Mattress

Portland’s Mattress centres on the claustrophobic bedroom soul of weirdo Rex Marshall and his synthesiser. But on Heavy Duty, his debut full-length for Edmonton’s Reluctant Recordings, his minimal, dark electro beats take a backseat to his sinister songwriting. Opener "Pollution” sets the tone with its eerie sounds and hopeless lyrics, while "Go Ahead and Litter” almost gets dance-y, with its dead funk guitar drone. The real gem is closing track "Bring It Down,” with its heavy synths and melodic singing, showing a little heart amidst the creepiness. Limited to 300 and featuring shiny artwork courtesy of the Doers’ Sean Maxey, this is a rare treat in outsider pop.