By Troy Bennett

Anjimile – You’re Free to Go

Purchase physical and digital copies on Bandcamp.

Released on March 13th, 2026 via 4AD.

Let me start by saying that this record is gorgeous from start to finish. The
production is warm and vibrant, and the mix is perfect. There are a lot of subtle
nuisances happening on every track, and you can hear all of it crystal clear. Anjimile is
the mononym used by singer-songwriter Anjimile Chithambo. I first discovered Anjimile
on their breakout record Giver Taker released by Father/Daughter records during the
tumultuous 2020s, and that record absolutely helped me navigate the stressful Covid
pandemic and all the wildness in the world it created. Please give that record a spin if
you have time, but back to the task at hand.

You’re Free to Go contains twelve tracks of absolute beauty and catharsis for the songwriter. This album explores a lot of themes that deal with the singer’s personal life. Lyrics center on identity, transphobia, loss and familial uncertainty, but, at the core of it, love is embraced. Love for oneself. Love for a life that can be created when hate, grief and sadness are left in the rearview mirror. I’ll borrow a quote from the singer to sum this up: “Songwriting feels like a prayer, a plea, or a question.” My favorite track from this record varies between “Like You Really Mean It”, which also has a wonderful music video, and “Turning Away.” Give it a listen, and, if you dig it, please support the artist by buying the record.

Lantlos – Nowhere in Between Forever

Released on April 3rd, 2026 via Prophecy Productions.

Purchase digital and physical copies on Bandcamp.

Lantlos is a band I’ve followed for quite a while. I’ve enjoyed the metamorphosis
from post black metal to more post rock sound that occurred between Agape
(2011) and Melting Sun (2014). Both records are beautiful in their own right, and, despite the change from the harsher vocal stylings of the earlier records, which were handled by Neige (of Alcest fame), the melodic nature of the band never really changed. This band has only got more complex and more progressive over time which can not be understated in NWB4E.

At the center of the songwriting process, Markus “Harbst” Siegenhort has always been chief composer and songwriter. This is not to say that the drumming of long-time collaborator Felix Wylezik, who has been in the band since 2010, doesn’t add to the
dynamic of Lantlos. The drumming is complex and bouncy and a core component of
what has made the recent records so stand out in my opinion. This album has all the
flavors. From the pulsing guitars found on “Daisies” to the reserved acoustic guitars and
docile tones found on the album closer “Windhunter” this record gives you all the colors of the rainbow and more.