Emancipator - Soon It Will Be Cold Enough

While this album isn't exactly new, (released 2007) I just got my hands on it and thought it was of the same caliber of Bonobo or Boards of Canada. The now 21-year-old Emancipator put this release together when he was just 19 using all real time sampled instrumentation or simple one-shot beats (single notes arranged in composition). His result was a down tempo, hip-hop infused ambient album that is simply beautiful. From the glitchy acoustic guitar parts in the pseudo title track "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough to Build Fires" to the tightly programmed drums that lay the back beat for the soaring violin in "Anthem" and the mind-easing vocal samples in "When I Go", the album doesn't let up. The entire 64 minute album is simply epic.

Just goes to show - who knows what you can do at 19 these days...

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Umphrey's McGee - Mantis

Umphrey's McGee's sixth studio album is certainly an evolution of their sound. While still managing to maintain the quick changes and tension/release stylings that made the band who they are, the band is definitely seeking a much more refined sound. Songs like 'Made to Measure' are very catchy and could appeal to a much larger fanbase with a simpler, more lyrical focus and '1394' caters to the more beat oriented fans. On the other hand, the band still put some songs on the album showcasing it's instrumental chops, such as the title track, 'Mantis', and 'Spires' where the group shows off the tightly woven improvisational jams they're most known for. Overall, while I'm not sure if the album really put the band in a "new era", but it certainly is a solid blend of where this band has been progressing to over the last three or four years mixed with their older, more agressive sound.

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Eliot Lipp - Peace Love Weed 3D

Eliot Lipp's new full length album is by far my favorite release of his. The album diversifies it's sound while keeping seemless flow throughout the whole disk. With more ambient undertones and heavier bass than most of his previous work, he is certainly trying to evolve his sound while maintaining that classic synth sound.

Oh, and every track clocks in at exactly 4:20...

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Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself

Telefon Tel Aviv (Joshua Eustis and Charlie Cooper)'s third studio release is certainly most cohesive album the duo has put out to date, combining the glitchy-ambient sound that set them apart in the first place (see Fahrenheit Fair Enough) with the more composed melodies showcased as the pair has developed (Map of What is Effortless). The album has great flow from front to back, and will lift you up with the more upbeat tracks, such as "I Made a Tree on the (World) Wold" and darker, contrasting tracks like "Your Every Idol" and songs like "You Are the Worst Thing In the World" really show how far the group has come.

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