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.
- This is a transitional album. Musically, the band hadn’t found their place among their early ‘00s peers, but they were well on their way. Lyrically, they’re sitting on the edge between being obnoxious 20-somethings and reflective 30-somethings.
- Someone on Reddit said this album has “New York nights energy” and they’re partially right. It’s the energy of being an obnoxious 20-something struggling to make it in NYC, and the strange mix of courage and terror that goes with that. This album sits just before the moment when partying stops being cute and starts becoming a problem.
- These songs are vessels for an enormous amount of sadness.
- Singing along to “Mr. November” at the top of your voice is a cathartic way to deal with some of that sadness.
Gracie Abrams – Daughter from Hell: I’m still listening to the A side, and “Hit the Wall” and the title track are the standouts. I worked through Good Riddance this slowly and I’m unpacking Daughter at the same pace.
Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks Vol. 59 (Boston Garden, Boston MA, 9/26/1991): This showed up in the mail and I played it right away, which I don’t typically do with “new” Dead releases. The sound quality is excellent and the performance is solid. Vince Welnick sounds more comfortable and confident here than he did in his first shows the year before, and set one quickly flows into some interesting jams.
Old friends who made it into rotation this week: Ian Sweet: Shiverstruck; Nina Nastasia: Dogs; Mitski: Nothing’s About to Happen to Me
Record store finds this week: Stevie Wonder: Talking Book; Neil Young: After the Gold Rush