Fleetwood Mac – Rumours: I’ve been listening to a lot of new (to me) music and I needed a break, I needed something easy. Rumours is my benchmark for a perfect rock album, and it was a great way to cleanse my palate. What surprised me is how many new things I heard, things I’ve never heard before. Mike D…. Read more »
The Modern Jazz Quartet – Lonely Woman: In the liner notes, Raymond Molly wrote that the title track “is colored … with a gentle tint which excludes despair.” MJQ’s decision to exclude despair was an egregious error. Branford Marsalis introduced me to “Lonely Woman,” and I spent countless hours in front of my speakers absorbing the loneliness, the sadness, the… Read more »
Grace Cummings – Ramona: I read a review that compared Cummings to Nina Simone and Nico, so I held high hopes going into Ramona. Cummings sounds like she’s overly concerned with showing what an unusual and fascinating singer she is. I only made it through three songs. The National – Alligator: I realized a few things about Alligator this week…. Read more »
Charli XCX – Brat: Bob and I were discussing if history will view Brat as a timeless classic or a moment in time. That motivated me to listen again, and I finally heard the album’s duality, the parallel of being a party girl and a woman who is trying to unpack her own psychological issues. While a lot of people… Read more »