Various Artists
Dirty French Psychedelic
(D-i-r-t-y)

An outstanding compilation of Gallic tunes from the 1970s, Dirty French Psychedelic avoids your typical psychedelic rock nuggets to explore a more subtle brand of trippiness. It evokes an enchanted era of briefly glimpsed utopias and unusual possibilities, a fleeting moment when chanson singers and classical composers shared the same avant-pop sphere. Highlights include such rarities as Ilous & Decuyper's buzzing proto-ambient "Berceuse," Brigitte Fontaine's shimmering melancholy ballad "Il Pleut," and especially Chevou Fou's ecstatic "La fin de la vie," which combines metronomic percussion, electronic samples and chanted vocals. The compilation is so seamlessly sequenced that the total experience is even more evocative than the parts. It makes a compelling case for this strange musical moment, trapped somewhere between punk and disco, that evaporated like wisps of smoke. Dirty French Psychedelic offers a compelling contact high. —Jeff Jackson

Chris Pureka
How I Learned To See In the Dark
(Sad Rabbit Music)

Northampton native Chris Pureka has earned accolades for her melancholy folk-tinged songs composed mostly on acoustic guitar. However, on her third album she incorporates a full backing band that will join her on tour. The band's fingerprints are all over her latest release, from the fiddle work and stomping percussion on "Hangman" to the haunting lap-steel flourishes on "Barn Song" and the gentle harmonium on "August 28th." This musical experimentation was no doubt assisted by co-producer Merrill Garbus. The songs remain acoustically driven, with lyrics that deal with the personal as well as more large-scale issues. "Run if you want to," Pureka sings. "Run if you want to/ time is the anchor/ change is a constant/ love is a trigger."  —Michael Cimaomo

Graph
EP 2
(Graph)

Though the band defines its music as "melodramatic popular song," Graph is a somewhat refreshing upending of the post-hardcore genre. The reverberated voice on the track "Pile" is reminiscent at times of the sea of post-punk shoe-gaze bands of the '90s. The incorporation of jazz into the post-hardcore atmosphere stretches things into the "experimental" genre. On the flipside, the EP is repetitious, even though it's short. Graph stays mostly within the boundaries of genre, offering a safe (but promising) listen.  —Jillian Fink