Deep Cuts. An idea spurred by those countless playlist drifters, jumping from single to single, without investigating albums further. Here you'll find the five best 2021 songs discovered by Dozens Of Donuts in the previous month, not given exposure via the duty of lead single. The only condition I've imposed upon myself is that no artist can have more than one song.
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Strange Fire - Leaving Eden
Strange Fire | Post-Rock
Some Bandcamp discovery, Strange Fire's brand of Electronic-fused Post-Rock occasionally lands, but oftentimes overcompensates for a lack of credible songwriting. That isn't the case on 'Leaving Eden,' its stripped-back acoustic centerpiece. Vocals both heartfelt and heartbroken, laid bare against the contrast of autotune elsewhere. There's a tinge of Bon Iver, split between his self-titled era and that of 22, A Million. However, come track's end a new influencer can be heard: Tycho. Yes, of all people, Tycho's identifiable brand of Downtempo rush ends 'Leaving Eden' with enough emotive force to propel Strange Fire into upstarts to keep one's eye on.
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King Gizzard - Interior People
Butterfly 3000 | Psychedelic Pop
Butterfly 3000 is best experienced in one sitting, like a bulk of King Gizzard's best material. The continuous strand of ideas flourishes, slithering from one mountain of psychedelic escape to the next. 'Interior People' is but one cog of that wheel, though its subdued Synthpop catchiness and Anatolian Rock progression unveil yet another facet of King Gizzard's dualistic existence. Of course, psychedelic music falls in that vast middle ground, where they live comfortably. However, the accelerating rhythms and dance-savvy grooves paint an interesting comparison in W.H. Lung. For those unaware of that name, I'll leave you with this: Incidental Music.
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Obtuse obsession over Sweet Trip's dreamscape proved to be A Tiny House's fatal flaw. Too many songs, of enduring lengths, indolently parading in bliss. Yet it's this exact approach that makes for an epic send-off, regardless of band or album. Paradise is most satisfying as a final reward, not reality, as strange as that sounds. 'At Last A Truth That Is Real' permeates this philosophy, garnishing Sweet Trip's aesthetic with a wave of exultant resonation. The last half, after a coy and preparatory first, builds stair after stair on its ascension towards heaven. At first, exaggerated in length (at three whopping minutes), it's these exact moments where fans beg for more. And we got it.
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Though not as psychotic as 'John L' or alarmist as 'Slow,' 'Diamond Stuff's' tedious saunter towards breakthrough is perhaps black midi's most impressive artistic statement to date. The perpetuating feeling of limbo, accentuated by each insistent pluck and spatial weightlessness, does a better job conveying Cameron Picton's outlook on life on 'Slow' than 'Slow' itself. However, the pay-off is unlike anything heard before. It's Dream Pop made by rockers, engrossing and lush, fast-moving yet entirely serene. A captivating achievement that transports listeners to an alternate reality of "what ifs."
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After two singles that stood paradoxical to one another in 'Be Sweet' and 'Posing In Bondage,' expectations were piqued for the first few moments of Jubilee. Rather than Disco or Chillwave, Japanese Breakfast integrated a third curious mixture: Baroque Pop. A swelling horn arrangement dominates a hook imbued in the fabric of a tropical extravaganza. To reach such an apex in less than a minute's time is no short feat. 'Paprika' carries that majesty throughout, parading around main street percussion and Zauner's own prepubescent cries. It's anime come to life.
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