Ibeyi, “Ibeyi”
For the most part, 20-year-old French-Cuban twins Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz have gone unnoticed since the release of the single “River” last summer. That should change with their self-titled debut. It’s beautiful for being so soft and understated, but it still leaves you wishing there had been a little more fire. There’s a distinct feeling that the Diaz sisters could unleash something powerful and it would knock you over. After this mature and confident debut, it’ll be exciting to see what Ibeyi does next. —Ashley Dean
Sonny and the Sunsets, “Talent Night At The Ashram”
As a collection of musical vignettes, “Talent Night” has all the quirks of an amateur film festival. Like a melting smiley face on a tree branch, Sonny Smith’s goofy surrealism is in full effect, manifesting itself in stories about a down-on-her-luck professional bowler (“Icelene’s Loss”) and a tumultuous love affair between anarchists (“Secret Plot”). The failures of “Talent Night” aren’t for lack of imagination — they’re for lack of standards. Smith needs an editor. There’s no idea so fleeting that Smith won’t put it to music. —Dylan Owens
