XLR8R

Abandoning the thematic constraints of last year's Very Rec and The Wisdom EP, Secret Mommy's Andy Dixon has gone soft on Plays. Using edited audio from acoustic-only jam sessions with friends, the record cuts and pastes wood, wind, and string instruments into boisterous mini-symphonies. Composed as songs rather than experiments, these tracks reveal a human heart behind Dixon's glitchy, often scientific approach. Decidedly anti-electronic, Plays is so exciting you'll want to show everyone; the most expressive record in its field, it transcends Dixon's previous work, and is a crowning achievement.