Ela Minus – DÍA | Maribou State – Hallucinating Love: On Friday, I listened to the new Maribou State and thought it was overproduced and overly commercial. Then I put in Ela Minus and loved the experimentation and confusion. On Saturday, I tried listening to DÍA and it did nothing for me, so I put on Hallucinating Love and was enraptured by its positivity and joy. Connecting with music means hearing it when we’re in the right frame of mind to truly hear it, and not judging it harshly just because we’re not in the right state of mind.
Love – Da Capo: I totally missed this band during my formative years, and by the time I heard about them, I was burned out on classic rock. As I listen for the first time, I hear a duality: LA and San Francisco, hard rock and psychedelic, biker and hippie, insanity and peace. While I hear things that appeal to me intellectually, so far I don’t hear anything that hits me emotionally.
Rich Ruth – I Survived, It’s Over: After a couple of years away, I listened again. I struggled through the early tracks but something—often a laid back bass line—always made me persevere. Midway through “Thou Mayest,” my doubts were swept away and I was hypnotized by the cathartic conclusion of the album. Don’t try to cheat and start with “Thou Mayest,” though. It doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to get through those first four songs to find the reward, and it’s totally worth it.
Josh Ritter – So Runs the World Away: “The Curse” enchanted me when this record was new. Revisiting it 15 years (?!?) later, that song is just as enchanting but there are gems here that I missed when I was younger. “Rattling Locks” grabbed me on my latest pass.
Gregory Isaacs – Sly & Robbie Present Gregory Isaacs: The mood of these seven songs creates a cohesive album. Isaacs’ voice is gentle but fiery. Robbie Shakespeare’s basslines could be the foundation for a master class in bass playing—when to cut notes short and when to let them stretch out—and his tone is soul shaking. The cover art is a nice use of spot color and shadow. Apparently the original release (titled Showcase) has more umlauts than even the hairiest hair metal band.
Gracie Abrams – The Secret of Us: In the first verse of “Normal Thing,” Abrams’ voice falls to a breathy whisper at the end of each line. It’s the delivery of a promise she hints at throughout the first nine songs, and it’s the moment I fell in love with this record.
Grateful Dead – Dick’s Picks Vol. Seven (Alexandra Palace, London, 9/1974): This is the oddest “Dark Star” I’ve heard so far. And I’ve listened to “Wharf Rat” probably 10 times over the past two weeks and I’ve barely scratched the surface of how great it is.
Record store finds this week: I found Da Capo in good condition for cheap, so clearly this is a sign that it’s time for Love. And I was thrilled to find both Good Riddance and Good Riddance Acoustic from Gracie Abrams at the record store near my dentist’s office after a clean bill of oral health.