Björk: Biophilia (Nonesuch)

Björk: "Crystalline"

There’s a reason that Björk, the Reykjavík-born queen of avant-garde pop, is a household name and also remains respected as an artist. It’s because she’s adamant that music is an art and be seen as such. Art isn’t always looking to be liked, and Björk’s music — characterized by a vivid and stubborn imagination since the beginning of her solo career in 1992 — is hardly snuggly. There’s always been a chill to it, an intensity we don’t always know what to do with. Biophilia is no exception.

The much-hyped release is as ambitious as anything before it. For weeks, geeked-out music critics have been drawn like moths to a porch light thanks to Biophilia's extra-musical elements, which include an iPad app, featuring graphic explorations of each track; live shows that use custom-made instruments like the Gravity Harp or twin musical Tesla coils; and a laser-laden video by French director and longtime Björk collaborator Michel Gondry. But it would be a shame if people forgot that beneath the chatter is an album. Biophilia may be unique because of its multiplatform release, but that’s not what makes it good.

Musically, it’s expansive, dramatic, and remarkably accessible. “Crystalline” is a pulsing, glowing sleeper that erupts into a hammering drill-’n’-bass salvo. “Virus” uses the hang masterfully, its warm metallic tones being a suitably alien backdrop for Björk’s iconic voice. These intrasong dynamics are great achievements, as is the subtle emphasis on melody. But the most important thing about Biophilia seems to be its subject matter. In the compositions, the lyrics, and — most noticeably — the album art and apps, the central theme is our physical universe. Björk embarks on a meditative musical exploration of nature, science, and technology, and we’re fortunate to be invited. There should be plenty to explore alongside her.

- Text by Timothy S. Aames

Icebird: The Abandoned Lullaby (RJ's Electrical Connections)

Icebird: "Charmed Life"

With his 2007 album The Third Hand, crate-digging DJ RJD2 took a decidedly soulful and organic turn, transforming into a funk-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His newest project, Icebird, is another advancement, joining forces with soul singer Aaron Livingston to craft groove-heavy electro-acoustic jams.

Livingston, who may be best known for an appearance on The Roots' album The Tipping Point, leads each track with his raspy, powerful croons. Though RJ is no slouch on the mic, Livingston's vocal presence allows RJ to entirely focus on production for Icebird, and it shows. The songs and range of sounds are, respectively, some of the best and most diverse of RJ's career; each track bursts with hooks and harmonies but never goes too sugary.

In fact, nearly any given track on The Abandoned Lullaby could serve as a lead single. Mid-album tracks such as "Spirit Ache" — which shines with its harpsichord and glockenspiel tinges alongside synth and bass grooves — are every bit as infectious as the choruses to "Charmed Life" and "Going and Going. And Going." Any fan of RJ's recent works will love Icebird.

Mayer Hawthorne: How Do You Do? (Universal Republic)

Mayer Hawthorne: "A Long Time"

As the soul revival sound goes, Mayer Hawthorne is in a league of singers who strike the proper balance between old school and new school. Yes, the singer’s act takes greatest influence from the early Northern soul era, but there’s more to Hawthorne’s music than a game of name-that-classic-45.

For this sophomore effort, Hawthorne reaches deeper into the late-'60s, early-'70s reference bag to make a no-frills record packed with tolerantly addictive soul hooks. How Do You Do? covers a lot of ground and shows some new sides to Hawthorne’s musical palette with cleaner and more robust production and instrument arrangements. Whether or not his jump to Universal Republic from Stones Throw has anything to do with it is arguable, but Hawthorne finds a way to use time-honored soul maxims to forge an individual sound.

- Text by Michael Nolledo. Read the full review here.

São Paulo Underground: Trés Cabeças Loucuras (Cuneiform)

São Paulo Underground: "Jagoda's Dream"

Fifteen years after the creation of his Chicago Underground workshops and groups, prolific composer/cornetist Rob Mazurek continues to expand his boundaries in exciting new directions.

Trés Cabeças Loucuras is his third album with the São Paulo Underground, an intercontinental quartet that formed in 2000 with the aid of some talented Brazilian multi-instrumentalists. Though Mazurek's Underground incarnations have been more concerned with grooves and melodies than many of his other projects, Trés Cabeças Loucuras presses further into the melodic traditions of his second home.

The music here very much bears Mazurek's style, but it also combines the experimental jazz traditions of Sun Ra to create a type of "cosmic tropicalia." The "miniature guitar" plucking of the cavaquinho combines with deep, buzzing synthesizers, noisy effects, and Mazurek's effortless cornet fluctuations, allowing listeners to enjoy melodies as well as timbral depth. Chicago jazz stalwarts Jason Adasiewicz, John Herndon, and Matthew Lux give "Just Lovin'" and "Six Six Eight" another dynamic layer.

Myrath: Tales of the Sands (Nightmare Records)

Myrath: "Merciless Times"

“Symphonic prog metal” and “North Africa” may not yet be synonymous, but Tunisian metal band Myrath has found its own voice by infusing its compositions with Oriental and Middle Eastern flourishes.

Musically, Myrath (Arabic for “legacy”) writes almost directly from the modern prog-metal playbook, right down to the harmonized keyboard/guitar runs and full-band mid-song showdowns. But Zaher Zorgati’s power/hair-metal vocals reach for a sound more evocative of the ancient Middle East: higher registers, huge vibratos, and inflections that make the band’s sound reflect the pain, confusion, and longing of which Zorgati sings.

Despite the obvious temptation to link Myrath’s music with the upheaval that its homeland witnessed in the early part of the century, the band’s lyrics almost exclusively look inward. Sonically, the group could pass for a roaring war drum, but upon closer inspection, Myrath simply uses big sounds to tackle timeless questions.

- Text by Andrew Reilly. Read our interview with Myrath in Assault of the Earth: Metal Bands from Around the Globe, coming in 2012.

Honorable Mentions

Bill Laswell, Raoul Bjorkenheim & Morgan Agren: Blixt (Cuneiform)

Scott H. Biram: Bad Ingredients (Bloodshot)

Casiokids: Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen (Polyvinyl)

Emika: s/t (Ninja Tune)

Future Islands: On the Water (Thrill Jockey)

Joe Henry: Reverie (Anti-)

Marketa Irglova: Anar (Anti-)

Murs: Love & Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation (DD1)

Rustie: Glass Swords (Warp)

Trash Talk: Awake 7” EP (True Panther)

John Zorn / The Dreamers: A Dreamers Christmas (Tzadik)

[Chromatic, our 400-page exploration of musicians and color, is out now. Order here!]

Incorporating elements of traditional Mexican and Spanish music into his expansive repertoire, tireless composer John Zorn bangs out another soundtrack, this time for a documentary about Mexican dictator Plutarco Elias. Another accessible, beautiful release, El General is scored for guitar, marimba, bass, piano, and accordion, with drums and vibraphone showing up in spurts.

Mountains: Choral (Thrill Jockey)

Making its Thrill Jockey debut, this electro-acoustic duo creates acoustic melodies that breathe with the field recordings and electronics that surround them. Tranquil, crackling bits pile on layers of atmosphere; drones circle around extended passages and repetitive themes. The result is a serene album that is as apt for detached meditation as it is for intense musical focus.

Mountains: "Choral"
Mountains: \"Choral\"

Rob Mazurek Quintet: Sound Is (Delmark)

Following a solo release and albums from Sao Paulo Underground and Exploding Star Orchestra, jazz composer/cornetist Rob Mazurek returns with a new quintet. The group features a loaded lineup of Chicago standouts, including drummer John Herndon (Tortoise), vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz (Rolldown), acoustic bassist Josh Abrams (Black Earth Ensemble), and electric bassist Matthew Lux (Isotope 217).

With 14 new compositions, Sound Is sees Mazurek continuing to push the boundaries of modern jazz while using semi-traditional instruments.

Steven Wilson: Insurgentes (Kscope)

The founder of English rock band Porcupine Tree, guitarist/singer Steven Wilson has taken a wandering path throughout his musical career, traveling through metal, pop rock, progressive psychedelia, and atmospheric ballads.

Wilson's solo debut, Insurgentes, shows a similar penchant for diversity. Rock structures overlap with electronic ambiance, moody acoustic guitars, dark synths, and soft vocal harmonies, making a malleable foundation as Wilson channels Thom Yorke in much of his signing.

A bit of the balladry gets too close to Coldplay and other melodramatic radio artists, but most of the album is an interesting exhibition in songwriting.

Steven Wilson: "Harmony Korine"
Steven Wilson: \"Harmony Korine\"