Laufey – A Matter of Time: The more I listen to A Matter of Time, the more I find what I wanted—and didn’t get—from The Life of a Showgirl. A Matter of Time possesses a level of humility, vulnerability, and humanity that I just don’t hear on Showgirl. I didn’t expect to fall so hard for this record, but it’s… Read more »
Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown: The first time I listened to this, I focused on the lyrics and completely missed the arrangements and instrumentation. This time, I’m focusing on the music instead of the words, and I’m blown away. Gibbons refusal to wallow in nostalgia continues to remind me of Robert Plant. Do these songs have shadows of Dummy or… Read more »
Leon Vynehall – In Daytona Yellow: In four listens, I’ve gone from meh to hmm. The record doesn’t have the bangers I expected but it does have a vulnerability that surprises me. I can tell I’m going to either forget about In Daytona Yellow or listen to it obsessively, I’m curious to see which way it goes. Madison Cunningham –… Read more »
Geese – Getting Killed: Every few years, an album reminds me that rock is still alive and kicking ass. Getting Killed is one of those albums. I listened to it a lot this week, and I listened loud, and I had fun. Geese isn’t doing anything particularly new or unusual, they’re just putting the pieces together in a way that… Read more »
Sharon Van Etten – We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong: Hearing this for the first time made me feel the same way The Bends made me feel 30 years ago. The anthemic choruses, the melancholy chord progressions, the glimpses of light in the darkness (or maybe they’re glimpses of shadows in the light) … it’s all here. I can’t… 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 »
PinkPantheress – Tiny Desk Concert: I haven’t stopped thinking about this performance all week because (A) it’s energetic and exciting, (B) PinkPantheress is both charming and funny, and (C) the band is incredibly fun to watch and hear, especially bassist Rani Adi from Poster Girl. I enjoyed this as much as I’ve enjoyed any Tiny Desk Concert, and that’s a… Read more »
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs: The songs, arrangements, and performances are wonderful. Marc Ribot’s increased presence adds beautiful color to the songs, and the instrumentation pushes the boundaries of “found sounds” even farther than Swordfishtrombones did. I’m still struggling with the lyrics, though. These characters and settings are so fantastical as to feel like caricatures. I recognize that I’m listening… Read more »
Mitski – Puberty 2: The arrangements and instrumentation are solid, but her words and delivery push this record into greatness. My biggest surprise is “Crack Baby,” a track that initially appears like an obnoxious joke but eventually reveals a depth of confused longing and pain. The more I listen, the more I understand why so many people hold this record… Read more »
Kathleen Edwards – Billionaire: The music is as interesting and the lyrics as thought-provoking as anything Edwards has done, and the musicians’ performances are consistently exciting. Edwards lyrical choices have a couple of hiccups that tripped me up, though. Words like “currency” and “compact disc” tear me out of the reverie of the music by injecting technicality and time into… Read more »