Dead Oceans Vinyl & CDs

Review: Bright Eyes' new album, Five Dice, All Threes, set for release via Dead Oceans, showcs their signature intensity and tenderness on full display. The first track, 'Bells and Whistles,' is a rollicking, anthemic bop that gallavants from NY to LA, with lacerating lyrics referencing Banksy, Princess Diana, and more. Conor Oberst's voice conveys a sense of life-or-death gravity, drawing listeners into the visceral thrill of the music. Self-produced and recorded at ARC in Omaha, the album features guest performances from Cat Power, Matt Berninger, and Alex Orange Drink. Bright Eyes continue to honour the album as an exalted art form, delivering songs that are confessional, unguarded, and imbued with emotional stakes. Five Dice, All Threes embodies the band's enduring influence and fearless evolution. The art does not stop with the music either. This beautiful package comes complete with red and orange splattered vinyl 2xLP (side 4 etched) in spot-varnished sleeve.

Review: Aaron Frazer's Into The Blue is a kaleidoscopic journey through the depths of emotion, blending soul, psychedelia, and hip-hop into a sonic odyssey. Frazer's falsetto soars over cinematic strings and breakbeats, painting a portrait of heartbreak and healing as he ventures from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Tracks like the haunting title track and the explosive 'Payback' showcase Frazer's mastery of blending raw emotion with intricate production. With Grammy-winner Alex Goose as co-producer, Frazer delves into new sonic territories, incorporating iPhone recordings and samples from unexpected sources like 90s r&b group Hi-Five. The result is a bold and daring album that pushes boundaries while staying true to Frazer's unmistakable style. Into The Blue is not just a record; it's a testament to resilience and the power of music to uplift even in the darkest times.

Review: Aaron Frazer's Into The Blue is a daring fusion of soul, psychedelia, disco and hip-hop, reflecting the multi-instrumentalist's range and sonic exploration. Conceived amidst heartbreak and a cross-country move, the album delves into themes of grief, loneliness, and healing, while also celebrating love and new beginnings. Frazer's unmistakable falsetto and classic songwriting shine through, accompanied by live instruments and innovative production techniques. The title track, 'Into The Blue', sets a haunting tone with cinematic strings and breakbeats, while 'Payback' delivers an explosive dancefloor experience. Throughout the album, towering arrangements reminiscent of David Axelrod blend with rawness, incorporating iPhone recordings and one-take vocals. Co-produced by Grammy-winner Alex Goose, Into the Blue also features Frazer's experimentation with samples from unexpected sources. Despite its origins in heartbreak, Into the Blue offers listeners a sense of optimism, reminding them that amidst grief, there can still be moments of joy. Frazer's album showcases his growth as an artist, reaching new heights while exploring the depths of human emotion.

Review: Michelle Zauner's music is lovely as ever on this, her fourth Japanese Breakfast album. Again, it's a thing of exciting beauty and big emotions, soft sounds and melancholic melodies. Harmonies that wrap us in thoughts of pure romance and falling head over heels, these sepia hued images cast from the memory bank of treasured moments made painful, then reflective and warming, by the passing of time. Clearly part of the loved and lost club, Zauner's songs almost feel effortless in their ability to invoke such tangible and raw feelings without really insisting on themselves. This is thoughtfulness with a capital T, set against a meandering backdrop of soft rock, indie balladry, and swooning string pop. As complex as it is easy to fathom - the unmistakable work of a human artist.

Review: Japanese Breakfast's fourth album is the first that they've recorded in a proper studio. They traded their usual makeshift spaces for the holy grail of recording studios: Sound City in Los Angeles. That's where Nirvana's Nevermind was recorded and Dave Grohl spotlighted in a major documentary. To make the most of the space they hired Perfume Genius, Laura Marling and Fiona Apple producer Blake Mills and together they've crafted a stunning album that, as the title indicates, takes the listener on a more melancholic journey than ever before. 'Orlando In Love' marries the strum of an acoustic guitar with stately string sections and it feels vulnerable yet hopeful. Meanwhile, 'Mega Circuit' works around a vocal melody that wouldn't be amiss in a Katy J Pearson song. In terms of the mix, it's an ambitious and sonically colourful affair with plenty to hold onto and keep the listener discovering new elements upon each listen.

Review: Produced by Grammy winner Blake Mills, For Melancholy Brunettes sees Michelle Zauner move away from the bright energy of Jubilee to explore darker, more introspective themes. The album delves into the complex emotional landscape of melancholy, capturing the bittersweetness of desire and "the perilous pursuit of one's dreams." Reflecting on her transformative rise, which includes the success of Jubilee and Crying in H Mart, Zauner contemplates the dangers of longing and the consequences of unchecked ambition. The album's narrative unfolds through themes of temptation, regret and reflection and though that sounds heavy it culminates in a hopeful listen.

Review: Cassandra Jenkins solidifies her place among the elite songwriters with My Light, My Destroyer, an album that marks an exciting evolution in her artistry. Drawing comparisons to luminaries like David Berman and Sufjan Stevens, Jenkins delivers precise, evocative songwriting infused with humor and brutal honesty. The album expands on Jenkins' signature style, incorporating field recordings and found sound to create complex sonic landscapes. Jenkins' vocals, reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens and Annie Lennox, are up close and intimate yet subtly confrontational, commanding attention with their power-whisper delivery. Exploring themes of disillusionment and focused observation, tracks like 'Devotion,' 'Delphinium Blue,' and 'Only One' offer poignant reflections on the human experience. Jenkins embraces disillusionment as a process of discovery, celebrating the freedom found in letting go of expectations.

Review: Mrcy, the duo of producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson, fuse soulful self-expression with a modern sensibility. Drawing from their distinct backgrounds, they blend Marvin Gaye's warmth with the genre-defying sounds of Anderson .Paak. First connecting over Instagram during the pandemic, their music reflects both individual perspectives and shared experiences. Debut single 'Lorelei' captures this essence, with their upcoming project, 'volume 1', offering a mix of commanding vocals, empathy, and compassion. Mrcy's music is a personal yet universal exploration of soul, grit and the magic of everyday life.

Review: Alongside Neon Indian and Washed Out, South Carolina-born singer, songwriter, record producer and graphic designer Toro Y Moi is often cited as a spearhead of the early-2010s chillwave resurgence that captivating the US before spreading to the UK through platforms such as BBC 6 Music. The bilingual moniker is almost as poetic as the music itself, which has always been thought provoking, to put it mildly. Hole Erth is the tenth studio album to come from this lackadaisical maestro, and lands two years after the critically acclaimed Mahal. Again, it's deep dive stuff you'd have to be mad or hard of hearing not to get lost in. A sumptuous feast of sounds which are as easy on the ear as they are poignant in the mind. Once again, it's pretty unmissable.

Review: Toro y Moi's Hole Erth, marks a bold shift for Chaz Bear. Combining anthemic pop-punk and autotuned rap, the album reflects his childhood punk and emo influences alongside his hip-hop production strength. The lead single, 'Tuesday,' exemplifies this fusion with serrated guitar tones and a soaring chorus. Featuring artists like Don Toliver, Kevin Abstract, and Benjamin Gibbard, Hole Erth features Bear's deft production and genre-fluidity. It's a daring yet effortless blend of electronic roots and modern sounds, capturing Toro y Moi's essence of constant evolution and experimentation.