OHYUNG’s Ambient Take on Lockdown Anxiety Is a Masterwork
Conceived out of the pandemic’s hopelessness, outre-art rapper and film composer OHYUNG has crafted a two-hour ambient record for the ages in imagine naked!.
Evan Sawdey
Evan Sawdey started contributing to PopMatters in late 2005, and has also had his work featured in publications such as Entertainment Weekly, SLUG Magazine, YardBarker, The Daily Dot, and many more. He has been a guest on HuffPost Live, RevotTV's "Revolt Live!", and WNYC's Soundcheck (an NPR affiliate), was the Executive Producer for the Good With Words: A Tribute to Benjamin Durdle album ( available for free), and wrote the liner notes for the 2011 re-release of Andre Cymone's hit 1985 album A.C. (Big Break Records), the 2012 re-release of 'Til Tuesday's 1985 debut Voices Carry (Hot Shot Records), among others. He is the co-founder and host of The Chartographers, a podcast for pop music nerds, and previously hosted PopTalk for PopMatters. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. You can follow him @SawdEye should you be so inclined.
Amadou & Mariam’s 10-Year-Old ‘Folila’ Has Always Been a Masterpiece
In collaborating with hip indie acts, Amadou & Mariam met with critical rebuke. Ten years on, Folila is a masterpiece that bridges the gap between two sonic worlds.
King Garbage’s Beautiful Mess of a Sophomore Album Is a Garage-Soul Classic
From marching band drums to gritty guitar lines to hip-hop beats, the dusty anything-goes soul-pop approach of King Garbage doesn’t have any contemporaries.
Confidence Man Confidently ‘TILT’ to Disposable ’90s Pop
Australia’s mystery-goof quartet Confidence Man unleashed a supremely confident debut in 2018, but after years of waiting, they’re finally back with a ’90s sheen on TILT.
Tor Lundvall’s Moody Mastery Continues Unabated on ‘Beautiful Illusions’
The master of moodiness Tor Lundvall returns with Beautiful Illusions, a sad but sometimes gorgeous collection of breathless ambient wallowing.
The Wombats (Again) Deliver One Hell of a Dance-Rock ‘Fix’
After an extended break and freak TikTok hit, the Wombats are back at their dance-rocking best on Fix Yourself, Not the World.
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The 11 Best Ambient Albums of 2021
Studies have shown how the global pandemic has changed our listening habits, and for those seeking calm, these 11 are the best ambient albums of the year.
Aesop Rock’s Overdue Blockhead Collaboration Is More Forward-Thinking Than Expected
Aesop Rock finally reunites with his longtime producer Blockhead for a hip-hop record less focused on nostalgia and more about depicting our paranoid present.
This Hushed Acoustic Pop Duo Say “Hovvdy” to Their Best Album in Years
After a disappointingly bland 2019 album, the hushed emotions of acoustic strummers Hovvdy are back in full force on the stellar new set, True Love.
Spencer Cullum Drops the Twang for a British-Folk Solo Debut Destined to Be a Cult Classic
A peerless session musician looking to branch out on his own, Spencer Cullum mines his British-folk inspirations for a lush and lovely solo album.
The Brilliance of Brothertiger’s Secret Instrumental Masterpieces
After a year of livestreaming and a personal setback, there’s no better time to appreciate the quietly underrated instrumental trilogy Brothertiger created amidst the pandemic.
Guitarist Nate Mercereau Transcends in Finding Solace in Isolation
The pandemic has yielded a number of lockdown musical creations, but guitarist Nate Mercereau captures the sadness and quiet joy better than most.