Bjork, Beth Ditto & Kirin J Drop New Songs - We Sort The Brilliant From The Ordinary

There’s that dangerous point where the form may overwhelm the function. There can be absolutely no argument that Bjork is one of the most extraordinary artists of our time, her marriage of music and technology and just sheer idiosyncratic style unmatched. So, let Notget (One Little Indian) wash over you. Put on your VR goggles, and become part of the whole experience as her luminous avatar exists in a surreal universe. OK, now tell me how the song affected you? Do you really know, or really care what she’s on about? See, as a piece of CGI-based experimental art it’s absolutely stunning, but the music — while obviously and uniquely her — is actually pretty much irrelevant. Feel free to reconcile that within yourself, or not.

And while Sophie Koh would no doubt bow down at Ms Guðmundsdóttir’s hem in thanks as one who has allowed her to make her music as it stands, Tiger Not The Hare (Crying Ninja) is a quite wondrous thing in its own right. Blending and balancing her cultural background, classical influences, and an individual world view, Ms Koh has still made what stands as a terrific piece of pop music as it stands, with a video to serve it that haunts with its simplicity and suggestion rather than gimmickry. Bonus points for mentioning Bartok as a reference point – pop usual referencing the twee end of Mozart or the bombast of Wagner if a classical namecheck is required. Yeah, righto smartarse - I know the Pet Shop Boys mentioned Debussy too.

Or you can narrow and sharpen the focus even further to good effect. Jess Locke makes music from the lounge-room couch (charismatic and adorable tuxedo cat optional). She is perfectly #Strayan in her matter of fact way about things going on around her – including quietly cocking an eyebrow at others fuck-ups as she does through Better/Bitter (Pool House). She may strike as an odd choice as first labelmates on The Smith Street Band’s own imprint, but they do share a willingness to show their frayed edges, both emotionally and musically – although Jess would probably prefer the candid chat over a nice pot of herbal tea or passable mid-range Shiraz, than bellowing about the issues with a longneck in your hand.

Such restraint has never really been part of Beth Ditto’s manner, her debut under her own name rather than the Gossip banner letting her modern soul-belting truly loose. Fire (EMI) has the fuzzy synths buzzing behind her as she starts coming on like a 21st century Joplin — Janis, not Scott — cranking it more electro and urgent as it goes, before clocking off suddenly to leave you wondering how whatever’s ailing her is resolved. The album this precursors might tell you. Or more likely, might just drag you in further.

Keeping you just that little unbalanced and uncomfortable with what he’s up to, also fits the Kirin J Callinan gameplan. If it even is a plan. He is shirtless — dangerous, maybe? But then turns up as support act to Crowded House on the steps of the Opera House — which led to a social media reaction that ranged from delight, to puzzlement, to bemusement, to outrage. Job done. And then he offers up rippling and towering pop music like Bravado (Siberia). There is that mix of sly croon and darkness to it, as a few seem to be trying these days. How much piss is being taken? Much as you want. He’s off touring the world as we speak, variously supporting Pond and Mac DeMarco – the trick being he will be complementary to both of them. Although, I’m still not quite sure if I want him sitting next to me on that train.

The return of The Shins to full working output has been a little odd too. Through his well-recognised links to Danger Mouse, James Mercer here goes from making dad rock to something your mum or grandma might accept at first listen. A Taste Of Honey (30th Century) is a cover of an old Beatles song, but closer inspection shows a slight twist and discomfort to it, which makes more sense when taken in the context of it being part of the soundtrack to the perhaps multiple alternative histories of The Man In The High Castle TV series arc. Oh wait, was that a spoiler? Maybe. But then again, maybe not.

Thankfully, changing tastes may hopefully make Froyo’s name meaningless to future generations as those shopfronts offering that dairy abomination wither by the day. Thing is, the band take inspiration from a far earlier time – their currency is shamelessly based in early ‘80s synthpop, with Darling (Title Track), a soft machine that someone like Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark would be proud to call their own and have featured in the pages of an issue of Smash Hits. For those needing a more contemporary reference, enthusiasts of Client Liaison may find some points of interest here, although this is not quite as deliberately day-glo or pisstaking as the wild life they celebrate.

As ever, a couple of the great traditions and preoccupations of the rock and/or roll and associated musics remain cars and girls. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The exemplary and respected Justin Townes Earle heads down that familiar country-ish highway, with the added bonus of a potential ad deal with Toyota as he swings into an observation and longing for that good woman in the Champagne Corolla (New West). So, it’s not all muscle cars and pickups as Earle the younger perhaps invents something someone is bound to call ‘alt-honkytonk’ — although I will deny it was me. It’s music with the voice of the not-quite-white-trash that a band like the splendid Drive-By Truckers would have as a constituency — those who perhaps thought for a second about voting for Trump, and then went ‘Nah, no fucking way…’