Kali Uchis Proves Her Stardom Is Well-Deserved; Astrid Sonne Crafts An AOTY Contender in my Hidden Gem Category; and Philip Glass Brings Back the Nostalgia of Quarantine
By Joshua Gutierrez - Editor
With the exception of Kali Uchis, The Smile and Green Day, big name music releases were limited. While I only fell in love with the former of the three listed above, January was an opportunity to expand my “Love” to several Hidden Gem and Ambient/Instrumental Albums.
Without going too far, I will say that Kali Uchis’ is one of the best cross-cultural, genre-spanning artists in music right now, joining the likes of ROSALIA as one of my favorites. I think this is the front-end of a marvelous career and considering the speed in which she has recorded, soon to be a hefty catalog.
Unfortunately, this month saw zero Below Radar Albums selected. While on the threshold of Below Radar status, SLIFT’s “ILION” was nearly on the threshold of making the category and could have easily made an Album of the Month in a stacked field.
Astrid Sonne’s “Great Doubt” is not only an AotM winner in my Hidden Gem category, but should stand as an AOTY contender by year’s end. Not too sure how many would even agree with me, but the combination of gorgeous electronic experimentation coupled with some deep lyrical introspection is just Playlist Odyssey gold.
My Ambient/Instrumental album recommendations totaled 5, the most of any category. As my odyssey continues to evolve, it is apparent my love of ambient, instrumental and classical continues to grow. Philip Glass’ “Philip Glass Solo” was my AotM, followed closely by Katia Crow’s “Whispers from the Bloc Obscure.”
Here’s to another great month of music!!!
1 Million + Albums of the Month
Artists With Above 1 Million Monthly Listens On Spotify
Below Radar Albums of the Month
Artists With Between 1M-100K Monthly Listens On Spotify
Unfortunately, I Did Not Fall In Love With Any Below Radar Albums This Month
Hidden Gem Albums of the Month
Artists With Below 100K Monthly Listens On Spotify
Ambient & Instrumental Albums of the Month
Regardless of Monthly Listens On Spotify
