Muscle Memory For Love

Dntel and Jenny Lewis “Roll On” – Jimmy Tamborello’s best tracks on the new Dntel album are in a state of continuous flux. The basic structures of the songs tend to be rather simple, but his arrangements constantly add and subtract new electronic textures, marking subtle shifts in emotional tone and subtly enhancing the dynamics of quiet, introspective songs. His collaboration with Jenny Lewis is especially gorgeous and well-composed. Irregular patterns of buzzes, hums, and clicks swirl around her lovely, heart-breaking voice, framing her melody and shadowing the movements of her restless heart. (Click here to buy it from Sub Pop.)

The Rosebuds “I Better Run” – “I Better Run” may sound haunted and paranoid, but even as it rides a stark, nervous groove, it never seems even remotely hysterical. Kelly Crisp’s voice is steady and detached, betraying an icy calm lunacy as her character flees from both the legacy of her doomed family line and the horrors of the world. (Click here to buy it from Merge.)