By Aaron Richter
As we all know by now, new releases hit record-store shelves and digital-download services each Tuesday. That’s why self-titled presents the following every week: a new release you’d be stupid not to own (Buy It), one worth checking out if you’re the curious type (Burn It) and something you might have heard about but probably should avoid (Skip It). Simple, ain’t it?
Except this week looks a little skimpy, so we’ll just give you one fancy Buy It and leave it at that.
Buy It
Takka Takka, Migration (Ernest Jennings Recording Co.)
We never paid much mind to Brooklyn’s Takka Takka before nabbing a copy of their second album, Migration. Whereas everyone seemed to tag the group’s first joint as Velvets-lite (pass), this one rolls with the fluidity of Broken Social Scene. Band leader Gabe Levine–in addition to enlisting the help of his buddies in Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The National throughout the disc–draws heavily from the Balinese gamelan musical tradition, which, in part, emphasizes a percussion lead at its core. But even if you don’t pick up on those cues, you’ll find the record feeling spiritual and ceremonial without feeling stuffy, alienating or oppressive. Just the opposite, actually. Migration is warm and welcoming, mixing lively stretches with sections that feel as if they could be plucked from Eno’s pop-ambient experiments. Most of all, Migration is unalienatingly grown-up in a way that you might sometimes wish The National could express itself. You’ll notice struggles, fears, worries presented simply and elegantly, and you’ll find yourself relating to Levine’s lyrics more often than not. You might even find an aspect of yourself in this album–if you open up and give it a chance.