Music

Bandcamping: The 5 Best Underground Albums of September 2017

by Derrick Rossignol
Sep 30 2017 • 5:30 PM

Fall has fallen… or risen, if you’re less worried about the pun making sense. Anyway, a new season means it’s time for new music, so as we do each month, we’ve scoured Bandcamp for the latest and greatest under-the-radar released for your and our listening pleasure. Check out what this week’s Bandcamping has to offer below, starting with:

5. EP by Precious Earth

Genre: soul, indie
If you like: nice things

Smooth. That’s the best way to describe this short four track collection from Melbourne duo Precious Earth. Silky and soulful R&B vibes take off to a comforting place that lives in the mid-tempo sphere. “Lexus” is the clear highlight here, a lovely and relaxing track that’s the musical equivalent of laying in the shadow of an orange-leaved tree on a warm fall day.

4. Look, See, Sun by Heron Hunt

Genre: indie folk
If you like: The Head And The Heart, Fleet Foxes, The Shins

Heron Hunt, the musical side-project of UK designer David Doran, is off to a gorgeous start with its debut EP. Songs like “Homesick” are driving while maintaining a warm and low tempo, and it and the rest of the EP has a charming simplicity that’s tough to crystallize. It’s a pleasant mix of songs that feel like a cozy blanket, so wrap yourself up.

3. Church Of Void by Church Of Void

Genre: metal, rock
If you like: Mastodon, Black Sabbath

If you’ve browsed Bandcamp’s new releases as much as I have, you know that the platform is filled with a ton of under-produced metal. That’s not the case with Finland’s Church Of Void, though, whose self-titled album is a wonderful mix of metal both vintage and contemporary. Sometimes you get that prototypical Black Sabbath vibe, and other times, it feels more akin to contemporary rock-leaning metal groups like Mastodon or Baroness. It’s metal in the best sense of the word.

2. Twins by James Wyatt Crosby

Genre: indie rock, alternative rock
If you like: Wilco, Band Of Horses, Beck

Toronto’s James Wyatt Crosby is out here making indie rock that’s all over the map but also coherent. He gets a bit electronic on album opener “Pray On It,” while songs like “Nobody Else” take a more straightforward and melodic, ’90s-influenced rock approach and “Candyfloss” is a jaunty and bubbly number with some alt-country vibes. It’s a diverse listen that’s as much a testament to Crosby’s sense of adventure as it is his songwriting chops.

1. Shelter by Charm Days

Genre: electronic
If you like: Bonobo, Four Tet, Arms And Sleepers

The cover art for this one hits the nail directly on the head: Fall is the perfect time to fall into hazy beat-driven instrumentals. That’s what Charm Days is up to here, and it’s perfect to play while watching the leaves change color. Tracks like album opener “Shelter” marry bass-heavy beats with more airy sounds for a broad dynamic, and that’s a common theme throughout the record that creates a gorgeous and engaging listening experience.

Honorable Mentions

No.1 by If We Were Turtles
Genre: math rock, post-rock
If you like: I don’t know enough about math rock to say, I suppose. It’s good, though.

Pondwater by Pondwater
Genre: indie rock, alternative rock
If you like: The World Is A Beautiful Place And I’m No Longer Afraid To Die, Manchester Orchestra

That’s all for September, but until next time, let us know in the comments which of these albums were your favorites, what we missed, and what we should look forward to. If you missed out on August, check it out here (and the complete Bandcamping archives are here).

Listen to more tunes!