Annett Bonkowski

When two of the most gifted and genuine songwriters of their generations team up, expectations are naturally high. With Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, also known as Better Oblivion Community Center, there was almost no time to ponder over the possible outcome or spirit of their collaborative work with the the duo surprising their fans and media alike with their newest project over night last month - announcing the birth of Better Oblivion Community Center as well as sharing their full debut album simultaneously. It turned out to be a very satisfying surprise to say the least. 

For a long time, mental health has been a topic that has been consciously ignored wherever you looked in the entertainment industry. Artists are often celebrated for pouring their heart and soul into their work and sharing extremely private matters with their audiences at times. Weirdly enough, seeing the same artists talking about their psychological struggles in public has often been somewhat of a taboo topic whereas stories about drug abuse in all its forms are so common hardly anyone even raises an eyebrow.

Sometimes, it only takes a few notes to be completely captivated. Tamino’s debut album 'Amir' certainly proves to be one of these moments where you instantly feel that the rich textures to come as well as the soothing vocals, often in falsetto, will stay with you for a good while. After having released his 'Habibi' EP earlier this year, the Belgian born newcomer of Egyptian and Lebanese heritage has made an impressive step forward with his debut LP that explores Tamino’s rich traditional Arabic background as well as his love for pop music.

The charming songwriter returns with his sweetly slack new album 'Bottle It In' after last year's collaborative release 'Lotta Sea Lice' with Courtney Barnett. It turns out, he is not so slack after all, having recorded the new songs all across The United States in various sessions. The epic result is sonically charming with a smooth vibe and lo-fi appeal.

Love is not a fairytale. It is definitely not the sweet, dreamy and safe place we are so often made believe it is all the time. The true reflection of it reveals a whole lot of other ingredients that are less flattering. When it comes to love, the beautiful disguise always seems more tempting than the actual great amount of work it usually requires. The magic only kicks in if you acknowledge that everything love has to offer has as much to do with the person in front of you as with yourself. 

Back in 2010 it didn't take us very long until we fell in love with Conor O'Briens heartfelt debut 'Becoming A Jackal'. Fast forward to 2018, O'Brien's songwriting hasn't lost any of its magic spell. In the vast ocean of songwriters, Conor O'Brien aka Villagers has been been swimming freely and ambitiously in his eclectic sonic realm while making four studio albums over the course of the past eight years.

There are surely a lot of things we can be thankful for in life. Gentrification isn't one of them though as Death Cab For Cutie rightfully point out on their latest album 'Thank You For Today' that deals with the challenges many places are facing today including its effect on people. Opening up a new chapter with their ninth album after longterm member Chris Walla's departure, the Seattle based band returns dealing with serious issues, but in high spirits.

The Canadian avant-garde four-piece band curiously explores the depth of musical disturbance and tempting grooves on its new album 'Felt'. And if you are not a believer yet you are hopefully about to change your mind.

Don't we all love finding comfort in a soothing tune? Yes, we do. Even more so when it's composed by Baltimore darlings Beach House who return with their new album '7'.

Fourteen years after 'Emotive' the American rock band finally resurfaces with 'Eat the Elephant'. Needless to say we got quite some catching up to do with founding member Billy Howerdel.