Saturday, November 9, 2024

2024 Album Showdown Results: Tier 6 Part 5


Leprous - Melodies of Atonement VS. Birth - Born

Leprous - Melodies of Atonement


Born is a beefy chunk of retro-prog, for sure, and one packed with technical, patinated playing.  I don’t necessarily walk away humming their songs, though, while Melodies of Atonement’s more pop-inspired aspects have an earwormish way.  It also doesn’t hurt that those tunes are imprinted with Einar Solberg’s vocals.




Azmari - Maelstrom VS. Altin Gun - Ask


Azmari - Maelstrom


Both of these European cross-cultural ensembles are equally seductive and inventive.  Of the two, however, I would venture to say that Azmari is the more musically adventurous.




Mo Dotti - Opaque VS. The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field


The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field


Its the tunes, plain and simple.  Mo Dotti’s are excellent, especially within their shoegaze frame, but The Beth’s melodicism and energy wins out.




Floating Points - Cascade VS. Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar


Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar


Huge, huge, HUGE upset here.  Floating Points has been behind some of my absolute favorite music for the past two years, which probably casts a bit of an unfair shadow on Cascade.  It is an absolutely brilliant EDM album - probably one of the best I’ve heard in years - but it just doesn’t break genre barriers in the way that I am used to hearing from Floating Points.  The arresting compositional craft of Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar, coupled with its inherent nostalgic qualities, gave it a surprising edge.




Viewer’s Choice


Leprous - Melodies of Atonement VS. Bill Fisher - How to Think Like a Millionaire


Bill Fisher - How to Think Like a Millionaire




Azmari - Maelstrom VS. Glass Beams - Mahal


Azmari - Maelstrom



Mo Dotti - Opaque VS. The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field


The Beths - Expert in a Dying Field



Floating Points - Cascade VS. Disasterpeace - Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar


Floating Points - Cascade



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