Lily – Breach
Secret Meeting says:
Having released her first well-received single, Top to Toe, at the tender age of 16, Fenne Lily’s music has consistently reflected her growth. Debut album, On Hold, was a thoughtful indie break-up record, with Lily making use of her breathy vocals for their ‘sadgirl’ qualities. Breach, though, is altogether more mature and multi-faceted. On Breach, Lily’s experimentations with genre and wordplay total an engaging and thought-provoking album: one which is both personal and universal in its reach.
Lomelda – Hannah
Secret Meeting says:
Closeness and intimacy are main takeaways from Hannah’s 36 minutes too. Read’s voice is minimally – sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with the instrumentation in the mix, as her delivery ranges from conversational to soaring, and is impressive when self-accompanied in vocal harmony. This format works especially well for putting across feeling through Read’s esoteric musings on human connection. Hannah emotionally journeys from being ‘light like kisses’ to speechless – ‘shining sad in shadowing blue’ – by the record’s end, but most of all grapples with identity. Read leaves a question after her own name unanswered in Stranger Sat By Me, and only starts to respond in Hannah Happiest, while directly reassuring herself through a speechless moment in lounging Tom Waits-esque closer, Hannah Please.
Lawn – Johnny
Secret Meeting says:
Johnny has been conceived by the band as an album that needed to document their ferocious live experience, Johnny is a collection of fresh takes with a passing nod to the nostalgic feel of the past. Lead single, Nightime Creatures, feels thrillingly new, yet with an inescapable air of early 90’s American rock, whilst the thundering Summertime is a brand of riotous fury in the mould of Parquet Courts.
Hannah Georgas – All That Emotion
Secret Meeting says:
All That Emotion sees Hannah Georgas torn between the memories, both good and bad, and this nuanced mixture of contrasting reality is what makes the LP so interesting. From the very first image on the album’s artwork, Georgas challenges the listener to look beyond the surface – to accompany her on a tumultuous journey of emotional ups and downs, and to look beyond what your eyes can see. Georgas has not only made an album where the songs and the artwork work together, she takes the listener by the hand and guides them through her experiences. All That Emotion proves she has a quite remarkable gift.
Bill Callahan – Gold Record
Secret Meeting says:
While Callahan is unlikely to score an actual gold disc anytime soon, Gold Record furthers his case as one of the great all-time songsmiths, and although he drops in ‘Hello I’m Johnny Cash’ and ‘Sincerely, L Cohen’ in the opening track as a playful dig at those who make the comparison – there is a reason that his name is regularly mentioned alongside these songwriting heavyweights.
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