Quarterly Critic’s Choice
The best and most interesting new releases of the previous three months are awarded a place on the Quarterly Critic’s Choice. Evaluation criteria are artistic quality, repertoire value, presentation, and sound quality. From 2014 onward, the Long Lists are stored directly with each Quarterly Critic’s Choice.
Rock
Big Thief: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
CD/2LP/DL, 4AD 0408 (Indigo)
20 songs, 80 minutes running time: With this double album, the US band Big Thief serves an opulent menu, and its traditional ingredients reveal new dimensions of enjoyment. The spectrum ranges from folk-rock in the spirit of British ensembles of the seventies such as Steeleye Span or Fairport Convention to down-to-earth country flair with vielle and mouth harp to TripHop moods. Singer and songwriter Adrianne Lenker keeps the broad spectrum of overflowing creativity together. And a colorful kaleidoscope is created: a double album to fall in love with that you never want to stop listening to. For the jury: Manfred Gillig-Degrave