Murfreesboro ambient artist NGC 4414 has been astoundingly prolific over the past year. The outfits Bandcamp is regularly added to with various EP’s, singles and collaborations. The rule of quality not quantity does not seem to apply here as each release is progressively more interesting.

The latest album to go up is a pre-order for the full-length The World is a Fine Place, with two tracks available to hear now. The first, “Microwave”, sounds exactly like what it might feel like to be subjected to the rays of an actual microwave; dizzying and more than a bit disorienting.

The second of the preview tracks, “Orange in the Evening,” is decidedly more meditative and calm in comparison. More importantly tho, it sets the stage for a record that may stretch NGC 4414 further than they’ve gone before. The rolling microbeat that fuels the entire composition phases back and forth between speakers, making itself a very present element, shadowing the humming ambient sounds underneath. If we were to dare speak metaphorically about the offering, it seems that the regular NGC 4414 is being tucked into the background, with something new emerging.

The album is set for release on October 4th, so we’ll just have to wait until then to see how representative these pieces are of the whole but consider us officially intrigued in the meantime.

For the uninitiated, Olivia Jean is a Detroit born multi-instrumentalist now residing in Nashville that came on to our collective radars in 2009 when she was involved as the guitarist / vocalist for The Black Belles; an outfit known as much for their gothic appearances as their stylistic musical output. The general perception of that band is that it was “put together by Jack White” before being released on Third Man Records. In hindsight, that broad oversimplification works in disservice to the music. Mr. White may have been instrumental in executing on the project but the Wikipedia research says Olivia Jean had demos before others involvement.

This piece isn’t about The Black Belles but it’s important to keep in mind that the malformed origin story doesn’t give credit where credit is due. Olivia Jean recently released her second full-length album under her own name and there’s no reason for trepidation or hesitation that it’s not worth your time. In fact, the fourteen songs contained within Night Owl are bound to surprise you.

Watch the official video for the title track and you’ll be immediately immersed in brightness – both from the bold primary colors and the lead guitar line. It’s not without it’s gothic tendencies (the sparse set decorations look inspired by a macabre Wes Anderson and there is a Grim Reaper) but it’s a signal that Jean is open to a more diverse set of sounds.

That brightness is not the only surprise-in-waiting on the full-length. The cover of “Jaan Pehechaan Ho” is an absolutely blazing take on the Bollywood surf rock classic, “Tsunami Sue” ends the record with a surprisingly floaty guitar excursion and “Perfume” fuses together moments of big riff rock with gorgeously layered indie-pop. If that weren’t enough, “The Hunt” and “Siren Call” serve as phenomenal examples of Jean subverting expectations within the framework of the genre.

This is not to say that the album is all over the place or lacking cohesion, most of the record stems from 50’s Garage Rock inspiration with solid, enjoyable execution. Jean’s guitar work is stellar on every track, full stop. It’s the moments when Jean veers off the beaten path that shine the brightest and, fortunately, the album is full of them.

Full disclosure, Stone Jack Jones is releasing Black Snake via yk Records, also operated by the same folks that run WOTT.

For those not familiar, Stone Jack Jones is a bit of a mysterious troubadour traveling through the alt-folk scene. His voice has a distinct gravel that carries a melancholic weight and his songs are often sparse and dark. Jones is preparing to release his fifth album, Black Snake, and has released a handful of singles that reveal a somewhat different musical take.

“I’m Gone” is the third single from the forthcoming record and exemplary in this new approach. A more fully fleshed set of instrumentation slowly reveals itself through the course of the introduction; rumbling drums, haunting guitar and a remorseful piano line make way before the trumpets come in. Lyrically, Jones sings of the departed and his own departure; a subject matter his voice seems best fit for.

The accompanying video boosts the haunting nature of the whole thing to another level. Filled with rippling lakes, reflections (literal and metaphorical) and an empty forest filled with either masked marauders or interloping spirits. The story itself is vague but the intent is clear; there are mysterious forces around us. I’m biased (see disclaimer above) but it’s a rather gorgeous piece of work that leans hard into the deep black-and-white motif and succeeds in every single shot.

Black Snake is a hypnotic record and we hope to go into more depth on that later but, for now, spend some contemplative time with “I’m Gone.”