Wednesday – Bleeds: I tend to listen to music before words, which maybe doesn’t serve a record like Bleeds. The lyrical themes supposedly center around the heartbreak between MJ Lenderman and Karly Hartzman, so I suspect I’d be rewarded if I dug into the words. I was so indifferent to the music, though, that I doubt I’ll ever get back to this.
Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles – Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles: I only listened in the background, but “Screaming Song” leapt out and made me imagine the pain that Sparhawk has suffered during the past few years. Unlike Bleeds, this music makes me look forward to unpacking the words.
Erika de Casier – The Sensational Remixes: These remixes highlight different dimensions of the songs on Sensational but never lose the vibe that makes that record so good. The Hannah Diamond & caro♡ remix of “Better Than That” is my initial favorite, but everything here is solid. Even DJ G2G’s hyperpop mix of “Busy” taps into something hidden deep inside the original that I never noticed before.
Mark William Lewis – mark william lewis: Lewis mixes in just enough intriguing arrangements and lyrics to make me think this record might be amazing, if I can get past how boring I find half the songs.
Turnstile – Tiny Desk Concert: Turnstile pushes their sound in this live set even farther than they did on Never Enough. Unlike so many of their peers who use horns and/or keys as superficial color, the band fully incorporates the richness of these players into the live arrangements, adding layers and textures that don’t exist on the record.
Turnstile – Never Enough: I’m still coming from the perspective of a Baltimore guy who really wants to like Turnstile, and I’m getting closer. I played the album a couple of times this week just because I was excited to hear it, and their Tiny Desk performance is helping me to hear this album more clearly.
Thelonious Monk – Brilliant Corners | Live at the Five Spot Discovery!: Monk drops weird chords in the middle of pretty melodies the same way a handful of people can drop irreverent comments into the middle of a conversation and make the discussion richer. As for the Five Spot recording (this is the one with Coltrane, not Johnny Griffin), Coltrane played a lot of notes. Thankfully, he showed hints of how he’d transform over the next few years, but this isn’t a Coltrane performance I’m excited to revisit.
Old friends who made it into rotation this week: Gracie Abrams: The Secret of Us & Good Riddance; Mitski: Puberty 2; Laufey: A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl; Japanese Breakfast: For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women); Erika de Casier: Sensational; Kali Malone: Sacrificial Code
Record store finds this week: I finally caved and bought the last two Turnstile records.