My Autumn Empire - ii (2012, Wayside & Woodland)

Second solo album for Ben Holton (Epic45), exploring a much more straightforward folk-pop approach, à la Elliott Smith and Sparklehorse, with the previous Hood references mostly swept under the carpet.

It's charming but mostly it is sleep inducing. I'm a little bit at loss when I come to compare this record with his previous one, "The Village Compass" as there is nothing in the same vein. Nostalgic UK autumnal folk influences have been replaced by nonchalant late summer US (indie) pop references.

Pastoral - pastoral (2012)

I recently reviewed the "Believe you me" EP by Drops, solo project of Liam Hennessy, writing that it sounded close to an American indie influenced version of Umber, solo project of Alex Steward, both from Nottingham, UK.

We are now one step further with a purely American instrumental solo project. Pastoral is Zachary Thachet, from Huntington Beach, California and his debut EP sounds as warm, as positive, as euphoric than the two others, even more. 

Federico Durand - El libro de los árboles mágicos (2012, Home Normal)

Fourth album by Federico Durand, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I have the feeling that I never stopped listening to his music since I discovered "La siesta del ciprés", "Elin" and later "El éxtasis de las flores pequeñas".

While starting to listen this new album, I had no special expectations, just the certitude to expand his lovely atmospheres and to welcome a few more of his sensitivity and aesthetic experiences in my daily aural environment.

T̶o̶n̶g̶u̶e̶ - demo (2012)

Ryan from Megan & Amelia/DEERS!/Matsuri, Andrew from Matsuri/Ten Thousand Leagues, Conrad from John Cota and Nik from Calculator are forming T̶o̶n̶g̶u̶e̶.

This is their first demo and they belong to the post-hardcore genre and are potentially my favorite discovery in this category since Ohana. They are the grandchildren of bands such as Hoover, Bitch Magnet, Slint, Four Hundred Years or Rodan.

Bart and Friends - there may come a time (2012, Matinée)

I was surprised to read that it's the first EP of Bart & Friends on Matinée, as they sound like they have always been there. After having been silent during most of the 00's, they now multiply releases in the 10's.