Without any context, the latest full-length from Pulsatile Tinnitus, The Finer Art of Heartwork, is a masterful composition of immersive ambient soundscapes that ebb and flow into states of entropy, unfurling with static and noise. The apex of the record, a track called “Itch”, unleashes a feeling of buoyant, joyful, dance. It’s an experience that invites meditation and loud playback to let it really drag you in.

However, context is everything. In this case, it’s fascinating to consider the intention of the record and the performer creating it. The intention is clear from the writeup included on Bandcamp:

Doing the work of your heart is a continual mending of soul wounds; heartwork is an act of re-membering; it is a ceremony that allows us to learn from woundings to re-member, put ourselves back together, and transform beyond the spiritual scars that try to keep us bound in darkness. Heartwork brings us back to that original breath of life and light of spirit.

The album itself is that ceremony, an ebb and flow of hardships and release. A soundtrack to allow you to feel those pains and take something away from them.

The performer behind it all is Kayla Phillips, whom is likely best known for her work in grindcore band Bleed The Pigs – an absolutely brutal onslaught of impassioned screams and guttural vocal work. Pulsatile Tinnitus, Phillip’s pseudonym for her solo work, is not the same undertaking aurally but there’s a compelling overlap in cathartic emotional release between the two endeavors.

The Pulsatile Tinnitus catalog of works reaches back to 2015; including a bounty of EPs, singles, live performances and albums. The Finer Art of Heartwork did not suddenly emerge from nothing, it’s the result of years of practice, of refinement and of listening to one’s self. It’s not ironic that the name of the band is also the name of a “debilitating condition of noise in the ear or head that is audible only to the sufferer.” Your own pains and conditions are felt only by yourself. Hopefully The Finer Art of Heartwork can provide a conduit to hearing them.

If you’re unfamiliar, Lunar is an incredibly prolific hip-hop artist fueled by beats and samples derived from a diverse range of sources: anime, Hasbro cartoons, and yacht rock to name a few. Verses spit out lyrical content covering everything from gentrification, life’s brevity and fish sandwiches. There are sixty-eight releases on Bandcamp at the time of this publishing but that’s only going back five years. I’d venture a guess that if you plotted those dates out, the quantity has been releasing dramatically over time.

Quantity does not equal quality but in LUNAR’s case, there’s an undeniable improvement over time across the board; beats, rhymes, content, production, collaborations, artwork, sampling. A great example of this is the June 2023 collaborative EP with Clayhead entitled Eternal Engine. It’s overflowing with clever pop culture references, perfectly timed flourishing samples and some real “Fuck Yea” energy in the back half. For my money, “Italian Supercars / Jefferson St.” is a killer entry point to not just this release but the massive LUNAR catalog as a whole. The energy is captivating, the lyrics are entertaining while being poignant and there’s enough tucked away in there musically that you gotta hear it at least twice.

Every LUNAR release is a quality starting point – see also: Expendables 3: The Dark Lord, Floydberg, Immortal Phoenix, et al. It can be a lot to keep up with but the rewards are well worth it.

redsleep, the 2021 release from Full Mood is a master class in actual mood. Anyone that is a fan of dream pop, shoegaze or the feeling of disconnected melancholy will be right at home. With the newest single, “Ask Me To Dance,” you can tell within five seconds that the outfit is ushering in some new moods; different and enhanced from their previous work.

Not only is there a flurry of strings to start the track (a wonderful new addition to the band’s sonic palette) but their implementation is entirely surprising; an intentional glitch that grabs you before diving into an elated crooning. Lyrically, our narrator seems to be following along with the title of the track – yearning to be invited to dance, to be noticed. It’s a familiar melancholy from redsleep but now layered with optimistic undertones, empowered vibes and seemingly something stronger that was not present before. The track completely dives down the rabbit hole at about 3:40 and unleashes a bevy of giant drums, drug-addled narration and various samples. It’s a fever dream of the strange and delightful.

Unable to help myself, I inquired with the band what the story behind the fever dream was – a compelling twist to an altogether enjoyable song. They informed me that the warbled talk is actually a cowboy poem about being thrown and getting back up again, mixed with elements of the literal Cinderella story. It’s all thematically consistent with the first half of the song; persistence through pain. It also requires multiple lines as fully comprehending each layer just enriches the enjoyment of the track.

On previous releases, Full Mood’s sound had a clear line of sight to their contemporaries – Beach House, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, et al – but with “Ask Me To Dance”, Miranda McLaughlin and Nick Morelly are striking out on into their own into uncharted territory. I, for one, can’t wait to see where else they go.

Volunteer Department first came across my radar in 2019 with the Big Gulp Sigh release. The quiet and ominous production was captivating (the liner notes stating it was “Written and recorded from my chair” was also a worthwhile bit of curiosity). In the years that have followed, Volunteer Department has never ceased to impress and intrigue. From the Heaven Honey collaborations, to the Swell EP and all points in between, there’s not a letdown in the bunch… nor is there a lack of evolution.

With the latest release, “Wild Fantasy,” Volunteer Department makes a bold declaration that they aren’t interested in stagnating. The ominous and introspective tone is offset by a surprising use of vocoder, trading vocalist Oliver Hopkins traditional baritone delivery for something more airy. The track bounds along to a programmed beat awash with electronic flourishes and a deep deep bassline. Hopkins vocals relinquish the vocoder halfway through to unveil a wounded narrator; vulnerable and possibly self-loathing. A saxophone drifts through to carry us out. It’s not what one would expect from Volunteer Department but nothing ever is. The willingness to branch out and do so with such effectiveness is exactly what makes the band worthy of your attention.

The track is taken from a forthcoming album entitled Fountainhead, due out November 9th on Like You Mean It Records. Another track, “Big with Delight,” has also been released and carries with it similar intrigue. It’s unclear what Fountainhead will sound like specifically but it’s an extremely safe bet that it’s going to be worth listening to.