Album Reviews: Soulwax, Thee Soreheads, Melody’s Echo Chamber

Soulwax – All Systems Are Lying
Ghent, Belgium

Between their DJ work and remixes and albums specifically built around radio sets, it’s not hard to forget briefly that Soulwax has an equally rock-centric run. Their latest effort on this foot leans into a much more cinematic scope, feeling like it was intended to score a film at times. And while this is a cool turn for the depth of their sound, it often leaves the album less climactic, punchy and overtly singular as all their other music tends to be. There’s a cool, dirty neon to “Run Free” that feels like a getaway chase at night, where the wind is soaring past the heroes and there’s a moody slo-mo fading in to throw a moment of beauty into the chaos. The closest throwback we get to Nite Versions comes on “All Systems Are Lying,” where the rise of the chant and slow grime out of their synths make for a fun combo, though one that ultimately feels like it could’ve been more explosive, despite how well finessed many other textures are on the track. “Polaris” feels born out of another cinematic inspiration as it rises like a tidal wave but also underplays itself at times until it’s so big you can hear every inch of its hazy and frantic electronica. The pair’s rock roots come blaring out on “Hot Like Sahara,” as they give us a fleeting glimpse of how raucous they can still be, while also maxing out all the power of their modern production techniques in all the tone they layer on their instruments

Thee Soreheads – I’m Not Your Fucking Sex Doll
Montreal

Where many punk bands can dull their edges when they move their tracks to a record, Thee Soreheads use the opportunity to push the envelope about as far as it will go. With blistering production and a no-holds-barred set of performances, this is a record that wants you to get angry and push back. “3 Strikes” roars out with a cutting riff and exhilarating chant that brings all the brash fun of early Be Your Own Pet in just a few minutes. With the groove already a funky playground as “No Means No” kicks off, letting the playful ratcheting up of the tension and chaos all the more frantic, like you’re inside Maria Jimenez’s head, or being thrown into a mosh pit on each chorus. There’s such a bite to “Ratlike” that it constantly feels like you’re being spun through a blender and torn to shreds at the same time, as the song basically becomes atomized by its finale as you’d hope the monster that inspired it would be too. “Help” wraps things on a more pop-driven note that keeps things bouncing but always scored by a torrent of slicing guitars and explosive drums.

Melody’s Echo Chamber – Unclouded
Aix-en-Provence, France

As she continues to keep her breaks between records lower than her first one, Melody Prochet has focused in her sound to core values. With so many songs short and to the point, the only thing that could take this album higher is giving a little more exploration or melodic variety to the mix. “The House That Doesn’t Exist” opens things in a symphonic swing, ditching a traditional chorus back and forth in favor of giving us a sweep of the amazing arrangements the album has in store for us. After another similarly thematic track, “Flowers Turn Into Gold” let’s the instrumentalists bring a little more personal flourish and lash out, keeping the world of the record alive while jolting you up at the same time. There’s a lot of direct rock charge on “Eyes Closed,” with Prochet layering her arrangements in a way to give the ebb and flow of them in the mix a more delicious and satisfying power. There’s a more playful and frantic pop influence on “Into Shadows” that gives Prochet room to let the guitar and string combos fly differently and the rush of her rhythm section take a more fast and forward direction.

Satellite Birdhouse – The Big Reveal (Single)
Ottawa

Brimming with a mix of rustic charms and a bubbling synth glow, Satellite Birdhouse paints a luminescent scene on “The Big Reveal.” As the song goes on, nature itself seems baked into the track with the snowy, windy tones, and a kind of glossy magic that feels like ice forming before your eyes. The bouncy rise of the chorus adds a fun fire to the track, with each one expanding the keys and guitars more until that triumphant solo rips the song right into a whole new elevation, as it takes on a whole other notch of layers and rounds into its arrangements. It’s this growing and often celebratory feeling that makes the song so fun to listen to, and lets its final chorus feel like such an unpredictable joy.

Stella Donnelly – Love and Fortune
Perth/Melbourne, Australia

As she moves away from more overt pop, Stella Donnelly’s storytelling takes even more of a central focus on her latest album. Though things do tend to slow down and strip back quite a bit from other records, she opens her songs up to more dynamics, providing some amazing moments where songs build and evolve into something even more powerful than her prior work. Shifting to a more open and instrumentally open force, “Standing Ovation” sets the album off on a dark synth ballad before opening into a searing and exciting rush of guitars and crisp vocals. “Feel It Change” breathes like gusts coming in as you open a window, as the track slowly hits a high of tension and then blows away all the greys into sunny waves of truthful lyrics and guitars. There’s a sharp burst of colour from the pianos through the slow crawl of “Year of Trouble” as Donnelly really strips away more of the instrumentals she’s become known for and shows off how powerful her voice is as a writer and arranger, no matter what she’s playing. The cool airy tones of “Laying Low” give sweet textures to transport your mind, as you sink into the sense of unease that Donnelly is locked into.

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