Next Tuesday is a particuarly busy release date for new albums. From The Black Keys’ Turn Blue to Swans’ To Be Kind and the posthumous Michael Jackson album, Xscape, it seems there’s a new record for everyone. Keeping up with individual songs, meanwhile, is a different, less predictable process. With surprise returns from Shabazz Palaces and Braid, this week reminded us why we stay on our toes.
10. Dawn Golden – “Discoloration”
The debut from Dawn Golden on Diplo’s Mad Decent Records, Still Life, isn’t what you would expect from the bombastic electronic label. Instead of honing schizophrenic dance fixtures, Dawn tranquilly stops time with each tone from his synthesizer, especially on opening track “Discoloration”. As his attention is choked by a telephone that won’t ring no matter how much he wishes it would, his production intensifies with pulsing samples, chimes, and beautiful vocoder harmonies. His sorrow for his lost lover will “[swallow you] whole”, but the song’s warmth permeates, dwindling the heartache some. Listen to a stream of this track (and the entirety of Still Life) here. –Sam Willett
