Juanlu Barlow & his Love-Fi Recordings - This is not a new Three Broken Tapes album

 Released: August 4

This is not a new Three Broken Tapes album is a generally upbeat album that feels like it is pulling from so many sources that feel vaguely familiar. In a lot of ways, it feels to me like a particularly psychedelic variant of electronic indie rock that periodically veers into the territory of old goth and glam rock, creating something that feels like MGMT and David Bowie recorded it on a prolonged acid trip. I absolutely love the variable directions it runs in, sometimes leaning on light light vocals and catchy melodies while other times forgoing the vocal altogether to bring a pure instrumental. “Bloody dance floor” is one of those completely instrumental tracks and it also feels like a weird fit as it starts out with those upfront beat and a snappy sound that is very danceable. But then it shifts around the end and goes into a lo-fi and almost 8-bit aesthetic. The follow up of “Bees in the wind” makes it even more oddball as it suddenly transitions to a rather calm and quiet track with gentle vocals. 

I think the opening track “It’s never too late” deserves a lot of credit in setting the mood for the album. It’s gives off a truly psychedelic 70s kind of vibe in both its construction and its general sound. It establishes that analog recording vibe and has this sort of meandering quality to it that gives a soft drum circle vibe. Granted, most of the other tracks here don’t share that exact vibe but it feels as though they do follow a bit of this lead in their choice of sounds. That blend of electronic elements with some processed guitars and basses keeps a retro aesthetic for sure, blending sounds of the last four decades together in a mostly upbeat melange. You won’t really hear anything that rings perfectly true to any musical reference, but there’s a wonderful sort of ambiguity to it all that makes it feel like a well-executed amalgamation that turns into something weird, fun, and rather unique in its aesthetic.