Albums
December: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Andrew Weatherall, Solange, Roman Flügel and more
Ulrich Schnauss 'No Further Ahead Than Today' (Scripted Realities)
Ulrich Schnauss has always been a connoisseur’s favourite. His albums ‘Far Away Trains Passing By’ and ‘A Strangely Isolated Place’ are two of the best ever in Balearic circles, and his remixes for Depeche Mode, Howling Bells and more have consistently hit the spot. His new LP feels like a return to the resonance of his earlier work. Tracks such as ‘Melt Into Air’ and ‘Love Grows Out Of Thin Air’ demonstrate that Schnauss can still make you swoon from 50 paces. On ‘The Magic In You’, he heads down a scorched road that we wish Trentemøller had trodden for a little longer, while ‘Thoughtless Motion’ is celestial acid of the very highest order. Ralph Moore
8/10
Tiger & Woods 'On The Green Again' (T&W Records)
‘On The Green Again’ completes Tiger & Woods’ journey from fledgling edit kings to established disco dons. It’s their second album since 2011’s standout debut and is a fully realised, wholly accomplished affair that’s stuffed with colour, cosmic charm and boogie basslines. So sugary are its gushing tracks (all of which eschew their usual love of sampling) that your eyes will water as the pumping stabs and joyous arps ring out over and over. Thankfully, some more tender moments exist along the way, too, acting as a palate-cleanser before another dazzling assault of drums and squelchy keys. Flashes of 80s electro sleaze, throwback house and glossy diva vocals all add to the fun. Kristan J Caryl
8/10
