Andrew Tuttle - Fantasy League (2016)

Australian musician Andrew Tuttle seamlessly blends organic and electronic instruments, crafting a singular style that sounds warm, inviting, and utterly unpretentious. His banjo playing and American Primitive-esque fingerpicked acoustic guitar mesh with bubbling synthesizers and signal processing, and nothing seems out of place. His shimmering soundscapes are always busy and active, and some of the song titles (such as "Forgotten Username," "Forgotten Password," and "Account Locked") hint at technological paranoia, but the music still manages to sound relaxed and cheerful. In comparison to his previous release, 2015 cassette Slowcation, as well as a decade's worth of recordings made under his previous moniker Anonymeye, this album seems a bit brighter and more focused on electronic melodies. His tones are sharp but rarely abrasive, and he applies a stunning array of effects and filters while retaining the music's earthly, human qualities. Spacy yet rootsy, Fantasy League is an extraordinarily gorgeous album. --Paul Simpson