Reviews
June: 18 albums you need to hear this month
You've got a lot of listening to do
Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve 'The Soft Bounce' (Phantasy)
Richard Norris and Erol Alkan have been remixing, re-editing and dropping tracks as BTWS for so long – over a decade, in fact – that it feels odd that this is their debut album, but they’ve clearly been perfecting their craft. All the whimsical psych pop, glam rock, Krautrock and freakbeat they’ve always dealt in is here, along with increasing hints of 80s shoegaze, 90s indie-dance and some intense ambient interludes. The whole album is perfectly paced, with hypnotic grooves and simple songwriting: density and space are constantly played off each other, helping to create something that should be taken in as a whole. It’s been well worth the wait.
8/10
