Mexican Institute of Sound and Meridian Brothers – “Cumbia fantasia”This is like an electronic version of the second wave ska band The Selecter. It has a definite ska rhythm, but is more angular, bridging the last 45 years wonderfully.Listen: Yes Effie – “Red Horse”I really struggled to get anything out of pullup to busan 4 morE hypEr summEr …, but… Read more »
U2 – Days of Ash EPIt is never good sign when an artist of any kind does something similar to a past success and it falls short. “American Obituary” wants to be to Renee Good what “Pride” was to MLK. But it just isn’t the same. This isn’t a reflection on Good versus MLK, but of Bono no longer trusting… Read more »
Claire Rosinkranz – My Lover“City” starts off like a run-of-the-mill piano-based pop song. Then about 30 seconds in, the song just fills out over a bouncy bass line and from there the song is just a really fun ride. The album continues to surprise in this way and it changes its energy more by moving between subdued and bright, smooth… Read more »
Dexter and the Moonrocks = “Flavorless”There is something I’m not crazy about in this song. I think it’s that it reminds me of Bush. Yet, there is something that I kind of like. I think it’s that the Bush song it reminds me of is “Glycerine.”Listen: Maybe Handsome Jack – Barnburners!When I first heard Handsome Jack, they played 70’s hard… Read more »
Beck – Everybody’s Gotta Learn SometimeStarting with Midnight Vultures, I started losing interest in Beck and the last of his albums that I bought and spent any time with was 2008’s Modern Guilt. So, although most of these songs have been released previously, they are (or at least Beck’s versions are) new to me. Some of them work pretty well… Read more »
Ari Lennox – VacancyHer voice is good, but the music seems synthetic. I mean, I know it is synthetic, but it shouldn’t feel so mechanical. It’s clear she wants to show off her soul chops, but that effort is undercut by soulless backing.Listen: NoBuy: No Megadeth – MegadethOf speedmetal’s Big Four, only Megadeth continued to release records that I ever… Read more »
A$AP Rocky – Don’t Be DumbRight off the bat, the songs seem mediocre, but the production and arrangements seem fantastic. The lyrics to “PLAYA” aren’t stupid, but they are weak from a rhyme perspective. Over the course of the album, I waffle on the lyrics, find the music to be mundane, and the production very good.Listen: Maybe just a few… Read more »
HAAi – HUMANiSE: As I let “Satellite” wash over me for the first time, it’s clear that HAAi has given us another set of songs that will slowly unfold and drop little shimmers of light as they do so. Robert Plant with Suzi Dean – Saving Grace: Is the band Saving Grace? Is the album Saving Grace? I prefer to get… Read more »
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… Read more »
Gracie Abrams – Good Riddance: My favorite thing about Abrams is the fragile vulnerability of her voice, and it’s so much more present here than it is on The Secret of Us. I’ve only made it through the first four songs of the extended release, and I’m looking forward to slowly unwrapping this gift. The Joy Formidable – The Big… Read more »