Tortoise: Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey)
Issuing its first full-length album of new material in five years, the incomparable instrumental quintet known as Tortoise makes a marked shift from its previous two albums.
Those predecessors, Standards and It's All Around You, ushered in a new era of melodic beauty that integrated synthesizers, vibraphones/marimbas, samples, and jazz guitarist Jeff Parker into the band's mixture of indie rock, post-rock, and dub.
Beacons of Ancestorship packs up the mallets to emphasize the synths, but the album's sonic palette is the most diverse of any Tortoise release. Metamorphosing grooves lead to moments of exotic strings, fuzz bass, noodling guitar hammer-ons, and snare-heavy cadences. Even a touch of spaghetti Western directs "The Fall of Seven Diamonds Plus One."
It may take a few listens, but Tortoise fans are sure to love this one.
Serengeti & Polyphonic: Terradactyl (Anticon)
Creative multi-genre rapper Serengeti has long held esteem in Chicago indie hip-hop community, where he has frequently crossed streams with producer Polyphonic.
On Terradactyl, the duo's second album and first for Anticon, unorthodox rhymes land alongside bass synth, acoustic guitar, cello, digitized bleeps, and restrained IDM sounds. Special guests Adam "Doseone" Drucker, Buck 65, and Renee-Louise Carafice make appreciated vocal cameos, but 'Geti has skills that need no augmentation.
The duo's live instruments and unusual sound may alienate closed-minded listeners. Nevertheless, with the national influence and distribution of Anticon, Terradactyl should announce Serengeti & Polyphonic as an inspirational new voice in indie rap.
The Mars Volta: Octahedron (Warner Bros.)
Maintaining his rabid album-a-year pace (in addition to his countless other projects), tireless guitarist Omar Rodriguez Lopez puts another Mars Volta disc under his belt with this move to Warner.
In contrast to last year's Bedlam in Goliath, Octahedron is a rather subdued affair, offering poppier passages, verse-chorus-verse balladry, and softer sounds from singer Cedric Bixler Zavala. The album has a decidedly less progressive feel, but alien-esque effects and nimble guitar work are still present. Fans that have been waiting for a more-accessible Mars Volta disc should enjoy Octahedron.
