Crucial Releases: August 22

Lots of good albums this week! Eight total albums that are worth your time, depending on what genres you like... The one I am going to feature is one I've been looking forward to for awhile: private music by Deftones (Listen)

I was very much looking forward to this album as a follow up to their last album, Ohms. To prepare, I spent a good amount of time re-visiting their back catalog, as I hadn't spent enough time with many of the older albums.

Prior to private music coming out I listened to: White Pony, Diamond Eyes, Gore, Saturday Night Wrist, Koi No Yokan, and Ohms... that time reinforced my opinion that Ohms was my favorite. I think it's the most complete album, start to finish... sure there are highlights on other albums, like "Change (in the house of flies)", "Romantic Dreams", "Rocket Skates", etc... but the overall quality on Ohms can't be beat.

If you were wondering, Gore and Saturday Night Wrist are definitely my least favorite on that list, but if I had to pick an order behind Ohms, it would be White Pony, Koi No Yokan, Diamond Eyes, then those two...

Deftones are obviously an immensely popular band, but this listen through has given me an even greater appreciation for the band and their songwriting. Musically, it's just a perfect combination of metal, post-hardcore, and shoegaze. I hear H.R.'s vocal influences from Bad Brains (as well as musically too), Tool and Faith No More too, Smashing Pumpkins, post-hardcore bands like Quicksand and Orange 9mm... My Bloody Valentine, The Cure. Just a stellar list of influences. I'm a big fan.

With private music, the band doubles down on the formula that gave them Ohms... very post-hardcore, very shoegaze, very The Cure influenced. I dig it. I'm still leaning towards Ohms being my overall favorite, but I think private music is top 3 in their discography. A very good album top to bottom, with little (or any) filler – I suspect it will be in my top 20 for the year, if not top 10.

Favorite tracks: "infinite source", "my mind is a mountain", and "milk of the madonna"

Honorable Mentions

I Hope We Can Still Be Friends by Dean Johnson (Listen)

Live Laugh Love by Earl Sweatshirt (Listen)

Blue Reminder by Hand Habits (Listen)

Bury the Key by TOPS (Listen)

The Clearing by Wolf Alice (Listen)

It's a Beautiful Place by Water From Your Eyes (Listen)

The Sound a Body Makes When It's Still by Hot Mulligan (Listen)

Enjoy! See you in a few days...

--Jason

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