While still plugging along on rounding up the 23 best albums of 2023, I’m beginning a new review this year. Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop! The legend goes that on August 11, 1973 DJ Kool Herc was DJing a party for his sister at a rented community room in an apartment block in the Bronx. He tried out a new style he’d been working on, where he would use multiple turntables to extend and mix the drum breaks of songs, with he and his fellow DJ Coke La Rock talking over the beats.
In honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded songs not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
And with that, let’s embark!
The Sugarhill Gang, Sugarhill Gang (1980)– I’ll open by noting that this album didn’t make many “best” lists. But I’ve included it here for the simple reason that when it came out in February 1980 it was the first hip hop album ever. Sort of. The “sort of” being that while the Sugarhill Gang released one of the first commercial rap recordings with “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979 (and scored the first top 40 song for the genre), this album is only half hip-hop. Sugar Hill records founder and hip hop recording pioneer Sylvia Robinson wasn’t sure the market would support an entirely rap album, so three of the tracks are competent, albeit not historically significant, soul/disco outings. Still, this was hip-hop’s first foray, and the three tracks that are on the album- “Rapper’s Delight” with it’s classic “Good Times” sample from Chic (it even starts with the first recorded use of the name that the genre would bear: “Hip-hop, hippie to the hippie, to the hip-hip-hop and you don’t stop”), “Rapper’s Reprise” (which, mysteriously, is the first track despite the title), and the dynamic “Sugarhill Groove”- are delightful. While the group was assembled by Robinson for the express purpose of recording hip hop and founding her record label, there’s no denying the founding importance of Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank, and Master Gee.
Kurtis Blow, Kurtis Blow (1980)- This album did make many lists. And is also not purely a hip hop album! There’s the yearning and simple soul song “All I Want in the World (Is to Find That Girl)”, and a somewhat out of place but rocking and fun cover of Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Taking Care of Business”. But the balance is shifted from Sugarhill Gang‘s 3:3 to 5:2, so hip hop is winning! This also represents the first major label recording for the genre, as it was released by Mercury Records. It wasn’t really a huge stretch for them, as they had a large soul, funk, and disco roster, but still worth noting. Kurtis Blow himself hailed from Harlem, and was only 20 when his breakout single “The Breaks” was released in 1980. That’s worth keeping in mind, because even at that young age he was influential- listening to the five hip hop tracks here, I was struck by just how sampled and lyric-checked they were by the Def Jam crew later in the 80s.
I know what you’re thinking- we’re almost done with December and you’re only finishing your review of September. Aren’t you hosed? Well, you do have a point, but boldly onward we go on our quest to find the 23 best albums of 2023!
For those just joining, what happened so far: To familiarize myself with newer music after a new music drought of a decade or so, in 2021 I listened to the critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and picked my favorites based on their choices. I did the same for 2020, picking my top 20 from the critics lists. And I started listening to new releases each month, eventually arriving at my picks for the 21 best albums of 2021. One good year deserves another, so I decided to do it again in 2022, listening to all the new releases and discovering the 22 best albums of 2022. And now I’m doing it again for 2023!
There are links to the 2020, 2021, and 2022 albums in the posts above, but if you’d like an all-in playlist for each year, I have that set up on Spotify:
Each month is divided into “yes” and “maybe” categories as follows:
Yes– This represents the albums that, upon first listen, could definitely be in the running for best of the year. That’s no guarantee for these intrepid albums- as of this review there are 109 “yeses”, and only 23 spots. Heads will roll!
Maybe– These albums have a lot to recommend them, but also some factor that gives me pause. I put them in their own category, because “maybes” sometimes linger and eventually become “yeses”. As of this post, there are 118 “maybe” albums, so more heads will roll!
Got it? Good. Now let’s get on with my top picks from 112 September new releases!
Alan Palomo, World of Hassle– Originally from Mexico, composer, producer, and songwriter Alan Palomo has apparently been making beautiful and catchy genre-bending music since the late 00s but has remained off my radar until now. The loss is mine! This lush, catchy, and smart amalgam of electro and 80s soul had me smiling and bopping my head along the whole time!
Corinne Bailey Rae, Black Rainbows– At times smokey R&B, at times on the experimental side of EDM, at times more like noise rock. At all times well done, and stronger for the mix. I have questions about the pacing, but the content is superb. As has been true since her debut, this English singer-songwriter remains the real deal!
Earl Sweatshirt /The Alchemist, Voir Dire– I so consistently enjoy the Alchemist’s work, and Earl Sweatshirt has also put out some of my more favorite hip-hop of the last few years. And indeed, what results here is nuanced, complex, and layered. I am sold on it!
Ed Sheeran, Autumn Variations– Ed Sheeran as a phenomenon is so international megastar pretty boy that I wanted to dislike this. But this album just so knows how to work pop tune chords that I can’t resist its charms!
Eli Escobar, The Beach Album– Nice classic hip hop and electronic sounds (think electro, house, early techno) and a smart varied mix. This album knows (as one track says) that it is “taking us back.” And leans into it full force, to excellent effect! Escobar is an Upper West Side kid who began playing records, throwing parties, and making beats as a late-’80s/early-’90s teen, his love for a familiarity with the evolving NY dance scene shows up here in the best kind of way.
Lydia Loveless, Nothing’s Going to Stand in My Way Again– A little bit country, a little bit indie rock, torchy, and plenty sassy! This Ohio native singer-songwriter musical influences put her right in the middle of a good space, and she inhabits the sound in a welcome way.
MJ Nebreda, Arepa Mixtape– MJ Nebreda is a Venezuelan-born, Miami-based artist, producer, and DJ. Her latest project, Arepa Mixtape, draws inspiration from reggaeton, dembow, and raptor house—an electronic genre hailing from Caracas. I may not be able to understand much lyrically, but the mix makes me feel bouncy and intrigued.
No-No Boy, Electric Empire– You may find other indie rock albums with peerless chamber pop melodic instincts. You may find other musical efforts that mix in aspects of Asian musical traditions with integrity and without appeal to novelty or fetishization. You may find other nuanced and thoughtful explorations of identity and history. But I would propose that you will rarely find all those things together and done at such a high level. No-No Boy is the project of Asian-American singer, songwriter, and scholar Julian Saporiti, and this is his third album. It was a slow burn, but it really got me.
Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS– I like Olivia Rodrigo for her knack for combining chart-worthy dance/pop hooks and rocking breaks, with lyrics that are somehow simultaneously bubblegum and yet acidly sharp and searing. There are a host of young female artists in this space now, but even among them she is a standout, and her plaintive and sometimes almost unearthly purity of voice adds another whole level to it. This is a worthy follow-up to her debut level, and an inspiring down payment on more to come.
Sarah Mary Chadwick, Messages to God– Her searing album Me and Ennui Are Friends, Baby was on my top 21 list for 2021. This outing has many of the same strengths of that album- spare musical arrangements, emotionally complex and literate lyrics, and a raw vulnerability that is equal parts bitterness and desperation. And she goes even further here- witness the amazing turn “Angry and Violent” does from unapologetic ugliness to self-doubt and a plea to stay, or the upbeat arrangements of certain songs (“Drinkin’ on a Tuesday” and “Shitty Town” for example) even as they paint a vivid picture of life’s ills. It feels funny to love this, in the sense of the kind of bleakness on display. But insisting on honestly making art to illuminate from within the pain transforms it.
Sextile, Push– Dance instincts, a stuttering electronic beat, and a punk heart. All Music Guide tells me this LA band is “Alternative/Indie Rock, Indie Electronic, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival”. Whatever they are, I like it!
Sparklehorse, Bird Machine– When the family of Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous discovered his uncompleted fifth album in the archive of recordings he left behind after his death in 2010, they took some time to decide what to do with it. They decided to bring a producer to finish it, and the results bear out that decision- the perfect harmonies, bursts of noisy low fi rock and slower fuzzed-out patches, 60s pop instincts, and mix of effects recall the best of what Sparklehorse did. it is a fitting final testament to Linkous, and reminder of all that was lost through his suicide.
Stephen Marley, Old Soul– I remember when Ziggy Marley first came out and I thought he was okay, but maybe not a totally suitable vessel for all the Marleymania nostalgia he inspired. Then I heard Damian and thought he was the real deal. Stephen is on a whole other level though! The musical approaches here are varied, and the quality peerless. The album does certainly invoke the family legacy, but it feels honest and deep in its approach.
Subsonic Eye, All Around You– This is the fourth Singaporean band I’ve run into in these lists in the last few years, and I love them all! It feels very jangly 90s, with a propulsive melodic energy. There is apparently a scene there I need to check out!
Tha Retail Simps, Live on Cool Street– It starts like blistering punk with lo fi crackle that would sound in fine company in 1978 and ends not unlike psychedelic flavored garage rock a la 1969. In between, this Montreal band delivers good banging fun with every track.
Tirzah, trip9love…???– I like the stripped down EDM beats and lush layered synths behind the warm rich vocals and emotionally intelligent lyrics. This feels like a folk singer or even a torch singer who’s somehow ended up in an electronic production universe. This English singer-songwriter has in fact been plying iterations of electronic music for several albums now, and each feel like a fresh exploration.
Tyler Childers, Rustin in the Rain– You could be forgiven for thinking that you had fallen into some kind of country music historical review here, with hints of the outlaws, the Burrito Brothers, and the 70s and 80s Nashville Sound. But you’ll get hints along the way of a modern sensibility animating things- references to e-mail, tips of the hat to electronic music, a country ballad cast as an ode to a same sex partnership. Six albums in, this 32-year-old singer songwriter remains a vital sign that a country that embraces both the old and the new is possible.
Various Artists, A Song for Leon: A Tribute to Leon Russell– I do love a good various artists covers album, but it’s hard for one of these to totally succeed as an album. Among other things, there are the potential traps of too exactly reproducing the original, and wildly varying quality to overcome. All that said, this works! Leon Russell’s influence looms large over 70s music, combining soul, funk, country and rock influences. That very breadth comes in handy here- it powers great covers by obvious fellow travelers like Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Orville Peck. But it also supports surprising interpretations, like the Bootsy Collins/U.S. Girls collaboration, and a cover by the Pixies. Darned if this isn’t both a classic and contemporary listen!
Maybe
Helena Hauff, Fabric Presents Helena Hauff– Hauff is a Hamburg-based DJ and producer of stripped-down analog techno and electro. And dammit I love it! I’m a little leery due to the over an hour length, but this is the kind of dynamic interesting electronica that really gets me on board.
Jeff Rosenstock, Hellmode– It starts off with an anthemic punky power-pop query about whether love will outlast finding out the singer has fucked up. From there, sometimes it goes emo-earnest, sometimes punky overdrive, (and often snarky). It reminds me of a space somewhere between early Green Day, your 00s emo de jour, and Harvey Danger. Sometimes it’s a little too toward the emo side, but is so high energy and emotionally literate lyrically that I don’t mind it. I am told that he, “is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter from Long Island, New York. He is known for his former bands Bomb the Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, as well as for his work as a solo artist and as a composer for Craig of the Creek. He is the founder of Quote Unquote Records, the first donation-based record label.” Well all right!
Kristin Hersh, Clear Pond Road– Not her sharpest album ever, but man can that woman write and raggedly sing a song that sinks its emotional hooks in!
Maxo, Debbie’s Son– This LA hip-hop artist has created a hazy echoy lurching soundscape that shows how much space is still left in hip-hop outside of its tropes and sonic straightjackets. It feels a little unfocused, which is what lands it on my “maybe” list, but the sounds and emotional and lyrical depth they back are well worth revisiting.
Octo Octa, Dreams of a Dancefloor EP– It’s an EP, but a practically album length one (albeit with only three songs), and from a New Hampshire DJ. So I had to check it out on behalf of my almost-home team! It is a little light for full album status, but as fine a set of electronic music as one might wish to find.
Pretenders, Relentless– The album opens with a bruising start almost at home in grunge. At other times it feels like an old blueswoman holding court. Or punk returning. Or 80s hard rock radio. But Chrissie Hynde’s voice is unmistakable, and her chords still chime like bells. It ends on an oddly muted note, but this darkly textured album commanded my attention.
Prewn, Through the Window– This seems constantly on the edge of being too narrow-band in sound, but also hits so many notes I like- anguished vocals, minor chords, feedback, distortion, and reverb. It can be difficult to penetrate to the dark heart of what is going on here, but the fact that there is a song about literally killing and frying every fish in the sea gives you some indication. I’m not entirely sure what Izzy Hagerup of Massachusetts is up to, but I dig it!
Saoirse, Fabric Presents Saoirse– I don’t know why Fabric insists on making their showcases for luminaries of club electronic music over an hour long. Presumably they don’t want us to feel shortchanged? So I’m not quite sure it works at this length, but I love the short sharp punch effects-laden mixes from this Irish-born DJ.
The Handsome Family, Hollow– Folk, Americana, sometimes something more indie, sometimes sounding straight-up primeval spooky. It felt a little lulled out at times, but also achingly authentic. This New Mexico by way of Chicago married duo knows their craft!
And there we are for September! Will I finish October-December in the next five days? No, no I will not. But I will continue post-haste!
No surrender on the journey to finding the 23 best albums of 2023- We may be lagging a little, but July & August are here!
My quest to get familiar with newer music started in 2021, when I listened to the critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and picked my favorites based on their choices. I did the same for 2020, picking my top 20 from the critics lists. And I started off listening to new releases each month, eventually arriving at my picks for the 21 best albums of 2021. That whole process was so amazing that I decided to do it again in 2022, listening to all the new releases and discovering the 22 best albums of 2022.
There are links to the 2020, 2021, and 2022 albums in the above-linked posts, but if you’d like an all-in playlist for each year, I have set that up on Spotify:
In those posts, you’ll see I’ve divided things into “yes” and “maybe” categories as follows:
Yes– This represents the albums that, upon first listen, could definitely be in running for best of the year. Keep in mind that, as of this post, we have 91 “yeses”, so at least 75% of those will die on the way to the top 23. And that’s before we even get to…
Maybe– These albums have a lot to recommend them, but also something that gives me pause. I put them in their own category, because I’ve found “maybes” sometimes linger and eventually become “yeses”. As of this post, there are 109 “maybe” albums.
Now that we’ve got that established, let’s get on with my top picks from the 167 July and August new releases!
Be Your Own Pet, Mommy– Powered by the true force of nature Jemina Pearl, Be Your Own Pet released one of my favorite albums of the 00s, Get Awkward, and then promptly imploded. The ensuing years saw her grow up, start a family, and emerge even stronger and more in charge, and their old garage rock swagger plus her enhanced substance are a great combination here. Not to mention which, the album opens with a BDSM song. What’s not to like?
Cautious Clay, Karpeh– This multi-instrumentalist known for self-released bedroom pop and writing and producing for other artists branches out to the Blue Note label for a (fittingly) jazz-flavored soul sound. The music has a kind of spontaneous low-fi feedback-laden feel at times, and some interesting electronic and effects flourishes along the way. This kind of thing can be borderline for me, but the exuberance and dynamism, and an unguarded openness in the vocals and lyrics are quite winning.
Colter Wall, Little Songs– This is such a lyrically, vocally, and musically full-bodied and genuine invocation of the heyday of 70s Outlaw Country (with occasional dashes back all the way to Hank Williams) that I can barely process that it’s coming from a 28-year-old Canadian. Well done 28-year-old Canadian, and somebody let Pop Country Radio know!
Dhanji, RUAB– I love the old school soul G-funk sounding samples, the sometimes-dizzying kaleidoscope mix, and the challenging experimental sounds of this 25-year-old rapper from Ahmedabad, India. Much of it isn’t in English, and much of the time I don’t care! US hip hop could learn a thing or two about shaking things up a little from this youthful debut album.
Diners, Domino– Arizona native Blue Broderick delivers 24 minutes and ten songs worth of straight-ahead sunny rock with classic 60s chords and low fi nerdiness on this album. I am extremely pleased.
DJ K,PANICO NO SUBMUNDO– Okay, it’s almost entirely in Spanish. But darned if the hypnotic repetition, deep bass beats, and weird glitchy layers of electronic sound doesn’t weave a spell. I am told that DJ K is a Sao Paulo producer, and he works in baile funk, an electro/funk/bass subgenre that emerged in Brazil in the 80s. I am also told that he “pushes the edges of baile funk to horrorcore extremes with a style he dubs “bruxaria,” or witchcraft.” I’m telling you that I love it!
Florry, The Holey Bible– Country rock from this Philadelphia band with a 90s alt country feeling to it, but more than a dose of 70s sunshine, and playful wit in vocals, lyrics, and arrangement. All this is delivered without sacrificing the feeling of authenticity, and genuine emotion comes through on the tracks that need it.
Grace Potter, Mother Road– My Vermont home team girl Grace Potter is in peak form here- rocking, rootsy, musically tough, lyrically feisty. This is a nearly perfect fusion between formula, form, and function. And it even pretty much pulls off a conceptual through-line!
Greta Van Fleet, Starcatcher– I mean, Great Van Fleet is a forgery, right? But their forgery of Zeppelin, Rush, and other 70s hard rock luminaries on this album is so true to the original and exquisitely delivered, I can’t help but love it as a work of art in its own right. Rock on, lads!
Guided by Voices, Welshpool Frillies– Nice crunching guitar in a solidly classic vein redolent of the 60s, but sometimes sounding more 90s, and doing detours into prog rock and Bowie territory. I am not entirely sure what they’re going for here, but I love it anyway!
Half Japanese, Jump Into Love– Snarky and joyfully experimental, this reminds me of how College Rock bands of the 80s played around and had fun with their music, vocals, and lyrics. The album fits into the space between early Camper Van Beethoven and the Dead Milkmen at their weirdest, with some Wall of Voodoo thrown in. This is not accidental, as Half Japanese front-person Jad Fair has been kicking around the fringes of indie production since the late 70s. There is never an uninteresting moment here.
Homeboy Sandman, Rich– Smart, positive, and often funny left of center lyrics, a pleasant conversational flow, and a varied and clever musical mix. This Queens rapper has been around for fifteen years, and it shows in how comfortable and confident he is doing his thing here. And shows how much hip hop that relaxes a little and gets into the details of small everyday life real still has to say.
jaydes, ghetto cupid– Glitchy, fragmented, and densely layered, with elements of hip-hop, EDM, guitar samples and experimental music. The collage is made even more hallucinatory by the 17 songs flashing by in 33 minutes. Besides stylistic unity, the whole thing is held together thematically and by repeated samples and loop motifs as well. Wit, ambition, and skill mark this Florida teen as someone to keep your eye on!
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Sticks and Stones– Willie Nelson’s son here with some good old-fashioned country (a la outlaw) and rock (a la southern rock and 70s singer songwriter). It’s not the newest sound in the world, in fact anti that, but it is a great delivery of said sound that never rings false.
Noname, Sundial– Smart metaphysical poetic hip hop, positive but with plenty of raunch and bite, with disarmingly approachable vocals and a compelling swirl in the musical mix including jazz, gospel choruses, Brill Building pop, and classic 80s beats.
Open Mike Eagle, Another Triumph of Ghetto Engineering– This Chicago MC really delivers on the album title! Great attitude and presence, a smart and interesting low fi mix, hooky and poetic with both positivity and darkness.
Osees, Intercepted Message– The venerable San Francisco indie rock band takes us on a great excursion into the more rocking side of new wave. Though the synths are cranked up too, and we get some great 808 beats in there! Deliberately lost in time, but so flawlessly done.
Palehound, Eye on the Bat– Thrashy guitar with just enough poppy melody, on point vocal phrasing during both slow/quiet and loud/fast interludes, lyrics that paint real life stories but load them with emotional meaning. Band frontperson El Kempner severely undersells when they say “it’s kind of like journal-rock, just all of my biggest fears splurted onto some vinyl, no different from writing a diary, really” but that does give you a kind of idea. This is their fourth album, and I look forward to hearing more!
PJ Harvey, I Inside the Old Year Dying– The album expands on Orlam, her epic poem about the coming of age of Ira-Abel, a young Dorset girl whose companions include the bleeding, ghostly soldier Wyman-Elvis and Orlam itself, a lamb’s eyeball that serves as the village oracle. As overdone as this sounds, the concept lends a depth that you can constantly feel but doesn’t stand in the way of getting to the songs. Which yes, are dissonant and challenging, but also strangely accessible.
PWNT, Play What’s Not There– Pop so sweet I almost get a toothache, and textures so shimmery it’s like cotton candy. There is more than a little psychedelic sheen, and I think I also detect an omnichord in there somewhere… AMG says: “L.A. musician Kosta Galanopoulos named his solo project, PWNT, after the Miles Davis credo “Play what’s not there,” the title he bestows to his sophomore album.” I say, amen!
Shamir, Homo Anxietatem– An unusual vocalist with a surging voice, music that’s equal parts new-wave, electronic dance, folk, and hard rocking (with a bonus blues song thrown in), and a powerful point of view. This Las Vegas native is a bundle of talent who has been beaming out great indie pop since 2012, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Snooper, Super Snooper– Punk in a vein that reminds me of early Jam and American hardcore, but also includes playful distortion, drum machines, and sound effects reminiscent of new wave, hip hop, and electronic music. The album rips through 14 songs in 23 minutes without every losing vitality and fun. I am now more than halfway in love with this Nashville band!
Various Artists, Tell Everybody! 21st Century Juke Joint Blues from Easy Eye Sound– Since founding the Easy Eye Sound label in 2017, Dan Auerbach has produced and issued dozens of recordings. And indeed, we get Auerbach on one track, the Black keys get another, but it’s mostly filled with the label’s artists. Held together by a cohesive spirit between the musicians, this is as fine a batch of non-formulaic but utterly classic contemporary blues as you are going to find.
Voivod, Morgoth Tales– Between the band name, the album name, and an opening track named “Condemned to the Gallows”, you might be expecting something in the metal vein. And you would be right! It reminds me, favorably, of the heyday of thrash metal in the 80s, with a hint of grunge in there, and a little of the extra punch of doom metal but, glory glory hallelujah, none of the technical frigidness or orchestral flights of fancy that makes so much contemporary metal lose its vitality, and with vocals that, while properly shouty, are actually somewhat legible! Heavy and yet dynamic, dark but with wit. This Quebec thrash band that started in the 80s celebrated their 40th anniversary by recording whole new versions of deep cuts from throughout their history. This album has more than a thing or two to teach the kids these days, and it makes this sometime-metalhead very happy.
Who is She?, Goddess Energy– Sweet melodies, bright chords, driving music right on the centerline between pop and punk, and energetic charmingly artless vocals. All of this, and odes to Movie Pass, Marianne Williamson, and telling off Anne Hathaway’s haters. How can I not be smitten? This “supergroup” of members of local Seattle bands Tacocat, Lisa Prank, and Chastity Belt makes some real magic together.
Maybe
Alice Cooper, Road– I don’t think Alice Cooper ever puts on a bad show, and that includes here. Is it a little formulaic? Sure. Is his formula rollicking metal and shock rock? Yes! There is even a kind of unifying theme/metaphor of being on the road. There’s a (well done) “Magic Bus” cover as the last track that doesn’t quite fit with the rest, but otherwise good clean (but play dirty) fun.
Being Dead, When Horses Would Run– It has that shimmery 60s sound with 90s quirky verve, lyrics about buffaloes, horses, days off, and God, and a classic psychedelic sound effect catalog. This, of course, adds up to this Texas-based band’s album being compulsively charming and likable. Some concerns about back half pacing are the only thing keeping me from an enthusiastic “yes.”
Bethany Cosentino, Natural Disaster– Clear as a bell vocals, wordy lyrics that wax both personal and social, and a ringing guitar wielded by someone familiar with rock, folk, and country who knows how to work its chords. This reminds me more than a little of the 90s. Cosentino is from the lo-fi duo Best Coast, and makes a great authentic-feeling sound, even if it doesn’t necessarily stand out as original.
Bush Tetras, They Live In My Head– Excellent moody minor chords rock, somewhere between post-punk and 90s, and vocals with a haunted, plaintive edge. It turns out this New York band has been kicking around since the late 70s and was one of the early No Wave bands, which tells you why they sound like everything between. Everything in between actually derives from them!
Diego Raposo, Yo No Era Así Pero de Ahora en Adelante, Sí– Okay, it was all in Spanish, there was one song near the end that lost me by being too lulled out, but in general I was very taken with the complex and lively mix this Dominican multi-instrumentalist and producer has going on here. Per Pitchfork “Melding jungle breakbeats, fuzzed-out electric guitar, and frantic bass with melancholy downtempo production”. Per me, yay!
draag me, Lord of the Shithouse– The title has attitude! Musically, this outing from Spirit of the Beehive members Zack Schwartz and Corey Wichlin is making some beautiful noise, delivering a diverse (and often pleasingly unhinged and fragmented) electronic sound. It is sometimes a challenging listen and I’m not totally convinced that it hangs together enough to work as an album at its length, but the soundscapes are compelling.
Edsel Axle, Variable Happiness– Rosali Middleman, usually a singer-songwriter, here goes for an electric-guitar instrumental album. And, if you get me minor chord-heavy, reverb-laden instrumental electric guitar, I am going to like it. Does it entirely hold together as an album? Not sure, but I do like it!
Gaadge, Somewhere Down Below– Good bell-ringing lo-fi guitar rock with fuzzy crunch and distortion from this Pittsburgh band. Is it terribly original? No. But so well done!
Grian Chatten, Chaos for the Fly– This debut studio album by Irish musician Grian Chatten (best known as the lead singer for Fontaines D.C.) has the raw edge of his work with them, but also a delicate orchestration arrangement. This lightens the emotional heaviness and brings new depth and subtlety, and a hint of sweetness, to his sound. I’m not sure it comes together, but it is affecting, and I never wanted to leave.
Hiss Golden Messenger, Jump For Joy– Sunny indie rock with some 70s country rock and southern rock feeling. I kept going back and forth between thinking it sounded too samey track-to-track, and thinking it sounded beautifully classic. And since I did that to the end, that is the very definition of a “maybe”!
Horrendous, Ontological Mysterium– Good old fashioned blistering metal that still remembers melody, has just the right technical shininess (and more than a hint of British new wave metal), and actually has somewhat approachable vocals! Is it the most original thing ever? No. But thank goodness someone is keeping metal hope alive!
ICYTWAT, Final Boss– I love the low-fi sound of this hip-hop album with its distortion, loops, and reverb. It all sounds a little sinister and buried in feedback, and the lyrics that make it through reinforce this feeling of menace. The album takes more than occasional dips into a more conventional contemporary autotuned mumble-rap, but when it’s not doing this the sonic mix made my ears happy.
Jon Batiste, World Music Radio– The beats! The grooves! The energy and positivity! The production that sweeps in hip-hop, rich and varied strains of soul and R&B, EDM, world rhythms! It feels simultaneously old school and fresh. All Music Guide says “Grammy-winning New Orleans pianist and singer known for his eclectic crossover music that juxtaposes jazz, soul, pop, gospel, and NOLA R&B”. I say, he’s amazing, and the only thing I’m unsure of here is the sprawl and if it holds together at the full hour+ run rate.
Lifeguard, Crowd Can Talk/Dressed In Trenches– 2023’s Crowd Can Talk/Dressed in Trenches is the first release from Chicago trio Lifeguard that has gotten much traction outside their hometown, though you might not guess that to hear it. This collection of two EPs — one previously released, one not is full of fuzzy goodness! It has just the right mixture between harshness and some kind of melody. The second EP is harsher and noisier than the first, but both have their charms.
PVRIS, Evergreen– Sometimes this sounds more like indie rock (in an arch intellectual version of that), more often like a dance super-mix (in a good way!), and always experimental and intelligent. I don’t know if it quite holds together, but frontperson Lynn Gunn’s presence, and the daring smarts of the whole thing kept me listening.
Rauw Alejandro, Playa Saturno– I can’t help it, I have a soft spot in my heart for reggaeton. Actually, it may be a sweaty, pulsing spot. Either way, even with nearly nary a word of English from this Puerto Rican reggaeton master, I am here for the high energy multi-layered mix.
Rhiannon Giddens, You’re the One– She’s got a voice! This North Carolinian musician romps through soul, blues, bluegrass, and jazz standards with a phrasing that is sometimes a little smooth to a fault, but also very authentic-feeling.
Ruth Garbus, Alive People– Spare. Folky. Intellectual and philosophical. Abstract. Recorded live in Greenfield, Massachusetts by the, among other things, sister of Merrill Garbus from Tune-yards, though it doesn’t feel like a live album in a crowd feedback kind of way. It’s all of a tone, but so powerful, compelling, and lyrically surprising it kept bringing me back in.
The Hives, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons– This album is single-handedly making me believe in the 2000s garage rock revival again. And with more than a little flavor of the Jam, Stiff Little Fingers and the rockier side of post-punk. There is nothing new here. But that’s gloriously the point!
Various Artists, Barbie The Album– If you were to picture what would be on the Barbie soundtrack, you might envision girl power icon singers and high energy dance music. You would be right about both of those! Given the nature of the film, you might also picture musings on the meaning of femininity and image/expectation versus reality. Again, you would be right. You might be surprised, though, that there are also some equally substantive takes on masculinity in the process, and an array of musical styles beyond the obvious. And it pulls off a kind of emotional arc along the way. I’m not sure yet that it totally hangs together, but for a soundtrack album to amount to a real album is no small feat!
Veps, Oslo Park– If you tell me you’re a Norwegian 90s pop-rock influenced girl group, you can’t add more adjectives I respond positively toward. Energetic, fun, and well put together, and, if I’m not sure yet how far it rises above its derivations, I’m definitely giving it another listen!
Your Heart Breaks, The Wrack Line– Fuzzy guitar, slow melodious chords, fun musical surprises, intelligent lyrics, and vocals with equal hints of nostalgia and whimsy. Your Heart Breaks is a project led by musician, artist, and filmmaker Clyde Petersen, and this is their first release for Kill Rock Stars. Written in collaboration with others, it’s loaded with well-deployed guests (including several delightful turns by Kimya Dawson), and for good measure, there’s even an ode to Wesley Crusher. Because it is lo-fi and low-key, the pacing sometimes lags toward the end of its hour-long run, but the considerable charms kept me tuned in.
And there we are! Will we get September out before the end of November and then try to do October-December in a blaze of glory? Stay tuned to find out…
The journey to find the 23 best albums of 2023 continues! That’s right, we’re listening to new albums as they come out each month and sorting the standouts into “yes” and “maybe”. Next up: June!
If you’re new here, this all started in 2021. In a quest to get familiar with newer music, I listened to the critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and picked my own favorites based on their choices. I did the same for 2020, picking my top 20 from their lists. And I started off listening to new releases each month, eventually arriving at my picks for the 21 best albums of 2021. I had so much fun in the process that I decided to do it again in 2022, listening each month and discovering the 22 best albums of 2022.
There are links to the 2020, 2021, and 2022 albums in the posts, but if you’d like a one-stop playlist for each year, I’ve set that up on Spotify:
As for how those “yes” and “maybe” categories I mentioned above work, as I listen to the new releases for each month I sort the ones that particularly catch my attention into two categories:
Yes– This represents the albums that, upon first listen, could definitely be in running for best of the year.
Maybe– These albums have a lot to recommend them, but also something that gives me pause. I put them in their own category, because I’ve found “maybes” sometimes linger and eventually become “yeses”.
Now that we’ve got that established, let’s get on with my picks from the 121 June new releases I listened to!
Albert Hammond, Jr., Melodies on Hiatus– What with his work with the Strokes and all, Hammond is clearly a top rate guitarist, and this makes me aware of just how much the sound of that band owes to his rhythm guitar work. But this is not just a matter of a Strokesque album, though those flourishes are delightful. It’s the deft way he has with balancing melody and rocking guitar, and genuine melancholy yearning that leaves an impression.
Baxter Dury, I Thought I Was Better Than You– Dry wit and more than vaguely unsettling lyrics wrapped in sophisticated pop and laid-back detached spoken word vocals. You might think from all these descriptors that he’s English. You would be right! He is also, incidentally, the son of Ian Dury of Blockheads fame, and it is apparent that a great deal of the sardonic deadpan passed down to him.
Big Freedia, Central City– This album from New Orleans-based rapper Big Freedia is overflowing with humor, booming bawdy energy, and classic mix motifs. This is apparently a subgenre known as “bounce music”. And heaven knows this is a historical moment where exuberant energy from a gender nonconforming gay man who embraces femininity is extremely welcome.
Bob Dylan, Shadow Kingdom– We all had to figure out something to do during COVID. For his part, Bob Dylan put out a black and white film of a live-in-the-studio concert where he revisited songs from earlier in his career. Two years later he’s released an album version of that concert. Casting early Dylan into later-day Dylan with a slowed down and precise vocal phrasing and musical reworkings of his old standards is kind of a revelation. It makes you realize what he’s been doing since Time Out Of Mind, and both the links it has with his earlier work, and the phase shift involved.
Boris/Uniform, Bright New Disease– New York industrial noise-rock band Uniform toured with the also noisy and pan-genre Japanese trio Boris in 2019. The two groups then began recording music together. The result is unhinged in the best way- it has elements of noise rock, metal, hardcore, all delivered with an edge of madcap experimentalism.
Detwat, HiTech– I have learned that ghettotech is a fusion of electro, techno, ghetto house, and Miami bass that has arisen from Detroit’s club scene. I’ve also learned that I like this. It’s very fresh! It shows the verve of both good hip hop and electronic, with stuttering energy, humor, and a sophisticated mix.
Dream Wife, Social Lubrication– I was on the edge with this- at first it seemed punky, but not terribly originally so. And pleasantly featuring girl-power, but not overly notably. But then the lyrical bite kept coming, and the 80s and 90s alt influences got piled on top of the punk. This London-based band won me over!
Joanna Sternberg, I’ve Got Me– Quirky vocals, acoustic, with sharp dense emotionally internal lyrics and slightly off-kilter instrumentation. It’s often kind of sing-song, and deliberately artless, but vulnerable. All-in-all, this NYC-based singer, songwriter and visual artist is doing something delightful and that I want to hear more of!
Juan Wauters, Wandering Rebel– The lyrics here are at times wistful and at times tongue in cheek, the musical mix light and inventive, the whole thing shot through with his signature experimentalism, and winning multi-cultural mix. The formerly Queens-based artist has relocated to his native Uruguay, and both landscapes show through here.
Nat Myers, Yellow Peril– A Korean-American Blues musician, which is a story I like. But even better, it is as fine a genuine-feeling dynamic set of steel guitar traditional blues as you are going to find. It never felt less than fun and true for a single track.
Owl City, Coco Moon– I heard this was from an electronica collective, which put me a little on edge. But in fact, it turns out to be delightful! It is electronic , but in the way, for example, the Postal Service is electronic. And in fact, reminds me of the brighter and more quirky side of Ben Gibbard’s work. It’s somewhere between affecting storytelling and high-energy summer fluff, and unusually informed (for indie electronica) by the artists’ Christianity. Per Wikipedia: “Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young, who created the project while experimenting with music in his parents’ basement.” Three cheers for music that comes from parent’s basements!
Ruen Brothers, Ten Paces– An atmospheric indie rock with cowboy ballad flavorings, minor chords, and weird western themes. How am I not going to fall for this? I’m NOT not! Turns out on subsequent investigation that they are an English duo infatuated with American music a la rockabilly. Well, okay! Well done lads.
Speech Bebelle, Sunday Dinner on a Monday– This British hip-hop artist has an interesting voice, in both senses of the word, and a lush richly-produced mix backing her. I really appreciate her poetic flow, and the fact that it takes on social concerns and reveals internal emotional truths with equal fluency, organically joining the two.
Sweeping Promises, Good Living Is Coming for You– Such a bright clear classic new wave sound! They wouldn’t sound out of place on a circa 1983 double-bill with Missing Persons. Which is not to say there is anything inauthentic here, behind the slinky synthy excellence, there’s some genuine heft and personality to the vocals of lead singer Lira Mondal. Dagnabit, I think I love this Kansas by way of Austin by way of Boston by way of Arkansas band!
Teke::Teke, Hagata– Their album Shirushi made my 2021 Honorable Mention list, and this one is charming me in a similar fashion. Eclectic, alternately serrated and swinging, with an edge of dark frenzy and a hefty dash of mirthfulness. Yes, it is all in Japanese, no that doesn’t matter, the wealth of its sonic landscape is well worth the journey.
Witch, Zango– “On their first album in nearly 40 years, the Zamrock pioneers prove their malleable, genre-spanning style still sounds like the future.” So says Pitchfork, and I don’t disagree! It reminds of the sunny rock/soul crossover of the late 60s a la Sly Stone, the African polyrhythms informing new wave, good old fashioned crunchy 90s guitar rock, and other things besides. The musical approach is so fresh and alive I’ve got to consider it!
Maybe
Bobbie Nelson/Amanda Shires, Loving You– One of my 2022 top picks, Amanada Shires, with Willie Nelson’s sister covering country-flavored standards with associations with Willie Nelson. Well shucks! It isn’t the most original thing ever, but it is pretty darn nice.
Bombadil, In Color– What a sunny, multi-layered, weirdly fun world this invokes! Color me a fan of this eclectic neo-folk North Carolina band. Also, it’s surprisingly coherent given the way it was recorded in different locales during the pandemic, though there are some pacing issues.
Bully, Lucky For You– I feel like this fell straight out of the 90s! Crunching guitar rock, ragged vocals, a deliberately unkempt, in your face energy. There are glimmers of 00s dance, because she is of the generation that is pop-fusing that with 90s alt rock (witness guest track by Soccer Mommy). It’s derivative, but it’s a good derivation.
Cory Hanson, Western Cum– A little southern rock, a little country rock, gets into 70s classic rock riffs, and occasionally ventures into country hardcore territory. Sometimes reminiscent of Neil Young. All with a great deal of humor! It’s a mood, it’s an era, but it is a great evocation of it.
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Weathervanes– I am such a sucker for what Jason Isbel does. On this album, he starts on a genuinely dark and spooky note musically and lyrically, then lightens up from there- mixing in his signature combination of country, 70s rock, Springsteen-reminiscent anthemic songs, and Dylan-reminiscent sketches. But even as the music grows more exuberant, the darkness and ache is never far away. It’s a little incoherent for its sprawl (with a run time of an hour), but that’s the only thing keeping it from “yes”.
Jenny Lewis, Joy’All– Comparing Jenny Lewis to the best of Jenny Lewis is maybe unfair to her, but that’s what you get for being great! On that front, her lyrics here are occasionally shallower, her vocals sometimes more washed out, and the music not always as sharp as her best. in other words, sometimes it is merely “good” instead of “really, really good”. But definitely good enough for a second listen!
Jess Williamson, Time Ain’t Accidental– A country folk excursion with hints of Jenny Lewis, Nanci Griffith, and others. The lyrics are richly visual, evocative of the musical space without being cliché, and her voice warmly invites you in. It has a fairly narrow musical and vocal range but bears repeated listening.
Kool Keith, Black Elvis 2– Sequel to the well-regarded 1999 solo album from this founding member of the Ultramagnetic MCs. And, indeed, it has a certain kind of 90s verve to it- hard metallic drive to the beats and the flow, clever lyrics, varied if not downright whacky samples. As if to prove the point, there’s even a guest spot from Ice-T. And there’s a track devoted to Marvel comics, so you know that’s going to reel me in.
Laura Cantrell, Just Like a Rose: The Anniversary Sessions– Well that is some lovely countrified electric Americana! Both musically and vocally it’s full of brightness and clarity, with lyrics and chord changes that have a feeling for authentically honoring country while bringing in pop rock energy. Cantrell has been recording in this vein since the late 90s, and this is her 6th solo album (raising a family and having to work for a living having taken a lot of her time). The musical and vocal range is rather narrow track to track, which is about the source of my “maybe”, but it shines with sincerity.
Louise Post, Sleepwalker– I like cooking with salt. Do you know what kind of salt I like best? Veruca Salt! So, in service to my evergreen love affair with 90s loud guitar alt rock female singers, I am always going to be interested in what Louise Post is up to. And she’s up to classic form here! Not to mention self-consciously looking back and reminiscing. As such, it sounds a little dated. As such, I can’t help but love it.
Lucinda Williams, Stories From a Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart– Lucinda Williams rocking out is going to be a pretty good combination to bring me on board with. And indeed, this album is full of fine moments. It lulls toward the second half, but even if It isn’t “great” Lucinda Williams, “good” Lucinda Williams is pretty great.
Metro Boomin, Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture)– This soundtrack is led up by hip-hop and trap DJ/producer DJ Leland Tyler Wayne aka Metro Boomin, but loaded full of guest stars. The surprising news, to me, is how successful it is as an album. Perhaps because of the focus the film provides, perhaps because of a skilled producer with a clear vision, it feels “together”. And even uses auto-tune in a way that feels holistic to the songs and tone of the album without sacrificing dynamism and vitality. I’m not totally sold, but I can’t dismiss it as a possibility!
Pardoner, Peace-Loving People– A nice snotty jangly guitar sound that reminds me of a certain strain of American alt 80s and 90s alternative, with occasional dips into total hardcore, delivered via 14 songs in 28 minutes. Not the most original components ever, but I will say I liked it more as time went on. And wouldn’t you know they’re a San Francisco band?
Protomartyr, Formal Growth in the Desert– Solid post-punk, with an edge of industrial, and some weighty anger, as befits a band from Detroit. They remind me of many things from the 80s and 90s, and as such, it’s not a startlingly new or different sound. If you read Rage Against the Machine through Magazine, you might get something like this. But the feeling conveyed is genuine, urgent, and timely.
Son Volt, Day of the Doug– This tribute album to Tex-Mex musician Doug Sahm was conceived by Son Volt frontman Jay Farrar. What results is classic Son Volt, lent a little bit of focus by the theme. Not “different” from the countrified rock space they usually operate in, but very well done.
Special Friend, Wait Until The Flames Come Rushing In– Their 2021 album Ennemi Commun was on my semi-finals list. This has that same feeling for fuzzy guitar, pop melodies, and genuine emotion with quirky twee delivery. I won’t be mad at listening to it again!
The Baseball Project, Grand Salami Time– This starts off feeling like a lost album from the original American punk scene(s) somewhere between New York and LA. Not on the hard thrashy side, but on the more melodic, and conversant with 60s harmonies side- think Richard Hell, Television, X. Or the New York Dolls. More than a hint of garage psyche gets into it from there, a la the Nuggets collection. I am a little unsure due to the multiplicity of dated feels but darn it’s a good exemplar of its sounds!
The Dead Milkmen, Quaker City Quiet Pills– In a way, this could have been an album from them at any point in the 80s or 90s. But the snarky excellence and low-key brutality of their approach on songs like, “Grandpa’s Not Racist” is pretty damn timely. Dated? Timeless? Any which way, I have to consider it.
Youth Lagoon, Heaven is a Junkyard– This is musically and vocally extremely low-key, which had me on the fence. But also, haunting, and compelling in the melodic yet ragged spell it weaves. Youth Lagoon is the vehicle of Idaho-bred bedroom pop/neo psychedelia musician Trevor Powers, returning after a break since 2016. Welcome back!
And there you have it, June, coming to you before the end of August. We’ll keep working on the pipeline. Because you can’t quit when you’re halfway there!
All right, not quite before the end of June, but we’re getting May out in early July. We’re catching up to real time! But catching up on what, you ask? Well, we’re on a journey to find the 23 best albums of 2023 by listening to new albums as they come out each month and sorting them into “yes” and “maybe”. Join us!
Okay, you say. I’m intrigued. But how did this come about? In 2021, in a quest to get familiar with newer music, I listened to the critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and picked my own favorites. I did the same for 2020, picking my top 20. And I started off listening to new releases each month, eventually finding the 21 best albums of 2021. I had so much fun in the process that I decided to do it again in 2022, listening each month and discovering the 22 best albums of 2022.
There are links to the 2021 and 2022 albums in the posts, but if you’d like a one-stop playlist, I’ve set that up on Spotify:
Did I mention “yes” and “maybe” above? I did! As I listen to the new releases for each month, I sort the ones that are in contention for best of the year into two categories:
Yes– This represents the albums that, upon first listen, I think could definitely be in running for best of the year.
Maybe– These albums have something to recommend them, but also something that gives me pause. I put them in their own category, because I’ve found “maybes” sometimes linger and eventually become “yeses”.
Got it? Good. Now let’s get on with my picks for the most promising albums from the 105 May new releases I listened to!
Alice Longyu Gao, Let’s Hope Heteros Fail, Learn and Retire– The title lets you know there’s a point of view, which is great. But even better is the mix of energetic, wacky, and experimental on display here as it combines electronic, sing-song, noise rock, and high-octane dance music. This Chinese-born American singer, songwriter, DJ, and performance artist has it going on! (Note this is not actually a May release, it’s from Pitchfork’s Spring list of “33 albums you might have missed”. As you know, we miss NOTHING.)
Arlo Parks, My Soft Machine– Her album Collapsed in Sunbeams was in my top 21 list for 2021. Compared to that, this album smoother in some ways due to a lusher more pop-oriented production. But lyrically it’s more directly personal and the vocals often have an uncloaked sense of vulnerability. So, its strengths are different, but she is no less powerful here for it.
Charlotte Cornfield, Could Have Done Anything– One of my picks for 2021 honorable mention was her album Highs in the Minuses, and it remains a sentimental favorite of mine. This has the same plain-spoken honesty of lyrics and vocals, warm presence, and music with an acoustic base but enough production polish and melody that moves it along nicely.
Dave Matthews Band, Walk Around the Moon– Nobody is more surprised than me to find myself liking this! After the freshness of his initial intro in the 90s Dave Matthews has been, well, very Dave Matthews. Reliably, dependably, relentlessly Dave Matthews. This, however, finds him in a darker and more pensive mood, and a musically rich one- there are hints of grunge, 60s psychedelic pop, and various other soundscapes along the way, and a less sunny, more interior dive than we have come to expect from him.
Foyer Red, Yarn the Hours Away– A weird nervy, jerky, rock, multi-layered, sing-songy, with gonzo synths. If more people were as inventive with pop rock as this Brooklyn band, it would be a grand world!
Galen Ayers/Paul Simonon, Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day?– In a way, it is no surprise to have a member of the Clash on a musical venture that mixes up ska, Latin, and retro-rock influences. Former Clash bassist Simonon worked out these songs while riding out COVID in Spain. He has actually mostly been creating as a well-regarded painter in recent decades, but the experience of street playing got him interested in his first musical venture in five years. When he returned to London after the pandemic receded, he partnered with singer/songwriter Galen Ayers to bring his new songs out as this album. It legitimately delights, retaining the feeling of warmth and relaxed spontaneity from the set’s origin.
Kassa Overall, Animals– “Equally adept as a jazz drummer, rapper, and producer, Seattle’s Kassa Overall makes records whose approach to musical modernism is informed amply by beat consciousness.” That’s the description, and it’s a great mix! Wildly variable jazz, experimental electronic, left field hip hop all at once.
Kesha, Gag Order– Wow! I did not know a lot about Kesha beyond some vague sense she was dance-related. Which she is, but also raw, ragged, angry, powerful, spiritual, musically varied, and given to unusual production choices. Compelling all the way through!
Olivia Jean, Raving Ghost– Olivia Jean is the lead of the “garage goth” band the Black Belles and, somewhere incidentally along the way, Jack White’s newest wife. I mention those only because both factors, maybe, give you a clue to what her musical POV is. Swinging, retro, and vaguely sinister on the first track, slightly punky power pop new wave on the second, a metal feeling on the third. And later, there is the version of “Orinoco Flow” that turns it into a girl-group/punk number. It may all be a little formulaic, but damn it’s a good formula- Olivia Jean is a cool rocking righteous chick, and I am here for it!
Peter One, Come Back to Me– A good story: The U.S. debut at age 67 of a Nashville musician from Côte d’Ivoire who found fame in Africa as a folk musician in the 90s before emigrating to the U.S. in the 90s and doing just regular life for decades. Even better: It’s a lovely album that delivers an intriguing hybrid of acoustic Afro-pop, jazz, blues, and American folk. From these disparate parts comes a unique whole. And how often these days do you hear something that doesn’t sound like anything but itself?
Rosa Pistola, Cumbiaton Total– Well this was delightful! Such lively, varied, and over the top hip-hop and dance music glee. Per Bandcamp: “Cumbiaton Total is a headfirst dive into Mexico City’s raw and unique take on the reggaeton sound, and its rising recognition. Compiled by NTS with Rosa Pistola (a central figure at the heart of the scene), the release coincides with a mini-documentary that explores the community spirit around the scene, with interviews and footage of the artists that feature on the release.” It is entirely in Spanish, but so fun I don’t care that I can barely understand a single lyric. (Note this is not actually a May release, it’s from Pitchfork’s Spring list of “33 albums you might have missed”. As you know, we miss NOTHING.)
Seán Barna,An Evening at Macri Park– I really like this! Singer/songwriter Barna bases this cycle of songs around Macri Park, a local bar that is a historical anchor for the Queer community in Brooklyn. So, we’ve got that going in for concept, and then new wave/Bowiesque arty melodrama, vivid literary storytelling, and a strong feeling for 70s chords and melodies to top it off.
Maybe
Alex Lahey, The Answer Is Always Yes– This is snarky, a little nervy, with just the right edge of power pop 90s and noisier rock. It’s not the newest, freshest thing ever, and is designedly simple and straightforward musically. But darned if this Australian singer-songwriter isn’t doing a classic sound well!
bar italia, Tracy Denim– A guitar-driven post-punk sound, redolent of the Cure, Siouxsie, Echo & the Bunnymen, the Church, et al, but also with a hint of the 90s to come. The sound is in all wise a little dated and derivative, but darn is it sincere and well done.
billy woods & Kenny Segal, Maps– Billy Woods has made several albums that caught my attention in the last few years, but this collaboration with LA producer Segal takes that to a whole other level. It sounds and feels very DIY and is so delightfully varied in terms of the mix. The flow is a little more low key, and it sometimes feels a little incoherent because of it’s very variety, but I can’t fault it for that. Much.
Brandy Clark, Brandy Clark– It begins with a murder song, delivered so plain and simply vocally you can’t help but love it, and on the musical side it goes from spare to rocking. There are a variety of musical approaches and subject matter that follow, all informed by the same spare story-telling with just the right dose of pop refrains. It may play a little too conventionally sometimes, and pacing/speed is an issue, but for this strong songwriter I will give another listen.
Conway the Machine, Won’t He Do It– There’s a glower and a swagger to this, as well as a muscular mix. If the subject matter isn’t the freshest ever, the flow and personality are strong.
Cusp, You Can Do It All– The hushed opening gave me pause, but I liked the slightly-off guitar rhythm and phrasing of the second track. It goes from there to a fuzzy 90s kind of sound, but retains being slightly off kilter, mixed with sweet melodies. In parts familiar, in parts feeling fresh.
Graham Day & the Gaolers, Reflections in the Glass– Now that’s some good old-fashioned 60s garage rock! It’s not the most original sound in the world, but Graham’s been plying this trade, both in a variety of UK bands and solo, since the 80s, and as a result, it feels like an original example of it. Too fun and well done not to consider!
Immaterial Possession, Mercy of the Crane Folk– Nervy music, jangly and unnerving. There are hints of post-punk, the Doors, the medieval trippy bazaar side of psychedelia, and horror aspects of goth and industrial. It doesn’t sound totally coherent, sometimes the flow is a little off, but this Georgia quartet has something interesting going on!
Jonas Brothers, The Album– I semi-despise myself for even doing this, but I think it’s a gosh-darn maybe! The thing is, I listened through to the end, because each song had enough charm and 2020s peak pop perfection to keep me going. A little pre-packaged? Yes. But a package with a powerfully efficient design!
Masego, Masego– His mix of soul, house, hip-hop, and jazz is winning. It’s musically and vocally interesting, and if not lyrically profound, what’s going on fits the sunny mellow whole. I’m not sure it comes together as an album with enough energy to sustain it, but worth another listen. (Note this is not actually a May release, it’s from Pitchfork’s Spring list of “33 albums you might have missed”. As you know, we miss NOTHING.)
Panic Pocket, Mad Half Hour– This London duo lands somewhere between heavy crunching guitar and poppy melody, with multi-layered female-lead vocals, i.e. it could have come straight from the 90s. The references and concerns are thoroughly contemporary though, and tilt toward a welcome snarky feminism even if the lyrics are sometimes a little too on the nose.
Radiator Hospital, Can’t Make Any Promises– This Detroit by way of Michigan indie rock band is somewhere between 80s jangle rock, 90s lo-fi, and 00s garage. Not groundbreaking, but sounds I love and so very solidly done.
Rhoda Dakar, Version Girl– I know her from being a key figure in the 70s/80s U.K. ska scene, and singing one of the most harrowing songs I have ever heard, “The Boiler”. So, she’s coming in here with a lot of credibility, and this is a covers album, which always tickles my fancy. And indeed these are great versions, delivered in relaxed and easy ska.
Rodney Crowell, The Chicago Sessions– In 2020, Rodney Crowell happened to meet Jeff Tweedy of Wilco at a festival they were both playing at, and Tweedy suggested Crowell should come to Chicago sometime and record at Wilco’s rehearsal space and private studio there. The result is this album, and it’s a great example of fit between the sensibilities of artist and producer. If it’s not the newest sound in the world, darn is it a good one.
RP Boo, Legacy Volume 2– The spare excellence, stuttered pop culture sampling, and driving repetition of these DJ mixes reminds me of the 90s heyday of this kind of music. And indeed, Kavain Space, aka RP Boo, had gotten his start DJing in the Chicago house music scene of the 90s and was already legendary for developing the “footwork” style before he began finally publicly releasing his mixes in the 2010s. This sample collects mixes from the 00s, but it’s new to us. And excellent!
The Murlocs, Calm Ya Farm– An exuberant sound with country and southern rock flavors. Weirdly for the very American sound they are channeling, they’re from Melbourne. It’s not the most original formulation ever, but a thoroughly enjoyable one.
And there you have the May review, out in the first week of July! Can we get June out before the end of the month? Stay tuned…
Do you mostly listen to older music? Me too! In fact, I spent a lot of the new millennium so thoroughly backfilling on genre deep dives and missed gems of the 60s through 90s that I hit 2020 with very little familiarity with newer artists. What to do?
I set out to educate myself! In 2021 I listened to the critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and picked my own favorites. I did the same for 2020, picking my top 20. And I started off listening to new releases each month, eventually finding the 21 best albums of 2021. I had so much fun in the process that I decided to do it again in 2022, listening each month and discovering the 22 best albums of 2022.
There are links to the 2021 and 2022 albums in the posts, but if you’d like a one-stop playlist, I’ve set that up in Spotify:
And now in 2023 I’m doing it again! I got a little behind in the beginning of the year, so I batched the “yes” and “maybe” albums of the first three months together:
Speaking of “yes” and “maybe”, this is how those categories work:
Yes– This represents the albums that, upon first listen, I think could definitely be in running for best of the year.
Maybe– These albums have something to recommend them, but also something that gives me pause. I put them in their own category, because I’ve found “maybes” sometimes linger and eventually become “yeses”.
Now that we’ve got all that sorted it, let’s proceed with my picks for the most promising albums from 99 April new releases!
Black Thought/El Michels Affair, Glorious Game– The Roots founder Black Thought and producer El Michels Affair have teamed up well on this album, with Black Thought’s philosophical lyrics and authoritative flow marrying up with an innovative and sharp live/sampled mix from Michels. Add to this the dub and classic soul elements, experimental touches, and the import of the lyrics combine to make a thoroughly excellent package.
Esther Rose, Safe to Run– I was looking forward to this since her album How Many Times made my top 21 in 2021. And here again we have her delightfully sincere vocals, emotionally literate storytelling, and utterly authentic feeling for country, pop, rock, and their fit together. I’m not sure if I’m totally sold on the sequencing, but damn does every single individual song hold up.
Facs, Still Life in Decay– A spare, glowering, bruising set from this Chicago experimental trio. There are also layers of depth in the billowy darkness, a kind of emotional transformation even. It reminds me of the more metallic ends of post punk, of industrial, of the heavy break of a Nirvana song.
Kero Kero Bonito, Intro Bonito– High-energy mix, playing with fragments of electronic, classic video-game sound effects, dance, new wave, J-pop, and hip-hop. It is sweet, melodic, and so darn catchy that it works equally well whether the individual songs are in English or Japanese.
Natalie Merchant, Keep Your Courage– If Natalie Merchant can make a bad album, we have not yet discovered it. The songs here are serious and it ends on a somber note, but not unusually for her, and with much lush beauty, soaring emotion, and poetic turns of phrase along the way. About the only complaint I can lodge is that this could have come from her at almost any time in the last 30 years. Well…
Nourished by Time, Erotic Probiotic 2– I read before listening that Baltimore-raised singer-songwriter and producer Marcus Brown (aka Nourished by Time) “channels everything from ’90s alt-R&B to bedroom indie-pop and bubbly synthpop in the vein of ’80s Prince”. I would say that’s correct, though it doesn’t quite convey how delightful the meld is. What results is recognizably part of its various influences but doesn’t quite sound like anything else out there. More of this please!
Spencer Cullum, Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection 2– This Nashville-based English pedal-steel master has produced something redolent of the more acoustic side of psychedelic and prog, a la 70s AM radio sound, with pleasingly ornate yet whimsical musical touches a-plenty. It never sounds like it is taking itself too seriously, but without a moment’s lag in musical quality. All-in-all, a weird delight.
TERRY, Call Me Terry– Ringing jangly propulsive guitars, walls of synth sound, catchy refrains, delightfully artless vocal phrasing delivering artsy elliptical lyrics. Listening to this felt like I was in a great part of the alt 80s, yet also contemporary. Three cheers little Australian indie band!
TisaKorean, Let Me Update My Status– The energy, inventiveness, and sheer fun in the first two tracks here alone shows up most of the hip-hop albums so far this year. The multi-layered production makes it like an orchestra, but an orchestra of voice samples, bright synth music, and repeated tonal motifs that provide a structure that holds the whole thing together. I had a similar reaction to this Houston-based artist’s 2021 album mr.siLLyfLow, and if this is lower on the delightfully gonzo factor than that outing, it is higher on coherence.
Maybe
Bruiser and Bicycle, Holy Red Wagon– So much goes on in the first track alone in terms of high energy, quirky moments, and off-kilter arrangements. And there are at least two songs going on simultaneously in the second song. By the time the third track shifts from shoegaze to electronic to 70s folk to 90s guitar, you’re 22 minutes in. They are apparently a “freak folk” group. They are apparently from Albany, NY. By the end of it, I’m not sure what journey I’ve been on, and if it quite came together as an album, but I never once wanted to turn it off.
Indigo De Souza, All of This Will End– Oh these earnest young things who so effortlessly combine singer-songwriter vulnerability, dance music fun, and crunching 90s guitar rock! There is a whole crop of them out these days, and we are blessed for it. Though it didn’t quite make my 2021 list, this North Carolina singer’s album Any Shape You Take caught my eye for the same strengths of musical inventiveness and emotional rawness that are on display here. I’m not totally sold on the sequencing, but it’s got a chance!
Kara Jackson, Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?– The power of the plain voice of this one-time National Youth Poet Laureate is what drives this album, but the stripped-down musical settings- spare piano backings, minimal instrumentation, make everything pop that much more. Her voice itself is a choral instrument, and the songs have poetry, but also stories, and know how to have melody and structure as well. And the variety of approaches is amazing, none of them feeling less than heartfelt. The whole thing is a slow burn, but more powerful for it. I’m not quite sure about the overall flow as an album, but it never let go of me.
Lael Neale, Star Eaters Delight– There are the chilly artsy edges, the arch intelligent lyrics, a driving directness to the musical approach. I can see why I like her, even if I’m not 100% sure that flow and sequence came together.
motifs, Remember a Stranger– I loved this album from Singaporean dream pop quintet motifs almost as much as I loved Air Guitar by the Singaporean band Sobs last year, for all the same reasons. The fact that it is so dreamy has me a little on the fence, but apparently there is a scene in Singapore I need to check out!
Poison Ruin, Harvest– Orchestral intros that give way to rocking menace, sometimes shambling metal, sometimes something more like hardcore (which the vocals are reminiscent of as well). It is a good deal more accessible and fun than so many a recent metal album. I don’t know that it’s great, but it’s certainly welcome!
Robbie Fulks, Bluegrass Vacation– Chicago singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks has a decades-long love of country music roots. That, and a basket-full of talented bluegrass musicians recording in Nashville has produced this delightful album. This is not “new,” but it certainly does ring true.
Teleman, Good Time/Hard Time– The parts are recognizable enough- synth pop, new wave, a little disco revival, a pinch of art/prog. But together they work in a way that, if it isn’t new and fresh, still sounds genuine and is engaging from end to end.
The National Honor Society, To All the Distance Between Us– The sound here is somewhere between a chiming 60s, a paisley jangly 80s, and a dreampop 90s. It isn’t the most original thing ever, but so solidly done. Surprisingly, given the UK-feeling influences, they are a Seattle band, and they’re doing it well- the album won’t let you down for a single track.
Wednesday, Rat Saw God– Oh I like this! Moody layers of guitar, alternating feedback-laden surges and quiet lulls, lead-vocalist Karly Hartzman singing with just the right tone of lackadaisical anguish. On the song “Bull Believer” they let it all go for 8 minutes, and then on “Get Shocked” they show they can pull it together into a two-minute package. Either way, there are worlds of feeling inside these songs. There are sequencing issues with the faster and slower moments, but that’s the only thing keeping this Asheville, North Carolina from “yes”.
And there we have the April review! Out before the end of June, so I think we’re catching up. There’s even a chance I’ll have May out too before month’s end, and if not, shortly thereafter…
Once upon a time, a young lad set out to catch up on new music. He listened to critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s. He did the same for 2020. And then he set out to listen to new releases month by month throughout 2021, so he could come up with his list for the 21 best albums of 2021.
All right, look. “Young” is a state of mind, but the rest of the above story is true! And my 2021 excursion was so interesting that I decided to do it again in 2022, as follows:
All told, I ended up listening to 1,128 albums released in 2022. From this:
I ended up with 289 “yes” and “maybe” picks
After re-listening to that 289, I whittled it down to 131
Those 131 then got a final re-listen resulting in…
The 22 Best Albums of 2022!
Amanda Shires, Take It Like a Man– She started off as a country artist, and there’s still more than a hint of that here, but with the minor chords, and surges and undercurrents of feeling, this is like haunted pop music. The genre varies, but the whole is tied together by her powerful earnest vocals and the bare emotional tales of her lyrics. Nanci Griffith’s Storms comes to mind in terms of well-produced pop smoothness combined with complicated dark depths.
April March, In Cinerama– This California singer-songwriter first came to prominence for film soundtrack work, and has carried on her high-verve song stylings in English and French ever since. And this album is a joy from the first jaunty guitar notes, swiftly joined by drums, horns, and her neo-swinging 60s vocals. Much of it carries on in this 60s vein, but at times it sounds like international pop and/or shimmers with timeless harmonies. Any which way, every track shines with unimpeachable excellence.
Bill Orcutt, Music for Four Guitars– It turns out that if you are going to sell me on an all-instrumental album, it needs to be an experimental electric guitar distortion-heavy album! It’s less experimental and more conventional than some others I listened to this past year, but also heavier, and I love the sound this 61 year old guitarist, composer, and veteran of bands since the 90s makes!
Brendan Benson, Low Key– This album from Raconteurs member Benson displays that group’s sure feeling for classic sources, in this case turning out music decidedly influenced by 60s ornate pop, 70s power-pop, and prog pop. In that sense, it’s halfway to being a museum piece, but it’s a darn near flawless exhibit.
Chat Pile, God’s Country– The first track turned me off with its ragged vocals, and I feared it would be another pleasingly heavy but vocally screamoed into the abyss album. But I was wrong! The punk/hardcore/metal edge remained, and the vocals were still ragged, but they cohered enough to understand that the roughness is part of the point. The vocal and lyrical attack reminds me of the brutal snark of Flipper or Jello Biafra, but with a slacker undertow that leavens the whole thing out. Thank you, little Oklahoma band, for reminding us that rock can still be heavy, disturbing, serious, and funny all at the same time.
Ezra Furman, All of Us Flames– Part of a trilogy from this Chicago artist, this album features theatrical and lyrically dense poetic story-telling, with equal parts atmospheric heartland rock, punk, and Tom Waits-style rambles. Lyrically, it’s both a call to arms and series of poignant, personal, and powerful vignettes on the struggle of being Queer in America. A masterwork, all the way around.
Fantastic Negrito, White Jesus Black Problems– This is great! Vocally it’s exuberant and varied. Musically, it’s an R&B shakedown with edges of electronic dance, new wave, garage rock revival, 70s soul, and gospel. And lyrically it is a cycle of songs about struggle, freedom, and joy inspired by the artist’s discovery of 7th generation grandparents who were a Scottish indentured servant in a common law marriage with an enslaved African American man. Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, aka Fantastic Negrito, was inspired to play music by listening to Prince and then taught himself. I feel like he’s now teaching us what’s still possible for an album to do!
John Mellencamp, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack– I’ve always had a soft spot for John Mellencamp. At his best he’s been an incisive lyricist and a strong musician. On the poppier side of things, but certainly homing in on a certain heartland rock vibe where he can get quite profound, a la Dylan, Springsteen, Neil Young, etc. That’s definitely the space he’s in on this album (with several Springsteen guest appearances to prove the point). The music is nuanced, the lyrics darkly evocative, and his voice is beautifully ragged while dealing with themes of time, memory, and loss. This is the kind of album that you have to have a lifetime behind you to make, and he’s earned it.
Lizzo, Special– The opening track starts with “Hi motherfucker did you miss me?” then touts her twerk and celebrates her thickness within the first minute. So there’s that for worthy subjects and admirable verve, but also, it’s vocally and musically just so fun, fun, fun! Great dance/soul music with a strong personality, musical cleverness (motifs from the 70s-90s abound), and rich buoyant vocals IS great. And I want to give it a medal for the way “Grrrls” samples from the Beastie Boy’s “Girls” while turning its whole concept inside out. Lizzo for President!
Lyrics Born, Vision Board– I love the dub and ska influences, I love the wacky wit that reminds me of when hip-hop was hilarious in the 80s and early 90s, and the mix and vocals have a strong whiff of that era as well. This album functions in both hip hop and R&B modes, and it’s brilliant, if weirdly retro, in both. Along with his very different album from earlier this year, it shows just how versatile an artist we have in Japanese-American rapper, singer, and producer Tsutomu “Tom” Shimura, aka Lyrics Born.
Mo Troper, MTV– This is full of distorted harmonies and great fuzzy bursts of noise. Amidst the joyous musical discord and mixed in with a good deal of irreverence, there are genuine feelings as well from this Portland-based power pop impresario. Their music reminds me of the Deerhoof school of blowing up and reassembling pop songs. I love that school!
My Idea, Cry Mfer– After Lily Konigsberg of Brooklyn band Palberta had her 2020 solo debut produced by fellow indie rocker Nate Amos, the two became friends, leading to this collaborative album. Both Palberta and a solo album from Konigsberg were high on my 2021 contenders list, and this album has a lot of the “why” behind that on good display. Her pop rock instincts are impeccable, but while melodies proceed so sweetly, the lyrics are archly subversive, and the music is loaded with experimental touches and indie grit and verve. The whole ends up far exceeding its already excellent parts. I want more Lily!
Panic! At the Disco, Viva Las Vengeance– It’s so perfectly obvious what this album is doing that it almost feels manipulative- it’s an over-the-top ode to the lovable excess of rock. But, if you manipulate me by evoking Meatloaf, Queen, Springsteen, and 80s arena rock ballads, and liven it with a punk attitude, I’m probably going along for the ride. As is their forte, Panic! At the Disco pack it with feeling that could be called emo, but are so unreservedly committed to it that it carries the listener along. I kept wondering if it was all too much, but I also kept being charmed back in by the realization that is the whole point.
Particle Kid, Time Capsule– This is extraordinary! For reference, Particle Kid is the band of Willie Nelson’s youngest child, Micah, who describes what he does as “experimental future-folk”. I think that’s not inaccurate, but if anything it undersells the creative kaleidoscope on display here. You’ll find, alternately, experimental electronic, things that sound like they come from some strain or another of the 90s (grunge, shoegaze, melodic pop-rock), psychedelia, and more than the occasional moment that put me in mind of Neil Young. Behind all that, though, there’s a unity of spirit and overarching structure that holds this all together. For an hour and 45 minutes!
quinn, quinn– Three cheers for hyper-pop! This 17-year-old artist has produced a disjointed (in the best kind of way) pastiche of hip-hop that musically turns the genre inside out while being personal, hilarious, and political. This doesn’t sound like everything else out there, and it makes me hopeful that there are still ways out of the rehashed, cliched sonic mess the 2020s has become.
R.A.P. Ferreira, 5 to the Eye With Stars– I was impressed by this Wisconsin hip-hop artist’s album The Light-Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures last year, and this has many of the same charms on display in that album. It’s like a lost era of hip-hop in some ways- philosophical, poetic, conscious, given to wild wordplay and lively musical mix. This isn’t by accident, as several name checks of Arrested Development songs and lyrics demonstrate. But it also sounds thoroughly contemporary in a way, and certainly not like something plucked from a museum.
Sick Thoughts, Heaven Is No Fun– The songs here are sometimes in a classically UK punk vein (I Hate You) sometimes like 70s metal (Mother, I Love Satan), or glammier 70s hard rock (Submachine Love). It is, in those ways, a very dated sound. But this doesn’t sound like mere aping, it’s delivered with such conviction that it comes across like an original work of a bygone era that’s somehow fallen out of a time warp. Keeping in mind this New Orleans-based musician is only 25 it’s kind of an amazing achievement!
Superorganism, World Wide Pop– The hyperkinetic pop of this London indie group has so much going on! The first track alone features a dizzying array of sound effects, samples, beats, and musical modes. The goings-on here are equally informed by 21st century dance music, indie rock, and a 90s slacker feeling, which makes it nostalgic and contemporary all at the same time.
The Koreatown Oddity, ISTHISFORREAL?– This philosophical, abstract, and experimental outing from LA-based hip-hop artist the Koreatown Oddity is a delight! Trippy vocals and a heady mix of samples show up in between an ongoing device of claiming to actually be a British artist who had been posing as an American, and musings on the nature of reality and subjective experience. This all might be a bit much if it wasn’t also highly listenable. Which it is!
The Mountain Goats, Bleed Out– This album is chock full of hooks, chord changes, clever word play, and swelling musical moments. At times it’s a little jam bandy, other times more power pop, and sometimes it reminds me of Neil Young and Even Death Cab for Cutie. The whole thing is held together by a semi-narrative involving crime drama themes. It’s a fun conceit, and powers a thoroughly compelling listen!
Tim Heidecker, High School– Tim Heidecker is a comedian with a more than incidental side career as a musician. Which it turns out he’s really good at, making a thoughtful kind of soft rock. This album is in that vein and lives up to its name. Musically, it almost seems like frat rock at times, but gets a hint of 90s alt guitar, and name checks music from multiple genres of the 80s and 90s. It’s full of authentic details of the travails of suburban teen youth. More than that, it evokes the quality of dusty nostalgia that teen memories have, and how at the time everything seemed serious and yet vague at the same time. Kind of peculiarly, it feels philosophical and shallow at the same time, all because it so authentically taps into its theme through mood and mode.
Wet Leg, Wet Leg– I got a 90s vibe from this Isle of Wight band with their lackadaisical vocal style, stop-and-start musical dynamics, and jarring guitar notes. It’s also often lyrically hilarious, packed with sexual innuendo, and snark about band life and boys on the scene. Wet Leg is now my new favorite Isle of Wight band!
And there we have it: The 22 Best Albums of 2022! But wait, there’s more! There are only 22 spots in the top 22 (it being mathematics and all) but I also picked 78 “honorable mentions” to round out our list to a nice even 100:
$ilkmoney, I Don’t Give a Fuck About This Rap Shit, Imma Just Drop Until I Don’t Feel Like It Anymore– The title is solid gold, but what’s really extraordinary here is that it’s a psychedelic album, a socially conscious one in a 90s vein, but with the muscularity of gangster rap. I can’t quite tell whether it’s embracing or deflating either genre, but it also contains one of the best cannibalism songs I’ve ever heard!
Action Bronson, Cocodrillo Turbo– A cacophony of sound effects and musical influences (with a pleasing tendency towards good old fashioned rock) on the mix side, and some variously hilarious and scary swagger on the vocal/lyrical side. He is now my favorite Albanian-American rapper of Jewish and Muslim parentage! His food show is really fun too, although I guess that review belongs in another kind of blog…
Aldous Harding, Warm Chris– Sometimes a classic 70s singer-songwriter feel, sometimes soul/R&B, sometimes sparkling with quirky traces of 80s-2000s alternative, and more than a hint of the Velvet Underground. Each song by this New Zealand singer-songwriter feels like it lasts longer than it does, and I mean this in a good way.
Anitta, Versions of Me– This Brazilian singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, businesswoman and TV presenter (!) really brings it here- the beats get the booty moving, the grooves are catchy, and there’s a great deal of verve, personality, and point of view in the vocals and on the lyric side. It may not be the most profound thing ever, but as great dance music goes- this is!
Artsick, Fingers Crossed– High energy guitar pop and affecting female lead vocals? That’s a good way to get me in. This reminds me of a hooky pop-rocking 90s band, and the poppier end of 60s garage rock bands. While there’s a definite unity of sensibility here, the songs have enough of an individual identity that each one holds attention on its own. Well done, little band from Oakland!
Avantasia, A Paranormal Evening with the Moonflower Society– Between the descriptor “German metal supergroup whose works have often been compared to operas” and the album name, you may have some inkling that you’re in for something overwrought. And it is true in the most glorious of ways! It’s as if multiple strands of 80s metal got together to produce their very own rock opera, as unapologetically over the top as it should be.
Bartees Strange, Farm to Table– His kaleidoscope of an album Live Forever was one of my favorites of 2020. Here he often sticks closer to a conventional palette in terms of music and production, but still pulls surprises. Sometimes the surprising moments are subtle, on others they blow your socks off. If it’s a little off in pacing and not quite as dazzling as his previous outing, it’s still worth many a listen.
Beach Bunny, Emotional Creature– There’s a bevy of younger ladies doing music that effortlessly brings together pop ballads, dance music, and crunchy 90s influenced guitar rock, unspooling emotion and yet intelligent lyrics in the process (looking at you Olivia Rodrigo, Soccer Mommy, et al). And hallelujah for that! Beach Bunny, a Chicago rock band formed in 2015 by Lili Trifilio, is in this vein. It may be glossy, and use pop rotes along the way, but nothing here sounds false, and every track is solid and fun.
Beyonce, Renaissance– The amount of layering in the first track alone is dizzying- the personal, the political, the vocally muscular and subtle, the clever sonic details and twists. It goes on in that vein and expands on with a varied and deep celebration of 80s-90s house music, raunch, snark, and an assured sense of power. It isn’t as coherent as her best, but there aren’t many artists around who can wield their own persona/myth for their purposes as effectively as Beyonce can.
Big Joanie, Back Home– It’s got a 90s alt rock feeling, with surprising electronic, folk and soul undertones, and the rich and ragged depths of lead singer Stephanie Phillips’s voice are the perfect accompaniment to the music. They are apparently a Black feminist British punk trio. Well a-freakin’-men!
billy woods, Aethiopes– This New York hip-hop artist has a reputation as an outsider, and he proves it here in the best sense of the term with dark menacing poetic flow backed by a jazz mix with discordant edges. The lyrics are heavy with history and spirituality without being heavy-handed, and the mix contains constant surprises.
Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, Topical Dancer– Belgian-Caribbean musician Adigery is here with some weird, quirky, international dance music that’s topical and polemical with a sense of humor. On the music side it’s light, fluid, and full of dynamic sound effects. The lyrical sentiments are a little too on the nose sometimes, but the presentation is so tongue in cheek you can tell it’s messing with you deliberately.
Che Noir, Food for Thought– Powerful thoughtful lyrics, strong vocal flow, and some interesting mixing. It reminds me of late 80s/early 90s hip-hop in some ways. This Buffalo-based emcee and producer sometimes veers a little too much in the bragging street talk direction, but it’s not totally out of place, and it’s otherwise excellent.
Coco & Clair Clair, Sexy– Think about a feminist but irreverent take on hip-hop. Now make the lyrics hilariously sharp and cutting, and the music multi-layered and unusual while being sugar-sweet. This was a solidly fun listen!
Craig Finn, A Legacy of Rentals– A solo outing from one of the leads of the Hold Steady. Vocally/lyrically it’s pretty much spot on with the vivid tales of regular life that band tells, which you either like or don’t (I do!). Musically is where it gets interesting- there is a lot more variety and experimentation here than on most Hold Steady albums- it reminds me of the difference between, say, the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie.
Damu the Fudgemunk/Raw Poetic, Laminated Skies– This pair of Washington D.C. producers/hip-hop artists has produced a collaboration with a dense poetic flow, an intriguing jazz-inflected musical mix, and more than a hint of the conscious side of 90s hip-hop. It’s full of positive energy and I like it!
Demi Lovato, Holy Fvck– Regarding the title- Yes! One might say it’s navigating a pretty familiar stretch of 2000s pop-punk. But as much as it tilts toward the “pop” side, it’s also as often sincerely shredding on the hard and heavy side. And lyrically is where the real bite comes in, as she follows up on last year’s Art of Starting Over. She’s not as raw here as on that album, but no less powerful and often more nuanced. Demi Lovato continues to stake out a real artistic space for herself, and I’m intrigued to see what’s next.
Dr. John, Things Happen That Way– This is his final album, recorded during his last months, which certainly makes it more poignant. But even without that it’s tender, relaxed, makes great use of guest stars, and chooses excellent covers. Inherently, given the covers and the traditional musical styles, not the freshest thing ever. But it’s a beautiful version of it. Go in peace Dr. John!
Eamon, No Matter the Season– This Staten Island hip-hop/R&B artist is bringing a big fat 70s soul sound here, and I am loving it! A period piece? Maybe. But a damn well done one!
Fontaines D.C., Skinty Fia– Their album A Hero’s Death just barely got squeezed out of the top 20 in my 2020 review, so I was looking forward to this. And darned if This Dublin band isn’t bringing the goods! You’ll hear the angular heavy sound of post-punk here, but also the surging power and pathos you might associate with U2 of yesteryear. The accents are thick, the seriousness is leavened with a sense of honesty, and the lyrics are literate and emotionally complex.
Ghost, Impera– This Swedish band’s music is exuberantly delivered, and reminds me of British new wave metal in its clean bright musicianship. Still a little miffed at contemporary music for being mostly retreads of prior eras, but if it’s going to happen, it’s nice to have some good ones.
Gogol Bordello, Solidaritine– I must confess, though I have run across the name for years in circles indicating it might be something I would like, I had no actual idea what Gogol Bordello’s deal was. Their deal is amazing! If you feel like you might need some Romani folk, hardcore, and ska all mixed together in a delirious swirl and delivered with over-the-top energy and 100% commitment, well, I welcome you to join me as a newfound aficionado of Gogol Bordello.
Grace Ives, Janky Star– This Brooklyn-based musician delivers tales of internal and external misadventure, clever and lively synth arrangements, and vocals so replete with sweetness that they belie the wit, snark, and darkness of the lyrics. This all adds up to a fun and multi-layered pop album, and it’s especially impressive when you know that she’s home-produced and arranged the whole damn thing. Grace Ives for God Emperor!
Guided by Voices, Tremblers and Goggles by Rank– This is the 85th Guided by Voices album of the last two years. My count may be slightly off, but the point is, with them pushing out material at such a high rate, this album has no business being as good as it is. In this go, the musical chameleons are channeling a “punk turning to post-punk” era. I hear many echoes of the Jam, Gang of Four, Magazine, Wire, etc. at the tipping point of the 70s becoming the 80s. And it is a glorious noise!
Hank Williams Jr., Rich White Honky Blues– The idea is pretty simple: Have a producer known for getting good down and dirty blues performances work with an idiosyncratic country artist known for getting down and dirty. It works very well! Junior is in excellent grizzled grouchy veteran form here, the material is great, and the playing and production is sterling.
Hollie Cook, Happy Hour– This ska/dub/jazz mix from a British singer and keyboardist (and later lineup member of the Slits) is quite fetching! It sounds like a happy hour- not the loud obnoxious sports bar kind, but the mellow night out at a local spot where everyone is enjoying the grove. If it sometimes feels a little too smooth, it never sounds ingenuine for it, and the album carries you along track to track like a warm current.
Jack White, Entering Heaven Alive– This is White’s second album of the year, and consciously in a different vein than the heavier Fear of the Dawn. Against all general trends of my musical preferences, I like this better! It’s like a continuation of the slower more introspective side of the White Stripes, and as such, is more consistent than the sometimes straight ahead sometimes weirdly veering Fear of the Dawn. But in a way that doesn’t sacrifice musical dynamism and brings a lot of emotional and lyrical depth.
Joe Rainey, Niineta– Niineta, the title of Pow Wow singer Joe Rainey’s debut album means “just me” in Ojibwe, the native language of Red Lake Ojibwe in Minneapolis. If you don’t know what to expect from a Pow Wow album, you’re just like I was. Turns out it’s powerful in its own right, but is interspersed with a sound recording collage and an electronic mix that enhance it further and sends things in surprising directions.
Johnny Marr, Fever Dreams, Pts. 1-4– If Guitar Gods did not end with the 70s, certainly somebody who deserves consideration in the category is Johnny Marr. You’ll hear echoes of all his eras here- the Smiths, The The, his Factory work from the 90s, solo albums. But mostly what you’ll hear is really excellent dynamic guitar work. And if you are only familiar with Marr from his lead guitar days with the Smiths, you may be favorably impressed with the lyrical and vocal skills he’s developed since. The run time’s a little long but it remains dynamic and evocative throughout.
Johnny Ray Daniels, Whatever You Need– Debut album from a 76-year-old North Carolina-based singer/guitarist who has previously been a key figure in multiple North Carolina gospel productions? I’m in! And as it turns out, this is rocking good music from start to finish, without a hint of slickness or inauthenticity. Everyone who’s not a 76-year-old releasing their first solo album should take note about how it’s done.
Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, Spencer Gets It Lit– Jon Spencer has made gloriously raw blues-punk in various bands since the late 80s, and this album finds him in excellent form. It’s loud, it’s heavy, somewhat sleazy and sinister, pretty much everything you could hope rock still can be.
Jonah Tolchin, Lava Lamp– Different pieces of Americana show up in this New Jersey-born singer-songwriter’s approach- folk, blues, country, R&B. At times it’s in a mellow burned-out vein, other times it’s heavy, electric and foot-stomping. The variability doesn’t quite feel coherent, which is the only thing here I take points off for.
Judy and the Jerks, Music to Go Nuts– I mean, is it an album? It’s only 16 minutes long! But it is ten songs. Take that, Ramones! Maybe it’s because the songs are delivered with such verve and commitment, maybe it’s the female lead, but I haven’t been this happy with something in the punk genre since some of the early 2000s Riot Grrl afterburn. Not bad, Hattiesburg, Mississippi band!
Kae Tempest, The Line is a Curve– The descriptor “UK poet, rapper, playwright, and novelist” could have gone a lot of different ways, but the way it’s gone here is pretty stunning. Her plainspoken vocal delivery, muted musical background, and tales of working-class life and deep interior feelings create an experience that lingers long after it’s done playing.
Kamikaze Palm Tree, Mint Chip– LA-based, from San Francisco, with 14 songs in 31 minutes. It’s gloriously off kilter, it’s sing-song, it’s melodious and discordant, I can’t tell whether it’s hilarious or vaguely threatening. I love it!
Kendrick Lamar, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers– As befits Kendrick Lamar, this is by turns hilarious, menacing, willing to explore ugly truths, and vulnerable and self-exposing. His customary musical and vocal kaleidoscope of approaches is there throughout, and, if anything, is more varied and experimental than ever. If it comes in a little long (1 hour 17 minutes) and isn’t as focused or structured as some of his albums, isn’t the best hip-hop artist of his generation entitled to a sprawling double album?
Kids on a Crime Spree, Fall in Love Not in Line– Now here is a band who has well learned the art of 60s jangly bell-ringing rock (via influence from punk and 80s/90s alt). Is it the most original or profound thing ever? No. But it is flawlessly done. And yet another band who I hear and like, and then subsequently find out is from Oakland. You can take the guy out of the Bay Area, but you can’t take the Bay Area out of…
Kolb, Tyrannical Vibes– So rocky! So melodic poppy! So intellectual and obscure lyrics to go with the surface sheen! So alternating male and female vocalists! This project of a New York singer-songwriter delivers an album that works from beginning to end.
Kula Shaker, 1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs– Knowing they’re an English psychedelic rock group, combined with that title, gives you some sense of the goings-on here. And, indeed, there are British psychedelic touches a plenty- a framing mechanism of a church service, a kind of through story about the fall of man, ornate musical production, Indian influences, and lyrics sometimes given to extreme whimsy. What all of this doesn’t quite convey is how often it is blisteringly guitar rocking. Listening, I heard hints of all the concept album forebearers one might expect- the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Who, the Zombies. But it never felt inauthentic.
Kurt Vile, (watch my moves)– The low-key melody, the burned-out wit, the slacker undertow here is a beautiful thing to behold. It was a little overlong at past an hour, without enough tone switches song to song, but musically, lyrically and vocally it was working for me. I’ve seen him described as a “dazed and confused update on roots rock” and I say, “Amen!”
Lavender Country, Blackberry Rose– It has a good story- the artist who released the first gay-themed country album ever back in the 70s put out a new album in 2019 that didn’t get proper backing, so it’s re-released now with some additional production. It holds up to this initial interest well- the music is straight-up (all puns intended) old style country, and the lyrics are full of country tropes with clever subversion. It’s sometimes a little too on the nose, but really is a very interesting musical world turned upside down.
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, Old :Time Folks– This “old time” here seems to be the 70s. I hear some Bat Out of Hell, some Cheap Trick, some 38 Special, maybe some Stillwater? The older stuff, from before the “No Planes” Tour. There’s plenty of “new time” too though, sounding like the more electric side of 80s/90s alt country, or, more recently, Drive-By Truckers in their sure feel for country, rock, and contemporary but timeless lyrics. It’s not the most original formulation, but it always feels authentic.
Leikeli47, Shape Up– This New York musician is known for being so private she’s never performed without her face covered. That’s a curiosity, but the real deal is her strong beats, husky sensual hypnotic flow, fun song twists, and delightful inversion of hip-hop gender dynamics. There’s some lack of album coherence/structure keeping this from getting to “yes”, but it’s still a strong package.
Logic, Vinyl Days– There’s a dizzying kaleidoscope of styles and samples on this album from American rapper and record producer Logic, well-deployed guest appearances. On the lyrical side, there’s plenty of bragging, but also plenty of humor and wordplay, some serious message, and wild inventiveness. At an hour ten, it’s a little sprawling, but there’s a lot of good stuff in that sprawl!
Lucy Liyou, Welfare/Practice– This album by a Philadelphia-based Korean-American experimental musician is, in a sense, very detached, even muted. It’s a pastiche of text-to-voice vocals, piano, and sound samples. The detachment works though, to take just enough of the edge off the confessional lyrics of family estrangement and therapy to make the content even that more raw and revealing. Yes, it tends toward the abstract and is over an hour long, but damned if my first impulse after first listen wasn’t to immediately play it again to examine all the layers hidden therein.
Lyrics Born, Mobile Homies: Season 1– I hear “Tokyo-born Bay Area rapper” and I’m favorably predisposed, so it’s so much the better that this COVID-born mix-tape is actually fresh and delightful! It’s composed of collaborations with friends interspersed with interviews he did with them for his podcast. The mix is surprising and unusual, beats and refrains catchy, and lyrics full of both humor and serious import. It didn’t quite hit the same level of sonic focus and sheer fun as his album Vision Board, but he’s made this list twice, which is notable!
Mat Ball, Amplified Guitar– Every song on the record was recorded in a single take, with a guitar Bal built himself. As wonky music premises go, I like it! In practice I ended up liking it a lot too. It felt in a way like a guitar playing pieces meant for other instruments, and doing it with waves of distorted feedback-laden sheen.
Miranda Lambert, Palomino– I like Miranda Lambert’s version of country, and here she’s delivering muscular minor chords, sharp vocals, and smart, swagger-filled lyrics. The country is straight-up enough to give the pop depth, the pop hooky enough to keep it rolling, chock full of sly references to a range of American music, and there’s even a through story of sorts about a trip across the Southwest in search of- Herself? A good cowboy? American life? Her Marfa Tapes collaboration was one of my 2021 honorable mentions, and here again she shows country what it can still do if it just tries!
Orville Peck, Bronco– Minor chords, echoey crooning vocals, a surf-music and rockabilly-influenced take on country. Sometimes so straight-up it’s almost on the edge of parody, but darned if it doesn’t work! Orville Peck is now my favorite South African country musician based in Canada who wears a fringed mask and never shows his face publicly.
Otoboke Beaver, Super Champon– Rocking female-led bands and quirky Japanese noise-pop are two of my happy places, so… And indeed, this is brutal and hilarious. It reminds me, variously, of Bleach era Nirvana, a snotty young hardcore band, and the thrashier side of Cibo Matto. It’s a winning mix, even though mostly in Japanese.
Pastor Champion, I Just Want To Be a Good Man– Itinerant preacher Pastor Wylie Champion wandered California preaching and playing an electric guitar. David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop happened to come across a video of him playing in a church in Oakland, and, after reaching out, recorded a live set before his death in 2018. As an album origin story, this sounds amazing. The even better news is that the spare, powerful, and raw electric gospel it contains lives up to the story.
Paul Heaton/Jacqui Abbott, N.K-Pop– This is a collaboration of the founding members of the Housemartins and the Beautiful South, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it sounds like that melodious hook-heavy, syrupy yet biting era/school of British pop. In a way almost a time capsule musically, but the lyrics here, both in topicality and in their point of view, recognize that this is more than 30 years later, and show some wisdom and weariness.
Planet Asia, Medallions Monarchy– I’ve heard this veteran Fresno rapper’s work described as “traditionalist hip-hop”, which, given that he debuted in 1997, means I’m probably much older than I think I am. It’s true though, there is a late 90s/early 00s muscular solidity to this mix, to his flow, and to the tales of the street it contains.
Regina Spektor, Home, before and after– The literate and vivid poetry of her lyrics, the alternating softly and ardently compelling quality of her voice, and the orchestrated swell of the music behind her here are all working so, so well together! She’s been doing great work for about 20 years now, and it’s nice to see it continuing here.
Reptaliens, Multiverse– I mean the group name, the album name, the knowledge that they like to write about alien conspiracies. How could I not? All that being said, there’s not a lot of alien on this outing, but they are surprisingly sweet and melodic musically and vocally while lyrically probing the darker edges of interior landscapes. This excellent neo-psychedelic rock rolls charmingly and somewhat disturbingly along without a hitch.
Rhett Miller, The Misfit– Miller is the former lead singer of the alt country Old 97’s, who in his solo work has tended in a more pop direction. That’s definitely on display here, but think 60s and 70s-indebted pop rather than 00s dance pop. I was on the edge between loving the evocative music and his nuanced lyrics and finding it a little same going track to track. Each time I was about to abandon it because of that sameness though, a musical surprise or a particularly affecting lyric turn got me back on board.
Run the Jewels, RTJ Cu4tro– Re-recordings and re-workings of previous year’s albums are not uncommon, but this one has an especially interesting premise: “It’s a reimagining of RTJ4 through the lens of collaboration and a fusing of numerous musical cultures and influences,” and was made exclusively with Latin collaborators. This works in the best kind of way, taking what was one of my favorite albums from 2020 and making it into something genuinely new, and worthy on its own.
Ry Cooder/Taj Mahal, Get On Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee– Two later day blues greats, now elders in their own right, cover songs from 50s-60s folk blues powerhouses Terry-McGhee. The source material is great, the playing raucously gorgeous, and the vocals gloriously ragged and natural-feeling. There isn’t anything here not to love!
Sammy Hagar & the Circle, Crazy Times– I have a fondness for Sammy Hagar going back to the 80s, so maybe I walked in to this compromised. But no, really, there are great things going on here! Good time rock and roll, interesting covers choices, a heavy noise that makes me miss 80s hard rock radio, and nuanced meditations on aging and what it all means. And Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham on drums!
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Nightroamer– This album features driving yet very spare country with more than a trace of rock influence, and vocals and music occasionally sounding like they’re being tuned in by an AM radio. It’s got a minor chords and big organ sound that I appreciate, but livened by some more contemporary pop/rock dynamism. Perhaps, when one is a non-binary bisexual atheist, one’s approach to country is especially fresh. North Carolina-based Shook is a unique and worthy voice.
Slash, 4– Well we had Johnny Marr above, here’s another great candidate for “later-day Guitar God”. The guitar work here is, well, Slash- classic, virtuositic, and heavy. And it’s kind of amazing what a good ersatz Axl Rose replacement he got in vocalist Myles Kennedy. Is this really giving us something equal to the best of GNR? Of course not. Or substantially different from what we got with Velvet Revolver? Again, no. But it’s solid, it works, and I enjoyed it the whole way through.
Sobs, Air Guitar– This Singapore indie pop band’s album is the second time this past year I have come across an Asia-based band delivering nearly perfect-sounding 90s alt rock, in this case in the rocking but still pop vein of say, Letters for Cleo or Liz Phair. It seems a little museum piece, but it’s also too damn fun to ignore.
Sofi Tukker, Wet Tennis– Sexy, sometimes sinister, and spare dance music with clear vocals and a surprising mix from the New York-based dance duo of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. Hawley-Weld’s warm voice, and lyrics that paint emotionally evocative stories combine with the music to make the whole thing a cut above. Dance music will always be with us. May it always be this good!
Sudan Archives, Natural Brown Prom Queen– Brittney Denise Parks, better known as Sudan Archives, is a violinist, singer, songwriter, and producer who combines R&B, hip-hop, folk, and experimental electronic music. Add to this musical mix a feminist and socially conscious point of view, and lyrical wit to spare, and it’s really pretty amazing. This comes with a bit of a “everything and the kitchen sink” feeling, but still…
Swami John Reis, Ride The Wild Night– I first knew of John Reis when I was living in San Diego in the mid-90s and he was heading local garage-punk powerhouse Rocket From the Crypt. He was great then and he’s great here- this album is pure garage rock snarl from the get-go! It makes me so, so happy.
The Beths, Expert in a Dying Field– Their live album from last year was on my semi-finalists list. What I heard there that so charmed me is on abundant display here- their sure hand at guitar rock that can crunch and get fuzzy, but never losses a feeling for hooks and melody, and the presence and sweet clear vocals of lead singer/guitarist Elizabeth Stokes. There’s nothing about this New Zealand band to not like!
The Bobby Lees, Bellevue– You start with a picture of a woman in dirty coveralls sitting in a pig pen on the cover, and I’m pre-charmed. I might have expected something a little country-fried based on that, but what’s actually here is a rocking feminist musical assault bringing to mind Babes in Toyland, L7, and early Hole. This Woodstock, New York band’s album is the kind of thing that grabs you by the throat with the first track and doesn’t let go from there.
The Jazz Butcher, The Highest in the Land– I’ve known The Jazz Butcher since I was a wee alternative 80s rock lad. He’s always been highly idiosyncratic, and here seems to be in a vocally mellow, musically bouncy, lyrically introspective mood, but his distinctive surrealistic storyscapes are as potent as ever. The energy is restrained, but the heart sustains it.
The Linda Lindas, Growing Up– Energetic power-pop-punk from a girl group? I gotta love it. I gotta! In this case they’re also multi-cultural and tackle sexism and racism with wit and verve, so the love is multiplied.
Titus Andronicus, The Will to Live– In the wake of his friend and bandmate passing, Titus Andronicus lead Patrick Stickles set out to create what he called an “Ultimate Rock Album”. Darned if he didn’t succeed! It’s got crunching hard guitar, 70s cock rock swagger, power chords that would do the Who proud (and/or be legally actionable by them), flirts variously with stadium rock, metal, and punk, and is hooky as all get-out.
Todd Rundgren, Space Force– I like Todd Rundgren both for his own music and his work as a producer, and also I like a good concept. This is an interesting one- he solicited other songwriters from a variety of genres for unfinished songs they’d abandoned, and he completed and recorded them. As befits the concept, it doesn’t exactly sound coherent or unified. But as befits Rundgren, there is a kind of unity in production approach, and a madcap genius holding it all together.
Tony Molina, In The Fade– This is like a punk album in the sense that there are 14 songs crowded into around 20 minutes. But stylistically, instead of punk, the songs alternate between an ornate neo-psychedelia and a heavy guitar-fuzzed pop. It works though, their brevity and variety of approaches being not unlike a punk attack, except with sweet pop. It’s a touch derivative of multiple influences, but an excellent derivation.
Uffie, Sunshine Factory– This rapper, DJ, and singer/songwriter has been working in collaboration and behind the scenes for years and has put out music on social media and via EP, but this is her debut solo album. On the one hand, it is autotuned dance music par excellence. On the other, it is utterly given to the genre, and milks it for all the glitz and tawdry afterburn it’s worth. If anything, the only thing that threw me off was a flat song or two that didn’t have the sparkle of the rest.
Uni Boys, Do It All Next Week– This Los Angeles band knows how to do some good old fashioned (circa 70s) Rock and Roll. It’s power poppy, with hand claps, hooks, and just the right mixture of sleaze, sweetness, and bratty whining. I’m glad somebody still knows how to do this!
Valerie June, Under Cover– A covers album from one of my top 2021 picks for her album The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers. She casts her net wide- Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, John Lennon, Mazzy Starr, and Nick Cave all make appearances. Excellent as far as sourcing goes, but on top of that she delivers great covers, diving deep into the strengths of her voice, her diverse musical background, and a sense of both reverence and exuberant playfulness. The net effect of all this is heartachingly beautiful.
Willow, coping mechanism– Her album LATELY I feel everything was on my “honorable mention” list for 2021, and this has the same kind of energy and challenge to it. If anything, it goes further, with the hard rock 90s edges and R&B ballad sensibilities more organically blended and balanced, and the lyrics and vocals feeling even more personal.
Yard Act, The Overload– How much do I love quirky, clever lyrics, deliberately unpolished vocals, and off-kilter angular new wave-influenced rock? A lot, and this UK band is doing it very well! It does get a little samey by the end, but it also bounces along and keeps one engaged.
And there you have it even more so! The 22 Best Albums of 2022, and 78 honorable mention. If you’d like a “list only” version, we can accommodate that:
If you enjoyed this venture, the good news is that the 2023 review is already underway. If you didn’t, well it’s underway regardless! See you soon for the recap of January 2023…
I cannot tell a lie. We’re a…bit behind. But there is no surrender, so onward with the August/September edition of our quest for the 22 Best Albums of 2022!
If you need to catch up on my brave attempt to catch up, you can find the previous editions here:
Before we dive deeper into 2022, let’s do a quick overview of the three categories:
Yes– These are albums that could be in the running for the year’s best. There are no guarantees in this, through September there were 134 yesses, So we’re already looking at a 6:1 kill ratio before we even get to…
Maybe– These are the albums that definitely have something going for them, but also something that gives me pause. But sometimes “maybes” linger and become “yeses”, so they’re worth another listen. There’s 120 of these through September.
No– Being a “no” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re crap. You do sometimes end up there because you’re crap. But other times you can be fine, but not more than fine. Or interesting and ambitious, but not quite pulling it off. Getting to “yes” isn’t easy!
And now, with our categories established, let’s charge forward with the review of 239 (!!!) new releases from August and September!
4s4ki, Killer in Neverland– Japanese rapper and singer 4s4ki’s music is a colorful mashup of pop-punk, electro-pop soundscapes, and melodic rap. Which is a crazy musical kaleidoscope, sometimes involving melody so sweet it hurts, sometimes hyperpop so over the edge the line between it being a joke and it being undeniable is irrelevant. And there’s an aura of weirdness and glee throughout. Almost entirely in Japanese, but the sonic vistas it charts…
Bill Orcutt, Music for Four Guitars– Like with Mat Ball in July, it turns out that if you are going to sell me on an all-instrumental album, it needs to be an electric experimental distorted guitar album! In this case, it’s less experimental and more conventional than Ball’s album, but also heavier, and I love the sound it makes!
Black Thought/Danger Mouse, Cheat Codes– This collaboration between remixer supreme Danger Mouse and the Roots co-founder Black Thought is excellent. Black Thought brings his dense poetic lyrics and authoritative rhythmic vocal flow, Danger Mouse brings a mix heavy with sounds of steady grooving 70s Soul, and the synergy between the two takes it to a whole new level.
Butcher Brown, Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey– A Richmond Virginia jazz quintet founded in 2009, and known for mixing things up with funk, hip-hop, R&B, and soul. The review I read afterward said it was quarantine-inspired arrangements that sought to deconstruct the big band era. I don’t know that I picked up on that at all, but I did pick up on the jazz and hip-hop intersection, reminding me of 90s practitioners of the same (aka Digable Planets, Us3, etc), with a consciousness that reminded me more than a little of KRS-One and an intelligent multi-layered mix and sampling that reminded me of Madvillain. These are all along the line of comparison points, and it never felt derivative. More like richly sourced, and sonically excellent.
Demi Lovato, Holy Fvck– Regarding the title- Yes! Sonically, one might say it’s navigating a pretty familiar stretch of road- 2000s pop-punk. But as much as it tilts toward the “pop” side, it’s also as often sincerely shredding on the hard and heavy side. And lyrically is where the real bite comes in, as she follows up on last year’s Art of Starting Over. She’s not as raw here in general as that album, but no less powerful and often more nuanced. She continues to stake out a real artistic space for herself, and I’m intrigued to see what’s next.
Disco Doom, Mt. Surreal– What would surreal (if not downright experimental) disco music sound like? Maybe a bit like this! There’s actually plenty of melody and even some beat here, but it’s turned inside out by experimental noise and distortion. It kept me interested track after track, and was simultaneously fun and challenging, which isn’t an easy balance to strike. Well done little Swiss band!
Ezra Furman, All of Us Flames– Part of a trilogy from this Chicago artist, this album has atmospheric, theatrical, lyrically dense poetic story-telling, with equal parts heartland rock, punk, and Tom Waits-style storytelling. That’s on the musical and vocal side. Lyrically, it’s both a call to arms and series of poignant powerful vignettes on the struggle of being Queer in America. A masterwork, all the way around.
Freedy Johnston, Back on the Road to You– This album is full of 60s pop sounds, the sound of later interpreters of such (ELO, Tom Petty), and touches of country. He’s been a singer-songwriter’s Singer-songwriter since the 90s, and is bringing some just damn fine sweetly chiming pop music here.
Gogol Bordello, Solidaritine– I must confess, though I have run across the name for years in circles that indicated it might be something I would like, I had no actual idea what Gogol Bordello’s deal was. Their deal is amazing! If you feel like you might need some Romani folk, hardcore, and ska all mixed together in a delirious swirl and delivered with over-the-top energy and 100% commitment, well, I welcome you to join me as a newfound aficionado of Gogol Bordello.
Horace Andy, Midnight Scorchers– Veteran reggae artist Horace Andy’s album from earlier this year, Midnight Rocker, was an incredible showcase of his timeless talent, still sounding strong 50 years into his career. This album follows in the tradition of providing a dub counterpart for important reggae records, reworking some of the songs from the album with new mixes and newly recorded additions. In theory, this should be less coherent than the original? In practice, I like it even better! Dub is the perfect accompaniment to the eerie echoing power of this reggae master.
Jay Bellerose/T-Bone Burnett/Keefus Ciancia, The Invisible Light: Spells– The chanting incantatory opening about selling realities on demand does indeed cast a spell, and then other tracks go on in a similar vein. This is more experimental that I would have expected from Burnett, but some of that comes through the other collaborators. And the poetic exploration and variety of voices is something I’m here for!
Judy and the Jerks, Music to Go Nuts– I mean, is it an album? It’s only 16 minutes long! But it is ten songs. Take that, Ramones! Maybe it’s because the songs are delivered with such verve and commitment, maybe it’s the female lead, which I always enjoy, but I haven’t been this happy with something in the punk genre since some of the early 2000s Riot Grrl afterburn. Not bad, Hattiesburg, Mississippi band! (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Julia Jacklin, PRE PLEASURE– Is this an acoustic singer-songwriter? A 90’s influenced alt-pop songstress? A romantic balladeer? Maybe yes to all of those, and whatever she is, this Australian artist is turning out song after solid song and succeeding at all types and tempos.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Let’s Turn It Into Sound– Los Angeles-based artist Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s album is good and trippy. It follows through on the album title’s suggestion, and sounds alternately like someone messing around on a recorder, 80s video game sound effects and synth film soundtracks, multi-choral choral music, and an early 80s grade school documentary imagining of what the music of the future would sound like. The future is here!
Kal Marks, My Name is Hell– Is it noise pop? Grunge? A driving and angular post-punk flavored by metal and hardcore? At times it sounds like all of these, and what this all adds up to is good old fashioned heavy noise! With just the right kind of melody shining through. This Boston trio has dissolved and then been reformed with new members by the original lead singer, and I’m glad they’re here for this!
Kamikaze Palm Tree, Mint Chip– LA-based, from San Francisco, with 14 songs in 31 minutes. It’s gloriously off kilter, it’s sing-song, it’s melodious and discordant, I can’t tell whether it’s hilarious or vaguely threatening. I love it!
Kiwi Jr., Chopper– This, I am told, is the fourth album by this Toronto trio. I’d given their third album, Cooler Returns, a “maybe” in my 2021 ratings, noting that if you liked your power-pop a la Modern Lovers and the Replacements, you would enjoy it, but wondering if it was too familiar. I want to go back and re-listen to that album now, because this hit those same notes for me, but the familiarity was a selling point. As in- every song sounds like an old favorite that you’d forgotten and makes your heart ache just a little with the recognition. I’m in!
Kolb, Tyrannical Vibes– So rocky! So melodic poppy! So intellectual and obscure lyrics to go with the surface sheen! So alternating male and female vocalists! This project of a New York singer-songwriter delivers an album that works from beginning to end.
KT Tunstall, Nut– KT Tunstall occupies an almost perfect space between guitar rock and a dance pop. Everything here is nearly too smooth, but raw enough to redeem that, and above all, hooky. Plus, she’s Scottish. That’s always a good way to get my attention!
Mo Troper, MTV– This is full of distorted harmonies and great fuzzy bursts of noise. Ans amidst the joyous musical discord and mixed in with a good deal of irreverence, there are genuine feelings as well from this Portland-based power pop impresario. Their music reminds me of the Deerhoof school of blowing up and reassembling pop songs. I like that school!
Muse, Will of the People– I don’t understand what’s going on here, but I love it! At times, this sounds like: Prog rock on overdrive. An amazing Queen tribute. Over the top symphonic metal. Theatrical 80s synth-pop. Something a la Marilyn Manson. And it’s all held together by a topical dive into our troubled era that would do Rage Against the Machine proud. They’ve been around for coming up on three decades, but somehow, I don’t think I ever knew what Muse was about. Now that I do, I like it!
Oneida, Success– I saw them described as “Genre-bending Brooklyn indie rockers steeped in synth pop, hard rock, garage punk, stoner rock, and psychedelia” and darned if that isn’t a pretty good description of what’s going on here. It’s often hard and heavy, but skillfully played, and the mix of elements keeps it dynamic. A little weaker on the vocal side, but the seething distorted musical excellence more than makes up for that.
Panda Bear/Sonic Boom, Reset– Two leading figures of the more experimental side of rock have come together to do something that feels surprising- make, in a sense, traditional music. You’ll find the sonic references for 2000s lad rock, 80s synth, and classic 60s pop all over the place. But the shifts between them are dynamic and unexpected, and the whole thing is shot through with a sunny energy of fun, fun, fun!
Sammy Hagar & the Circle, Crazy Times– I have a fondness for Sammy Hagar going back to the 80s, so maybe I walked in to this compromised. But no, really, there are some great things going on here! There is good time rock and roll. There are interesting covers choices. There is heavy noise that makes me miss 80s hard rock radio. There are nuanced meditations on aging and what it all means. And is if all that isn’t enough, Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham on drums!
Sampa The Great, As Above, So Below– This Zambian poet and songwriter provides a mix of African musical styles, grounded in hip-hop, and pulling in a variety of forms. Philosophical, spiritual, clever, interesting. More of this please!
Santigold, Spirituals– Santigold is a boundary breaking Philadelphia singer, songwriter, and producer with an extensive background in the music industry, who’s material encompasses dub, hip-hop, punk/new wave, and electro. Fittingly, her album is full of energy, a variety of musical influences, and wit, with a sure feel for melody and hooks, while also making challenging choices.
Sick Thoughts, Heaven Is No Fun– The songs here are sometimes in a classically UK punk vein (I Hate You) sometimes like 70s metal (Mother, I Love Satan), or glammier 70s hard rock (Submachine Love) and delivered with 100% conviction. It is, in those ways, a very dated sound. But this doesn’t sound like mere aping, more like an original work of a bygone era that’s somehow fallen out of a time warp. Keeping in mind this New Orleans-based musician is only 25 it’s kind of an amazing achievement!
The Beths, Expert in a Dying Field– Their live album from last year was on my semi-finalists list. What I heard there that so charmed me is on abundant display here- their sure hand at guitar rock that can crunch and get fuzzy, but never losses a feeling for hooks and melody, and the presence and sweet clear vocals of lead singer/guitarist Elizabeth Stokes. There’s nothing about this New Zealand band to not like. So says I!
The Mountain Goats, Bleed Out– Hooks, chord changes, clever word play, and swelling musical moments. At times it’s a little jam bandy, others more power pop, and sometimes it reminds me of Neil Young and Even Death Cab for Cutie. The whole thing is held together by a semi-narrative involving crime drama themes. Intriguing and a consistently good listen!
Titus Andronicus, The Will to Live– In the wake of the passing of his longtime friend and bandmate, Titus Andronicus lead singer Patrick Stickles set out to create what he called an “Ultimate Rock Album”. Darned if he didn’t succeed! It’s got crunching hard guitar, 70s cock rock swagger, power chords that would do the Who proud (and/or be legally actionable by them), flirts variously with stadium rock, straight-up metal and punk, and is hooky as all get-out.
Valerie June, Under Cover– A covers album from one of my top picks for 2021 for her album The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers. She casts her net wide- among others, Bob Dylan, Gillian Welch, John Lennon, Mazzy Starr, and Nick Cave all make appearances. So, excellent as far as sourcing goes, but on top of that she delivers great covers, diving deep into the strengths of her voice, her diverse musical background, and a sense of both reverence and exuberant playfulness. The net effect of all this is heartachingly beautiful.
Maybe
Boris, Heavy Rocks [2022]– This Japanese alternative metal/noise rock band has been around since the 90s, and hearing that fact and their genre gives you a clue to what’s going on here. The most impressive thing about it, though, is how wide ranging it is. You’ll hear a 90s grunge/alt metal sound, but also prog rock moments, psych rock meltdowns, and a good deal of metal from multiple eras and genres. The language barrier is an issue, but then again, you don’t really need language to understand the untethered celebration of rock going on here.
Brasileiro Garantido, Churros Recheado– Brasileiro Garantido aka Gabriel Guerra, is the leader behind Rio de Janeiro’s 40% Foda/Maneiríssimo label. I was as surprised as anyone that this electronic album works for me, or nearly so. There is just something clever and fun about its loops and samples, reminding me in a way of 90s techno, and I kept going for one more track. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Buzzcocks, Sonics in the Soul– Pete Shelley having passed in 2018, you might reasonably stake out the position that there can’t be a new Buzzcocks album. And, it being nearly 45 years since their debut, you might reasonably question if there should be. However, the rest of the original band is here, and beyond Pete’s leadership and lyricism, they were always a powerful and very musically influential band. If you don’t take this as something that needs to match the original lineup, and if you allow that the sound is a throwback in a way, you’re left with a great band making a great contemporary version of their music. I must consider it!
Chris Forsyth, Evolution Here We Come– What’s this? Am I saying “yes”maybe” to another (mostly) instrumental guitar album? I am! This one is somewhere in-between experimental, fusion, and a good old fashioned early 80s rock guitar jam, but it was charming, and has an oddly out of time feeling.
Courting, Guitar Music– Sometimes it was electronic with an electric edge, sometimes it was like the “shouted vocal” semi-rap style so common in the UK now, sometimes it sounded like a sweetly melodic early 00s indie band. All of this came at the expense of coherence and the album totally adding up, but it was more than interesting enough in its form and tongue-in-cheek pop-culture obsessed lyrics that I’d listen again. And recommend keeping one’s eyes on this Liverpool band!
Crack Cloud, Tough Baby– This was, uh- What was this?!?!? An avant garde 80s-style synth album? A bratty hardcore outing? An experimental album? A joke? A deadly serious joke? I’m not entirely sure, but the mix of samples, storyline, and over the top but also utterly sincere music this album from a, and I quote, “Vancouver-based punk collective who utilize the combined talents of various artists, filmmakers, musicians, and designers” is too fascinating to not consider further.
Death Cub for Cutie, Asphalt Meadows– This is a tough one, because any Death Cab album taken on its own would be in a “should consider” for any given year. But not taken by itself, what I’m actually doing with a new album from them is comparing it to all previous Death Cab (and Postal Service) albums. And that’s a tougher hurdle to clear. So in this case, maybe? I think it’s worth a re-listen.
Dr. John, Things Happen That Way– This is his last album, recorded during his final months, which certainly makes it more poignant. But even without that it’s tender, relaxed, makes great use of guest stars, and chooses excellent covers from many directions. Inherently, given the covers and the traditional musical styles, not the freshest thing ever. But it’s a beautiful sound. Go in peace Dr. John!
Fred Moten/Brandon López/Gerald Cleaver, Moten/López/Cleaver– Critic and theorist Fred Moten joins bassist Brandon López and drummer Gerald Cleaver for an album that joins together philosophical discourse, poetry, jazz improv, and experimental electronic. Yes, it is as heady and sometime abstract as that might imply. But it is also arresting and heavy, both musically and philosophically.
Freddie Gibbs, $oul $old $eparately– This album reads partially as a hip hop artist diving into the soul samples so many songs draw from. I wish there was more of that, because it’s brilliantly done, but when it fades, it’s “merely” the 40-year-old artist delivering solid life stories and strong mixes that remind a little of Jay Z.
Goon, Hour of Green Evening– In some ways, this Los Angeles band’s sweetly chiming neo-psychedelia sounds too simple and straightforward to be an annual “best”. But it’s also nearly perfectly done. Paisley Underground forever! (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Jesca Hoop, Order of Romance– Sharply cornered lyrically, with a spare and abstract music that draws on jazz, band, and swing sounds, and plain-spoken yet melodious vocals. This is not unfamiliar from a Fiona Apple kind of direction, or Sufjan Stevens for that matter, but with more than a little Laurie Anderson in the mix. It’s not always an un-challenging listen, but it is always an interesting one.
JID, The Forever Story– There was really something to this! On the plus side, the vocal phrasing was unusual, the musical mix was nervy and off kilter, and the lyrics came from a unique POV, often humorous and sometimes unsettling, with a wide-ranging name check of hip-hop’s past and present. There was even an album framing structure of sorts. While it had way more autotune than I prefer, I was rooting for it!
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, Old :Time Folks– This “old time” here seems to be more 70s, some Bat Out of Hell, some Cheap Trick, some 38 Special, maybe some Stillwater? Definitely Stillwater, but the older stuff, from before the “No Planes” Tour. There’s plenty of “new time” too though, sounding like the more electric side of 80s/90s alt country, or, more recently, Drive-By Truckers in their sure feel for country, rock, and contemporary but timeless lyrics. It’s not the most original formulation of all of that I’ve ever heard, but it always feels authentic.
Madison Cunningham, Revealer– Smooth, but the music is lively (folk, rock a la 90s, world jazz), the lyricism is strong, the vocals are exquisite, and it’s packed with surprising moments. But also frequently on the edge of being of too slick.
Marlon Williams, My Boy– It’s no mystery what the musical POV of this New Zealand musician here is- there are specific lyrical nods to Bryan Ferry and Robyn Hitchcock, for instance. And indeed, throughout it sounds like certain strains of 70s AM radio pop, the Roxier side of glam, 80s neo-psych alt, and synth. And is a well-delivered, hooky, and compelling delivery of these influences as well. Every few songs it went a little flat and I fell out of the spell, which kept me from “yes”, despite how masterful it usually was.
Panic! At the Disco, Viva Las Vengeance– It’s so perfectly obvious what this album is doing that it almost feels manipulative- it’s an over-the-top ode to the lovable excess of rock. But, if you manipulate me by evoking Meatloaf, Queen, Springsteen, and 80s rock ballads, and liven it with a punk attitude, I’m probably going along for the ride. And, as is their forte, Panic! At the Disco pack it with feeling that could be called emo, but is so unreservedly committed to it that it carries you along. I kept wondering if it was all too much, but I also kept being charmed back in by the realization that is the whole point.
Rhett Miller, The Misfit– Miller is the former lead singer of the alt country Old 97’s, who in his solo work has tended in a more pop direction. That’s definitely on display here, but think 60s and 70s-indebted pop rather than 00s dance pop. I was on the edge between loving the evocative music and his nuanced lyrics and finding it a little same going track to track. Each time I was about to abandon it because of that sameness though, a musical surprise or a particularly affecting lyric turn got me back on board.
Rina Sawayama, Hold the Girl– Her 2020 album Sawayama made my top 20 list that year, so I was interested to listen to this. I would say overall this current album is less coherent than that album, but hot damn is she good! In a world in which there will always be dance pop, may it be this powerful, full of surprises, and come with just the right touch of complexity and challenge to go with the fun.
Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, The Elephant Man’s Bones– The Alchemist has been behind so many of the hip-hop albums I’ve liked in the last two years that I had this one flagged for careful listening. Many of the traits I’ve come to associate with his work are here- the eddied mix, looped sounds, swirling cadence of vocal flow. It sounds great, and there’s an air of dark import to the lyrics. I wasn’t totally sure it came together, but it also kept me tuned in the whole time.
Steve Earle & the Dukes, Jerry Jeff– Jerry Jeff is the third and final of Steve Earle’s tributes to what he refers to as his “first-hand teachers, the heroes I was lucky enough to sit across the room from so I could listen and learn up close…” The Jerry Jeff in question is Jerry Jeff Walker, best known for writing “Mr. Bojangles.” Between the excellence of Earle, who has been plying his trade in country, rock, blues, and bluegrass since the 80s, and the excellence of the source material, this is a definite possibility.
Sudan Archives, Natural Brown Prom Queen– Brittney Denise Parks, better known by her stage name Sudan Archives, is a violinist, singer, songwriter, and producer who combines R&B, hip-hop, folk, and experimental electronic music. Add to this musical mix a feminist and socially conscious point of view, and lyrical wit to spare. It’s really pretty amazing, but this comes with a bit of a “everything and the kitchen sink” feeling which does work against album coherence a little. But still…
The House of Love, A State of Grace– This has got some scuzzy garage rock sound to it, some heavy sheen of 60s pop in a Roger McGuinn vein, maybe a twist of country, and a lyrical voice that sometimes reminds me of heartland American rockers and Dylan. The House of Love is apparently a UK band that has been plying this kind of sound since the late 80s. It’s not the most original combination of sounds ever, and the balance is a little off in the album in terms of the sound of later tracks versus earlier ones, but I’d say it’s still working for them!
Tony Molina, In The Fade– This is like a punk album in the sense that there are 14 songs crowded into around 20 minutes. But stylistically, instead of punk, the songs alternate between an ornate neo-psychedelia and a heavy guitar-fuzzed pop. This works though, their brevity and variety of approaches being not unlike a punk attack, except with sweet pop. Bay Area musician Molina is a master of this form, but you’ll hear echoes- Weezer often came to mind for me. So, a touch derivative, but an excellent derivation.
Tyler Childers, Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?– This triple album by Kentucky native Tyler Childers gets to that length by an unusual method. It contains three different versions of the same eight song-cycle. In the process, we go from a fairly traditional bluegrass/country presentation to something in an almost experimental electronic space. This is certainly the music geek in me speaking, but each set is interesting in its own right, and together the juxtaposition is fascinating, and creates an arc that holds the whole thing together.
Various Artists, Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson– Anderson was considered by many to be the godfather of the “New Traditionalist” country movement through his late 70s-early 80s releases. These covers of his songs feature some old favorites like John Prine, mid-old favorites like Gillian Welch, and new friends I’ve met doing album reviews in the last two years like Eric Church, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Sturgill Simpson. In a sense this is a “greatest hits”, in a sense a covers album, and in those senses, derived, but such a solid listen.
Zannie, How Do I Get That Star– Brooklyn songwriter whose album was inspired by an obscure poet, the Voyager probe’s gold record, and a concept about an alien trying to find their way home. If that sounds a bit heady to you, the good news is that the gauzy indie rock with country and electronic touches that results isn’t heavily burdened by this concept. If the music is a little gauzy, there are consistently vocal, lyrical, and musical surprises that bring it into focus. While i kept teetering, that itself is the very definition of a “maybe”.
No
2nd Grade, Easy Listening– As sun-soaked happy pop punk albums go, this is one, and it’s fun. It’s not more, though.
5 Seconds of Summer, 5SOS5– this Australian pop-rock band sounds very radio friendly and I want to cast them into a lake of fire.
Afrorack, The Afrorack– synth hardware is built to the specifications of a format known as Eurorack. Afrorack is the project of Brian Bamanya, the Kampala, Uganda-based inventor of Africa’s first DIY modular synthesizer—a homegrown alternative to pricey imports and a creative statement. Eventually a little abstract to work as an album in total, I did appreciate the sonic explorations though. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
After Dinner, Paradise of Replica– This avant garde Japanese band is very avant garde. There are some interesting things going on here, but between the abstract nature and the language barrier, it wouldn’t be a repeated listener for me.
Air Waves, The Dance– project of Brooklyn singer/songwriter Nicole Schneit, smart and well-done indie pop, but too much on the low-key same track to track wavelength for me
Alex G, God Save the Animals– collaborated with a half-dozen engineers at five different studios across the Northeast, giving them each the nebulous instruction to offer their “best” recording quality. The result is a fascinating kaleidoscope of sound, and the songs are quite arresting. Some of them tend toward the more abstract, though, and the approach lends itself to lack of coherence.
Altered Images, Mascara Streakz– started 1979 Scottish New Wave, and I have to say, it’s really good, but is such a New Wave/disco era that it’s kind of stuck in that.
Amateur Hour, Krökta Tankar och Brända Vanor– Starts off with a fuzzy sheen of sound surging melody and hint of metallic grating, which I liked. Added in some interesting sound effects, and distorted semi-vocals, which were interesting. Lasts for over an hour, which is too much for something that is so similar track to track.
Anne Malin, Summer Angel– Bandcamp says “Anne Malin confidently blurs the boundaries between freak folk, experimental country, and indie rock”. That’s actually a pretty good description, and I was on the fence for quite a while, but eventually it was too much in a low key, ethereal vein to sustain a whole album length. She did more than occasionally remind me of the Throwing Muses, Cocteau Twins, and Nick Cave on the way, though, so eyes out! (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Ari Lennox, Age/Sex/Location– A fine R&B album, but not more than fine.
Art Moore, Art Moore– If you’re an Oakland Trio who started out wanting to make music to go with other forms of art, odds are I will like you. And I did like their band of dreamy shimmery pop with just the right amount of rock edge. Toward the end it got to be a little too much all in the same key, though.
Badge Époque Ensemble, Clouds of Joy– The sound of easy listening jazz, it infiltrates my soul…
Bent Arcana, Live Zebulon– The 2020 release Bent Arcana launched a series of improvisational records made by Osees’ John Dwyer and a revolving cast of friends, bandmates, and guests. Live Zebulon, issued in 2022, documents a concert in Los Angeles intended as a warmup for a gig in Holland, yet was powerful enough to stand out on its own. It’s a little jazz fusion, a little improv jamming psych rock guitar. All instrumental and didn’t work for me as a coherent whole at album length.
Beth Orton, Weather Alive– I have liked Beth Orton and her folktronic swirl since her debut, and this is in great form, in fact the sound has aged well to match the maturity of theme here. But the ethereal swirl keeps it from fully gelling for me.
Binker Golding, Dream Like a Dogwood Wild Boy– At first it started off very slidey blues guitar and I liked it. Then way too much jazz stuff started happening, and I was out. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Bitchin Bajas, Bajascillators– Bitchin’ Bajas is a band operated as a side-project by Cooper Crain, who is also guitarist/organist of the band Cave. I love the name, but it gets to be somewhere between nearly ambient electronic and jazz. I can’t.
Bjork, Fossora– I don’t think there’s any such thing as a “bad” Bjork album. I will say this one tends a little more to the abstract and experimental (even for her!) than the consistently listenable. But it’s never not interesting!
Black Pink, Born Pink– This band of k-poppers almost had me with their punchy and dynamic first song. It got a little more conventional after that. Not bad, but not best.
Blaqk Audio, Trop d’amour– An electronic duo made up of two members of AFI, so I’m going in cautious. It ends up sounding very like an 80s synth-group, with Depeche Mode in particular often coming to mind. Not the worst thing in the world, but not new or rising above its form.
Brainwaltzera, ITSAME– Love the group name, and the highly intelligent abstract electronic music they produce is interesting. Not “works as an over an hour-long album” interesting, but interesting. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Bret McKenzie, Songs Without Jokes– He takes various strains of pop- swoony and croony, Beatles influenced as heard through the 70s, the power pop side of new wave, lush 80s synth, etc. And then melds it with a sometimes romantic, sometimes cynical point of view (a la, perhaps, Randy Newman). It was well on its way to being a yes, but three muted slower songs in a row mid-album sapped its strength.
Buddy Guy, The Blues Don’t Lie– 86-year-old Buddy Guy is a blues master, perhaps one of the few we have left deserving of that title. As such, fans of his and fans of the genre won’t be ill-deserved by this album. But it also feels like what it is, a master taking a comfortable lap.
Built to Spill, When the Wind Forgets Your Name– I do really like Built to Spill’s earlier work, and this has some of those charms, but also a little too far on the low-key indie side without as much of the hook chord-changing rock to keep things moving.
Calvin Harris, Funk Wav Bounces, Vol. 2– It’s a mix of super smooth international club and hip hop and it’s super smooth and sophisticated sounding and you would enjoy having it play in the background.
Cass McCombs, Heartmind– Some classic sounding pop, melodic traces of 60s and 70s, with a good solid guitar base, and it opens with a love song to music. What’s not to like?
Clark, Body Double– A fine electronic album, it’s got a good BPM for keeping housework peppy.
dalek, Precipice– It is suitable atmospheric for a band named “dalek”, but eventually a little too all one low-key tone. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Daniel Romano, La Luna– When a 30-something minute album is composed of two tracks, you can be reasonably assured it’s going to be jammy, trippy, or ambient. This was somewhere between a countrified version of jammy, and a psychedelic version of trippy, which isn’t such a bad way for it to have turned out, but eventually didn’t do it for me.
Danny Elfman, Bigger.Messier.– Remix/additional artists on last year’s Big Mess. Some of the mixes are incredibly fun and interesting, but as an ultimately derivative project, and one clocking in at an hour 43, it would be hard for it to land.
death’s dynamic shroud, Darklife– The first track was too abstract an electronic, the second was way too autotuned, and so it wasn’t until the third that got to something I didn’t mind. at is a great band name, though, I’ll hand them that.
DeepChord, Functional Designs– It was so ambient I fell asleep and died, and so am unable to complete my review.
Defcee/Boathouse, For All Debts Private and Public– Defcee’s album (with Messiah Musik) Trapdoor was one of my top picks for 2021, so I came in interested. And this has a lot of the charms of that album- solid beats, spare atmospheric production and flow, fiercely intelligent lyrics. But the energy level didn’t feel like it quite kicked in in a way that sustained things for me. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Delta Spirit, One is One– This San Diego band wasn’t bad, in fact they were kind of interesting, reminding me of a certain strain of 90s a la Black Crowes and a certain strain of 00s a la Kings of Leon. So somewhere between commercial and indie, but the sound never quite gelled and rose above itself for me.
Diamanda Galas, Broken Gargoyles– It’s 40 minutes long, consists of two tracks, is by an avant garde artist, and has a distorted gargoyle figure on the cover. That tells you what you need to know, I think! It is an interesting grating unsettling sound, and just in time for Halloween, but it’s hard for me to imagine multiple listenings.
Divino Nino, Last Spa on Earth– Love the name and the cover. In practice, the results were too often way too autotuned.
DJ Khaled, God Did– I keep trying to like DJ Khaled. And I almost do! The positivity is infectious, and there’s a narrative through-line to the album, which is amazing. But holy bajeezwacks, the autotune… The only time it sufficiently lifts is on guest tracks, which are excellent.
Djo, Decide– This plays somewhere between an upbeat and catchy LCD Soundsystem/daft Punk kind of sound, and an 80s synth pop sound. There were a few moments where it mysteriously veered into 90s boy band as well. I appreciated the dark undertow of some of the lyrics, and the music was fun to listen to, but it didn’t quite come together as something new and different.
DOMi & JD BECK, NOT TiGHT– The description of it being fusion Jazz for Gen Z made me curious enough to try it. Alas, it was still kind of, well, fusion jazz.
Domo Genesis, Intros, Outros & Interludes– Domo Genesis was one of the earliest artists to receive the loop-based production of the Alchemist. And maybe because of that, at this point this sounds more familiar and like other things. But I think it was more the lyrical side, which tends toward the more cliche, than the musical/mix side, which I quite enjoyed.
Dylan Scott, Livin’ My Best Life– very pop. Very country. Very no.
Early James, Strange Time To Be Alive– James is signed with Easy Eye Sound, the record label of Black Keys’ guitarist Dan Auerbach, which gives you a clue to what this sounds like. It’s a good version of it but, maybe, ultimately not distinctive enough to really stand out.
Editors, EBM– A very fine example of someone doing strong 80s synth/post-punk influence well. Why is everyone doing it?
Eerie Wanda, Internal Radio– These were interesting soundscapes, and I liked the vocals, in fact liked the fuzzy shimmering swirl in general, but it was eventually too fuzzy, shimmery, and swirly to land.
Elaine Howley, The Distance Between Heart and Mouth– Almost a Nico/Velvet Underground feeling. Then a little more Laurie Anderson. Some post-punk. Some synthy. Ultimately too abstract for me, and energy off.
Elephant Gym, Dreams– Opens with a nice swingy jazzy ditty. I want to cast it into a lake of fire. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Eli Winter, Eli Winter– musician and writer based in Chicago. A self-taught guitarist, it’s all instrumental. It is very well done, and sounds like several things- led Zeppelin acoustic numbers, Jefferson Airplane psychedelic at its most psyche, etc. Well done it it’s way, but I don’t know that it totally succeeds as an album for me.
Erasure, Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)– it consists of new songs and quasi-instrumentals constructed from sound files from The Neon sessions that he manipulated and repurposed. It doesn’t sound coherent enough from an album point of view, but the individual results are often quite interesting. Some of them sound very like the pop sweetness Erasure we know and love, some of them are intriguingly dark and heavy.
Fireboy DML, Playboy– Nigerian Afrobeats artist. This sounds interesting in theory, but in practice it’s musically and vocally autotuned to hell.
Flung, Apricot Angel– Bay Area artist, so you know I’m going to try. I think it’s indie, I think it’s experimental, I think it’s shimmery and pleasant, I think not.
Fujiya & Miyagi, Slight Variations– An 80s electronic feeling, well delivered. I didn’t mind it!
Gabe Gurnesy, Diablo– This is good vaguely sinister sexy synthy electronic dance music. Not sure it adds up to an album, but it wouldn’t hurt to have it on in the background!
Gabriels, Angels & Queens, Pt. 1– Nice sweetly delivered old-style R&B album, but not more than that.
George FitzGerald, Stellar Drifting– The title might make you expect something like what this is- an ethereal, somewhat new age, but still energetic and fun electronic music. Not sure it adds up to a proper album, but I didn’t hate it!
George Riley, Running in Waves– This is very bright and cheerful soul that makes good use of electronic musical minimalism. It doesn’t quite rise above itself, but this London singer-songwriter has a great presence, and I’d keep my eye out for more from her.
Ghost Funk Orchestra, Night Walker/Death Waltz– Now this is interesting! Some minor chords, some funk groove, some experimental music. It eventually got too mellow jazzed out, but it was an interesting mix up until then.
Girl’s Generation, Forever 1– This K-pop album is very! I mean, there is very energetic pop! And it’s in Korean! One is mandated by law to find it fun! But it will not be in my picks for album, of the year!
Gloria Scott, So Wonderful– Scott’s last proper album was in the early 70s, but in between she’s done extensive background and session work for R&B and soul masters from the 70s forward. As you might expect form that, this is well produced, and full of classic sounds. It feels a little too familiar and polished to be a year’s best, but it won’t serve you wrong.
Goo Goo Dolls, Chaos in Bloom– It’s the 90s! And not in a good way! Help!
Hoang Thuy Linh, Link– Vietnamese pop artist! I don’t run across those every day. It is energetic and fun. And really, really all in Vietnamese.
Hot Chip, Freakout/Release– This UK alternative dance music act is in their third decade. It’s high energy, fun, unusual enough to hold attention. If it doesn’t quite add up to a long-term durable album, well, it’s still pretty good for decade number three!
Hudson Mohawke, Cry Sugar– There are some interesting sound effects things happening here, but it’s too often too autotuned.
iamamiwhoami, Be Here Soon– Goodness knows I like my arty abstract Scandinavians. And this is a pretty melodious version of that, but eventually too understated to maintain at album length.
Ithaca, They Fear Us– On the musical side, I truly enjoyed the brutal metal assault livened by occasional metal flourishes, but the scream vocals… Why so much scream vocals?
Jennifer Vanilla, Castle in the Sky– Billed as a pop performance artist, Boston-born Jennifer Vanilla, aka Becca Kaufman, journeys into what they describe as “jennifreaky” territory including ’90s dance, no wave, post-punk, art pop, New Age, and R&B. The former Ava Luna member, now based in New York, has also produced choreographed stage shows, a neighborhood variety hour, fake commercials, and a public access television program, according to a press release. This description could have gone all kinds of ways, but the way it went was delightful! Traces of 80s and 90s styles a-plenty, smartness and fun, thought eventually it got too into a mellow R&B groove to sustain its best moments.
JER, Bothered/Unbothered– At its best, this had the energy of late 70s/early 80s ska and its 90s revival, and an individual voice and pov that a young Black man in today’s America can bring to those precedents. At its not as best, it got a little too into the bratty emo punk sound of so much of the 2000s. Still and all, I have my eye on him for the future. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Jimetta Rose, How Good It Is– This hip-hop/soul gospel album from an LA artist is well done, but it feels like it too often veers into smooth and not enough into gritty and interesting.
Jockstrap, I Love You Jennifer B– Spare, perhaps even spooky experimental indie rock with a good mix of a sophisticated melodic sound and distortion and fuzz. Eventually got a little too muted for too many tracks in a row, but undoubtedly interesting.
John Legend, Legend– I’ll start by stipulating two things: John Legend isn’t bad, and many of these songs got my booty grooving. Not a coherent set worth, or justifying the double album length-worth, but there could be some lasting radio singles here, and that’s not bad.
Jon Pardi, Mr. Saturday Night– Some of this is great- musically straight up and lyrically and vocally straight-up enough that his party personality reads almost as a later-day George Jones. But enough of it is redolent enough of pop country tropes that it doesn’t quite make it as a whole.
Jorja Chalmers, Midnight Train– This Australian musician and songwriter plays in Bryan Ferry’s live band, which may give you an idea of what to expect. It is, I have to say, not bad for that ethereal pop, but a little too lulled too often for me.
Julian Lennon, Jude– One interesting thing about Julian Lennon is that, despite the vocal inheritance from his father, he’s always been more musically inclined in a David Bowie/Roxy Music kind of direction. What’s here is in that vein, and nicely varied, but it doesn’t come together as a whole for me.
Ka, Languish Arts– A philosophical, instrumental-infused hip-hop. I did appreciate it’s seriousness, but there wasn’t enough variation in tone or energy level to sustain it for album length.
Kane Brown, Different Man– At his best, this multiracial country singer combines pop country, electronic, rock, and contemporary soul/R&B in a way that’s unique and enormously hopeful for the future of country music. At other times, individual tracks are too much like mainstream pop country or contemporary autotuned R&B. Still, I’ve got my eye out for what he gets up to going forward.
Katarina Gryvul, Tysha– (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Kelsea Ballerini, Subject to Change– Ethereal, experimental, and abstract. Not bad, but I can only do so much!
Kenny Beats, Louie– It invokes some good soul ghosts, and does some interesting mix work with them, but it’s a little too much a collection of sounds without a coherent through line.
Khruangbin /Vieux Farka Touré , Ali– Ali is a collaborative studio album by Malian singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré and Texan trio Khruangbin. It consists of covers of songs by Vieux’s father, Ali Farka Touré. I like all the component pieces of this album origin story, and it is a collection of great music, but the foreign language element and track to track indistinctness keep it from fully working as an album for me.
Kokoroko, Could We Be More– octet Kokoroko, was its surprise hit, melding contemporary jazz, R&B, West African highlife, and Afrobeat. Which sounds nice in theory, but in practice was slanted way too far toward the “jazz easy listening” side of the dial.
Lambchop, The Bible– Lambchop is known for being eclectic and intelligent, and that’s certainly on display here. Some of the musical turns are energizing and exciting, some utterly deflate that energy, but none lack something compelling.
Larry June, Spaceships on the Blade– It’s a good enough lo-tempo hip-hop album.
Laufey, Everything I Know About Love– Icelandic-Chinese singer/songwriter, which I conceptually love. In practice, these are nice neo-standard ballads, lushly rendered and nicely phrased, but not really my cup of tea.
Lean Year, Sides– Duo of vocalist Emilie Rex and filmmaker/musician Rick Alverson, and it sets a musical, vocal, and lyrical mood in its explorations of grief. But is eventually too low key and same track to track to sustain.
LeAnn Rimes, god’s work– She’s much less in country vein here and much less in general pop. Which she does very well, but it never quite feels vital enough to consistently hold my attention.
Lissie, Carving Canyons– A country-inflected pop performance with some genuine emotion to it, but in general a little too by rote.
Little Big Town, Mr. Sun– There are sometimes that this contemporary dance-pop and soulified take on country is pretty affecting. There are others it’s too smooth and poppy. Still, they might have an idea on one potential future direction for country.
Living Hour, Someday is Today– They’re from Winnipeg, which I think is groovy. Other than that, it’s very lush and gauzy. Not bad, but indistinct track to track and as a whole.
Los Rarxs, La Rareza– Puerto Rican trio’s debut album is a sleek collage of reggaetón, indie rock, and R&B. And it was an interesting mix of sound, but got a little too autotune in the mix, which, combined with being in a foreign language, erected too much of a barrier for it to work for me.
Lou Turner, Microcosmos– Bright, literate, and well-played acoustic set, but a little too same in tone and tempo song to song.
Lucki, Flawless Like Me– A fine, spare, driving, autotuned hip-hop album.
Lyzza, Mosquito- A fine enough, very autotuned soul album.
Mach-Hommy, Dollar Menu 4– This mix tape has many nice moments, and some promising directions, but I don’t think it’s coherent enough or distinctive enough to function as a “best” album.
Makaya McCraven, In These Times– Some interesting tonal things going on here, if I don’t quite get it as an album, I don’t mind it. That’s a big deal for me and jazz!
Mamalarky, Pocket Fantasy– The off-kilter slightly hyperactive pop of this “tricoastal” band, sweet semi-elfin vocals of lead-vocalist Livvy Bennett and quirky lyrics were thoroughly charming me, but a mysterious two song lull early on, and another deflation at the end threw it out of contention. Alas! Still, I have them tagged for further study.
Mamaleek, Diner Coffee– Think a doom metal voice, weirdly off kilter lounge sound, and Nirvana at their most noise rocky. It’s actually weirdly fascinating, but I’m not sure how often I’d be up for listening end to end.
Marci, Marci– Kind of an 80s dance sound, with a kind of slow and easy and yet canned vibe to it. Not badly done but…
Marcus King, Youngblood– This is thoroughly well-played, blues-based rock in an American 70s kind of way. And that’s sort of the issue- so perfectly executed in genre terms that it feels a little set and unalive.
Marcus Mumford, (self-titled)– A Mumford & Son! Actually, the Mumford from that band on his solo debut (there never were any sons). As you might expect from his work in the band, this isn’t band. It does feel incoherent to me though- a lot of tones and styles, and guests, without something central holding it together. Doesn’t mean you won’t find a fine song or two in here, though…
Marina Allen, Centrifics– The folky stylings of this LA singer-songwriter reminded me at times of Joni Mitchell, and of more contemporary fellow-travelers in that vein. If that’s the cup of tea you’re looking for, it’s been prepared very well. A little too low-energy and same tone track to track to really work as an album for me though.
Marisa Anderson, Still, Here– instrumental acoustic guitar, darkly infected good, lighter moments did it
Maya Hawke, MOSS– playing Robin Buckley on Stranger Things and for being the child of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, pretty, ethereal, too mellow, and same song to song for me.
mediopicky, mediopicky– Some interesting discordant sound choices, but the autooootunnnneeeee…. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Megadeath, The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead– I mean, it’s fine, but the 16th Megadeath album in 2022 doesn’t have quite the same impact that the first three in the 80s had.
Megan Thee Stallion, Traumazine– I do like what thee stallion named Megan does, and it was cruising toward a probable yes, but then an all-male guest track so senselessly let all the air of the aggressively gloriously female empowered rest of it that I just didn’t know what to do.
Michelle Branch, The Trouble With Fever– Michelle branch is, of course, not bad. And she’s doing okay here, but not considerably more okay than her best, or other people in a similar space.
MLDE, Marxist Love Disco Ensemble– I mean, the name is pretty amazing. While it is sophisticated and fun international electronic dance music, it’s both less Marxist and less disco than I might prefer.
Motorpsycho, Ancient Astronauts– I mean, this one’s got everything I love- a Norwegian metal band, a classic metal band name, and Ancient Astronauts. If you like your metal ornate and philosophical, this might be for you. I do like that sometimes, but apparently not for, say, certain 21-minute tracks-worth.
Mura Masa, demon time– The stuttering beat, driving mix, and high-energy feminist POV hip-hop/R&B has considerable charms. But then the autotune and pointless male guest stars ended up detracting a little too much from it.
Mythic Sunship, Light/Flux– Neo-psychedelic, neo-jazzy, all instrumental. Not bad, but a little too background and abstract to really function as an album.
Nicholas Craven & Boldy James, Fair Exchange No Robbery– Boldy James is a busy man! And I really enjoy the variety of hip hop he purveys. This is good, but I’m leaning towards his Killing Nothing collaboration from earlier in the year as being more coherent and engaging.
Nikki Lane, Denim & Diamonds– As bluesy rocking female leads go, this is a good one, but feels a little formulaic, and not especially standing out from the rest of that pack.
No Age, People Helping People– I haven’t listened to No Age since their 2008 album Nouns, which was a noise rocker that I loved. I guess it makes sense that they would have developed sonically in the 14 years since, and while I did appreciate every other song, the kind of very abstract neo-psych with jazz elements sound they’re doing on this album was hit and miss for me.
OFF!, Free LSD– If you like your hardcore metal-flavored and LA style and social and political, this won’t lead you astray. I do like all those things; thought I don’t think it exceeded the sum of those parts.
Oliver Sim, Hideous Bastard– It isn’t that I don’t appreciate the orchestral lushness, the homoromanticism, and the not infrequent tips of the hat to dread. But it is, in whole, a little too in one low energy vein track to track.
Ondara, Spanish Villager No. 3– There is definitely something interesting in the presence, lyricism, and lingering vocals of this he Kenya-born, Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter. However, the sound gets buried underneath a little too much sonic sheen and smoothness, and track to track sameness.
Osees/ Thee Oh Sees, A Foul Form– They’ve gone very punk for this outing, and they’re doing it very well. If this was actually popping out of the American punk/hardcore scene in the early 80s, I would have loved it! As is, it’s a fine execution, but a little museum formulaic.
Ozzy Osbourne, Patient Number 9– This being a 2022 album, by a veteran rocker, I’m naturally skeptical. This being Ozzy, I naturally want to really like it. And you know what, it’s not bad. Not up to his best, a little formulaic (to his formula), but it’s a nice listen if you’re in for that category of listen. And there are three tracks with, respectively, leads by Tommy Iommi, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck if you’re looking for some solid guitar god action.
Papo2oo4, Ballerific- It’s a fine exemplar of a certain strain o0f contemporary hip-hop album. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Petra Haden/The Lord, Devotional– The artist and album name might have you expecting gospel, and maybe it is. Gospel in the form of metal-flavored electronic music and disembodied aria vocals? It’s not uninteresting.
Pi’erre Bourne, Good Movie – It. Is. Quite. Autotuned.
Pink Siifu & Real Bad Man, Real Bad Flights- It sometimes got into the realm of really interesting with its unusual music mix and the glowering flow. More often, though, it lulled into something a little too laid back and indistinct to really hold attention.
Pixies, Doggerel– I am a huge Pixies fan, but I go into this upset that a lineup that doesn’t include Kim Deal is calling itself the Pixies. Maybe if I think of it as a Frank Black album that former Pixies-bandmates happen to play on, I won’t be as mad at it. In either case, though, what I’m partially measuring this against is the classic Pixies albums and Black’s best solo work (and I’m also a huge Frank Black fan). It isn’t that. It would, honestly, end up in my collection due to my extreme fandom regardless, but despite some fine moments, there’s ultimately a bit of coherence missing, and it doesn’t measure up to his/their best work.
Pool Kids, Pool Kids– I was on the edge on this one for quite a while- 90s kids doing 90s-influenced music with 2000s social media snark and lyrical sophistication is a happy place, and this Tallahassee band is doing it well. It does sound a little more smoothly produced than raw and vital, and a little too all in one tone after a while, but I will keep an eye on them!
Preoccupations, Arrangements- It’s some good darkness, but a Little too of the post-punk synth-pop nostalgia everyone is doing these days.
Promise of the Real/Neil Young, Noise and Flowers– There are some great elements here- a live album from a 2019 European tour in memory of passing of his friend/manager Elliot Roberts, band Promise of the Real fronted by Willie Nelson’s sons backing with a sure sense for the material. This all leads to unity of sound, Neil is in fine form. Song selection is good. I’d definitely recommend it to a Neil Young fan, of which I am one, but I’m not sure it works as a 2022 “best” album.
Pye Corner Audio, Let’s Emerge!– Like late Joy Division at their synth chilliest, but with no vocals. It’s not a bad sound, but it doesn’t make for a durable album.
Rachika Nayar, Heaven Comes Crashing– The opening track sounds like a new age synth dawn. I knew I was a no at that point.
Robbie Williams, XXV– This is a kind of greatest hits album, except with new recordings of highlighted songs from throughout his career. I mean, dude’s a pop powerhouse, and these are good versions. I can’t quite work it in my head as a “best of year” album, but fans wouldn’t be disappointed.
Royksopp, Profound Mysteries II– This grabbed me more than Part I from earlier this year did- it’s less muted, more energetic. Still not enough substance to really keep it gripping at album-length, though.
Sally Seltmann, Early Moon– It’s very pretty, and would be in good stead as an 80s soft pop drifting into 90s soft pop album. Eh.
Shannen Moser, The Sun Still Seems to Move– There are times this becomes galvanized and electric. The rest of the time, it’s a fine, literate acoustic outing, but doesn’t really stand out.
Shemekia Copeland, Done Come Too Far– Her voice is certainly powerful, and the blues music is excellent. But it a little too much by rote, and the lyrics are sometimes too on-the-nose.
ShittyBoyz, Trifecta 2– It’s got some verve and personality, and the driving and floating feeling of the musical mix is interesting, but eventually the more conventional content and moments outweigh that.
Shoko Igarashi, Simple Sentences– It’s a not-uninteresting, sometimes fun electronic dance music, but a little abstract and downtempo to hand one’s hat on. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Shygirl, Nymph– There are some things to recommend this electronica/hip-hop flavored mix, especially the interesting mix choices. But it gets a little too abstracted, and a little autotuned, a little too often.
Silversun Pickups, Physical Thrills– Tough call in some ways. I loved their debut album, and the things I loved about it are evident here. But, well, it’s fifteen years later…
Skullshitter, Goat Claw– I mean, you’ve got the band name, the album name, the first track is “Angel of Decay”. You know what you’re getting into here! Musically, it’s actually a really good evocation of thrash metal classics from the 80s, but it does get a little too hoarse shout voice to keep up with. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Slipknot, The End, So Far– Slipknot is as Slipknot does, but it does a little too orchestral and emo at the expense of musical and vocal actual vitality for me.
Sofie Royer, Harlequin– Some very pleasant international-sounding pop. Not sure it rises enough beyond that to stand out for the entire year’s output.
Son Little, Like Neptune– An interesting and somewhat out of left field R&B album with blues elements, and I appreciate the complex point of view, but it gets a little too autotuned at times, and in the same vein track to track.
Soulfly, Totem– American metal outfit led by Sepultura’s Max Cavalera that draws heavily from groove, thrash, nu-metal, and Brazilian tribal music. It is a fun and somewhat heady musical mix but tends toward the “too same” track to track.
SRSQ, Ever Crashing– This sounded a little too Enya-fied to me. Actually Enya-fied with a side of 90s pop hits and a pinch of Taylor Swift. Nothing of poor quality, but I kind of couldn’t.
Stella Donnelly, Flood– Off to a great start, lulled out with too many slows in a row in the middle
Sumerlands, Dreamkiller– This Philadelphia band is playing in an old-school heavy metal vein and doing it well. Not the best of your year, but if you like an 80s orchestral power-hooky sound, you won’t be disappointed.
Sunrise on Slaughter Beach, Clutch– I don’t know about best of year, but it is a joyful noise if you’ve been missing something that reminds you of Soundgarden in classic form.
Sylvan Esso, No Rules Sandy– More ambitious than a remix album but not dissimilar to a DJ mix, from 2022 Neon sessions, it is interesting electronic music, worth a listen but not holding together as an album.
Szun Waves, Earth Patterns– An improv trio working at the intersection of experimental electronic and jazz. I did try it.
Teen Suicide, Honeybee Table at the Butterfly Feast– The first track sounds like a shoegazey shimmer, the second is the kind of discordant noise that you might think/hope a band with this name would have, and the rest seems more like an actual soundtrack to a teen suicide- mellow sad indie. It just didn’t add up and hold my attention.
The Afghan Whigs, How Do You Burn?- Well, they still sound good, and if it were 1990-something this might be a favorite of the year for me. In 2022. It’s a solid “good”.
The Bad Plus, The Bad Plus [2022]– It’s an interesting jazz max, I’m not mad at it, but, eh…
The Berries, High Flying Man– Their mix of indie and classic rock is going well for the first few songs, but then begins to mellow grove out too many times in a row halfway through, causing the energy to fizzle.
The Boys with the Perpetual Nervousness, The Third Wave Of…– Some fine neo-psych pop with country overtones. Not sure it stands out vis-a-vis genre or best of year, though.
The Chats, Get Fucked– Australian punk! 13 songs! 28 minutes! Based on my informal survey of going on two years now, there is a lively and high-quality punk scene in Australia these days. This is a great exemplar thereof. Not sure it rises high enough to stand out as an album of the entire year, but if you’re looking for something in this genre, it won’t let you down!
The Comet is Coming, Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam– It was starting off as an interesting musical mix, but eventually the flowy abstract jazz element came too much to the fore.
The Devil Wears Prada, Color Decay– If you want something that’s a little hardcore and a little metal and a little emo, and sounding kind of like many other things like this have sounded over the past two decades, this is that.
The Mars Volta, The Mars Volta– There are happy sunny 70s pop parts of the sound that I’m not mad at, but also a lot of extended mellow jazzy ones that just don’t retain interest at album length.
The Murlocs, Rapscallion– At its best, there’s a sinister-sounding garage-rock shake-down going on with this Australian band, and I appreciate it. At not so best, it becomes a little poppier and more swinging in a way that’s out of tone with the scuzz and sounds too much like a lot of other contemporaries.
The Orchids, Dreaming Kind– Some nice mellow easy listening rock. I almost tore my ears off.
The Soft Moon, Exister– Some industrial some shimmery 80s synth-pop. It’s fine.
The Wonder Years, The Hum Goes On Forever– 2020s top 40 friendly indie pop rock par excellence. Ugh no.
Thou, A Primer of Holy Words– This Baton Rouge diy doom metal band is here doing an album of grunge and metal covers. I’m a sucker for that as a description, and the playing is fantastic, but the vocals are too often too grating for me to hang in there.
Tim Burgess, Typical Music– Former Charlatans head Tim Burgess is producing some fine pop here, clearly influenced by 60s pop and psychedelia. It is undoubtedly enjoyable, but it does start to blend after a while, which at an hour and a half-run time is difficult to sustain.
Tommy McClain, I Ran Down Every Dream– When I read he was a founder of Louisiana swamp pop, I was extremely interested. And it’s not bad, in fact is really good, but the tempo is too consistently low and slow for it to really catch fire.
Tomu DJ, Half Moon Bay– Some nice low-key electronic music. Too low key for me, but it does sound a little like Half Moon Bay!
Turin Brakes, Wide-Eyed Nowhere– There’s something soulful about this English band’s sound, but it ends up being a little too slick.
Two Door Cinema Club, Keep on Smiling– A nice high energy version of the same neo-disco indie music space a lot of people these days are in. It’s nice.
Unloved, The Pink Album– This is an interesting run of sinister and sexy noise somewhere between rock and electronic, but it gets too abstract at times, and the hour and twenty-nine-minute run time is hard to sustain.
Vintage Crop, Kibitzer– There is some fine rock and roll emitting from this Australian band. It’s not revelatory, I don’t see it as a year-making album, but as a solid block of fun it won’t lead you wrong. (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Vinyl Williams, Cosmopolis– I don’t know what I was expecting from the grandson of John Williams, but this synth soundtrack sound with hints of yacht rock was a surprise. It’s actually very nice despite my snarky description, but maybe is not year’s best memorable or stand-out.
Walter Trout, Ride – The music from this 71-year-old bluesman might best be described as “white guy rocking electric blues”. He’s doing it well, but perhaps not new or different enough to get to “best of year”.
Watkins Family Hour, Watkins Family Hour, Vol. 2– Despite the title, this is the third album from this traditional Americana duo. At their best the energy and charm here are great, but some of the tracks seem to go flat. Alas, unevenness!
Whitney, SPARK– It’s a fine kind of contemporary R&B, but not beyond fine.
Why Bonnie, 90 in November– Brooklyn by way of Austin band, full of jangly fuzzy guitars and burned-out low-key vocals from lead Blair Howerton. It’s a good slice of lo-fi rock that has no major errors, but also never gets a lot beyond good.
William Orbit, The Painter– Veteran UK dance/electronic producer William orbit brings in an array of female guest vocalists for this album. What results is gauzy, folktronic, very pretty and pleasing. Not up to over an hour of listening though.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cool It Down– They’re sounding as good as they did in the early 00s, but the sound was fresher in the early 00s and now there are a lot of folks traveling this territory, and it isn’t particularly better/different than the rest.
YG, I Got Issues– Good enough contemporary hip hop.
Young Jesus, Shepherd Head– Is this a new age electronic gospel record? I didn’t know, but I do know that I need some space from it.
Young Nudy, EA Monster– As with other things I’ve listened to by Young Nudy, I appreciate the horror aspects of this, both explicitly in the lyrics and the creeping sense of dread in the musical mix. As with other things I’ve listened to by young Nudy, the autotune and tired street themes keep it from totally working.
Young Slo-Be, Southeast– Good enough contemporary hip hop (Note: This is not actually a September release. It’s from Pitchfork’s Summer list of “34 Great Records You Might Have Missed”. I ain’t gonna miss ’em!)
Yungblud, Yungblud– Pop dancey with hints of emo goth thing. No thanks.
All right! With that, we’ve caught up through August/September, just in time for the beginning of December. Now, on to October…
Before we proceed with the July review, let’s do a quick overview of the three categories:
Yes– These are albums that could be in running for the year’s best. That doesn’t mean that they will. As of July, there were 103 yeses, but we only have room for 22. And that’s before we get to…
Maybe– These albums definitely have something going for them, but also something that gives me pause. I’m giving them their own category, because “maybes” sometimes linger and become “yeses”. We have 93 maybes as of July.
No– Being a “no” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re crap. To be sure, sometimes you do end up there because you’re crap. But you can also be fine, but not more than fine. Or interesting and ambitious, but not quite pulling it off. Getting to “yes” isn’t for the faint of heart.
Now that everything is squared away, boldly forward with the review of 95 new releases from July!
Amanda Shires, Take It Like a Man– Shires started off as a country artist, and there’s still more than a hint of that, but this is like haunted pop music of various genres, tied together by her plain-spoken earnest vocals and the bare emotional tales of her lyrics. Nanci Griffith’s Storms comes to mind in terms of pop smoothness combined with complicated dark depths.
Beach Bunny, Emotional Creature– There’s a bevy of younger ladies doing a kind of music that effortlessly brings together pop ballads and crunchy 90s influenced guitar rock, unspooling pop emotion and yet intelligent lyrics in the process (looking at you Olivia Rodrigo, Soccer Mommy, etc.). And hallelujah for that! Beach Bunny, a Chicago rock band formed in 2015 by Lili Trifilio, is in this vein, and boy can she work it! It may be glossy, and use pop rotes along the way, but nothing here sounds false, and every track is solid and fun.
Ben Harper, Bloodline Maintenance– Modern soul and blues master Ben Harper is back with a new album informed by, among other things, the 2021 passing of Juan Nelson, his longtime friend and bandmate. And it’s a master’s work- sometimes angry, sometimes yearning, personal, political, and musically informed by classic soul sounds and modern blues. This is an album that would have been in good company with a 70s Marvin Gaye record.
Beyonce, Renaissance– The amount of layering in the first track alone is dizzying- the personal, the political, the vocally muscular and subtle, the powerful homage to house with clever sonic details and twists, the sense of being serious and fun. And it goes on in that vein and expands on the musical front with a varied and deep celebration of 80s-90s house music and its various cousins and forebears, and on the lyrical side with raunch, snark, and an assured sense of power. There aren’t many artists around who can wield their own persona/myth for their purposes as effectively as Beyonce can, and she puts it to great use here.
Black Midi, Hellfire– The spoken word stream of the first song and weird hyper-lounge second somehow have the same voice between them. And so on with, depending on which track you’re listening to, cabaret, acoustic, crunching guitar, abstract experimental electronic, etc. I had a similar reaction to their album last year, but all the lurching around there didn’t work for me. Here it was on the edge of “too much” several times, but also the best kind of “too much”- like a later-day Bryan Ferry at his most over-the-top melodramatic, but weirder and goonier.
Florist, Florist– The elements here are simple- delicate acoustic, simple piano chords and strings, some gauzy distortion, a smattering of found sound effects, and sweetly lackadaisical vocals. If it sounds low key, it is, but it’s also hooky, intimate, and compelling. The alternation of songs featuring Emily Sprague’s mesmerizing vocals and instrumental/found sound pieces works well to keep the spell going. And this was largely recorded in a rental house in the Hudson Valley during COVID retreat, which perhaps explains the feeling of intimacy and authenticity. Producers take note!
Guided by Voices, Tremblers and Goggles by Rank– This is, I think, the 85th Guided by Voices album of the last two years? My count may be slightly off, but the point is, with them pushing out material at such a high rate, this album has no business being as good as it is. In this go, the musical chameleons seems to be channeling a “punk turning to post-punk” era, I hear many echoes of the Jam, Gang of Four, Magazine, Wire, etc. at the tipping point of the 70s becoming the 80s. Informed, for sure, by the prog rock bent of Guided by Voices. And it is a glorious noise!
Jack White, Entering Heaven Alive– This is White’s second album of the year, and consciously in a different vein than his heavier, rockier Fear of the Dawn. Against all general trends of my musical preferences, I like this better! It’s like a continued groove of the slower more introspective side of the White Stripes, and as such, is more consistent than the sometimes straight ahead sometimes weirdly veering Fear of the Dawn. But in a way that doesn’t sacrifice musical dynamism and brings a lot of emotional and lyrical depth from its greater subtlety. All right, Jack. All right!
Lizzo, Special– The opening track starts with “Hi motherfucker did you miss me?” then touts her twerk and celebrates her thickness within the first minute. So there’s that, but also, it’s vocally and musically just so fun, fun, fun! Great dance/soul music with a strong personality, musical cleverness (motifs from the 70s-90s abound), and rich buoyant vocals is a great thing. And I want to give it a medal for the way “Grrrls” samples from the Beastie Boy’s “Girls” while turning its whole concept inside out. Lizzo for President!
Mat Ball, Amplified Guitar– Every song on the record was recorded in a single take, with a guitar Bal built himself. As wonky music premises go, I like that a lot. In practice I ended up liking it a lot too! It felt in a way like a guitar playing pieces meant for other instruments- piano, I swear even shakuhachi- and doing it with waves of distorted feedback-laden sheen. All instrumental, which can be harder to make work as an album that sticks, but I can’t discount it!
Mush, Down Tools– This was so relentlessly retro in a very certain vein- its nervy quirky music, vocals, and lyrics reminded me of Modern Lovers, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, the Soft Boys, and a half dozen other things of that related era/genre. If I take points off for originality, I have to add them back because it’s very well done, and fun to listen to. This Leeds, UK group never sounds like they’re ripping off, more like they fell out of that era with a heretofore lost original work.
quinn, quinn– Three cheers for hyper-pop! This 17-year-old artist has produced a disjointed (in the best kind of way) pastiche of hip-hop that musically turn the genre inside out while being personal, hilarious, and political. This doesn’t sound like everything else out there, and it makes me hopeful that there are still ways out of the rehashed, cliched sonic mess the 2020s has become.
Superorganism, World Wide Pop– The hyperkinetic pop of this London indie group has so much going on! The first track alone was a dizzying array of sound effects, samples, beats, and musical modes. The goings-on here are equally informed by dance, indie, and a 90s slacker feeling, which makes it nostalgic and contemporary all at the same time.
The Koreatown Oddity, ISTHISFORREAL?– This philosophical, abstract, and experimental outing from LA-based hip-hop artist the Koreatown Oddity is a delight! In between an ongoing motif of claiming to be British and posing as an American and musings on the nature of reality and subjective experience are trippy vocals and a heady mix of samples. This all might be a bit much if it wasn’t also highly listenable. Which it is!
The Sadies, Colder Streams– I wasn’t that familiar with the Sadies, a fact that I’m now saddened by, since this album came out shortly after their guitarist/co-founder Dallas Good died unexpectedly of a heart ailment. From what I’ve subsequently read, since the 90s this Toronto band has plied an area informed by psychedelia, garage rock, and folk rock. I generally don’t read reviews before giving a listen because I don’t want to prejudice myself going in, so I didn’t know about either their niche or their loss. I just knew that this album sounded like a concept album from a space somewhere between the Zombies and the Moody Blues had fallen out of the late 60s and suddenly plopped down into 2022. It is a mighty fine album, and a fitting swan song.
Ty Segall, “Hello, Hi”– Segall here is in a space reminiscent of both the folkier side of psychedelic garage 60s, and the more acoustic side of grunge. With maybe a little Big Star feel as a kind of bridge between the two? I love this space! And the lo-fi production provided by his home recording the album is the perfect setting for bringing out the sound even more fully.
Maybe
Ahmer, Azli– There’s a muscular power to the beats from this Kashmiri rapper, and the mix at times feels almost industrial, while occasionally adding in local musical forms. The vocals also carry a heavy power, you can feel the lyrical weight behind them- his subject matter revolves around the state of emergency in the disputed Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan. It’s almost entirely not in English (though there are translations if you watch the lyric videos), but it somehow retains its power even so.
BandGang Lonnie Bands, Scorpion Eyes– Dark dense tales, personal sounding confessions, music sparkling in its darkness. With a mumbled lurching delivery, and I mean this in a good way. There are cliches a-plenty, but there’s also power.
Chat Pile, God’s Country– The first track turned me off with its ragged vocals, and I feared it would be another musically heavily but vocally screamoed into the abyss album. But I was wrong! The punk/hardcore/metal edge remained, and the vocals were still ragged, but they cohered enough to understand that the roughness was part of the point. The vocal and lyrical attack reminds me of the brutal snark of Flipper or Jello Biafra, but with a slacker undertow that leavens the whole thing out. Thank you, little Oklahoma band, for reminding us that rock can still be heavy, disturbing, serious, and funny all at the same time.
Friendship, Love the Stranger– Country ballads with stripped plain vocals, rock chords, and internal tales of everyday life. The 2020s so far seems to be very heavily about musical nostalgia, but 80s/90s alt country is one thing I don’t mind being nostalgic about when it’s done this well. It perhaps lags a little toward the end, though?
Ghost Woman, Ghost Woman– A kind of 70s feel, a kind of dirty jaded 2000s rock feeling, minor chords, an echoing sound, hints of the Byrds, the Kinks, Del Shannon. These are all things I love, and it was headed to automatic “yes” until the next to last track came in too contemporary sounding, which was both boring and out of tone with the rest. Still, the rest is so excellent it tempts me…
Jonah Tolchin, Lava Lamp– A New Jersey-born singer-songwriter and musician who debuted at the Newport Folk Festival in 2012. The different pieces of Americana in his approach- folk, blues, country, R&B, all make an appearance here. At times it’s in a mellow burned-out vein, and times it’s heavy, electric and foot-stomping. The variability doesn’t quite feel coherent, which is the only thing here I take points off for, but I’ll definitely be diving in a second time.
Katy J Pearson, Sound of the Morning– This Bristol, UK native has produced something a little folky, a little punky, a little electronic, and, if the component pieces are not super-original, her strong vocals and incisive lyrics definitely pull it together into a worthy package.
Laura Veirs, Found Light– Neo-folk artist Laura Veirs has been very good since her 1999 debut, and she remains in fine form here. There are elfin vocals, multi-layered production on top of a fairly simple and spare acoustic musical base that cycles through several modes (acoustic, indie rock, pop), and emotionally intelligent, vivid lyrics. A lot of it is on the more low-key side (not unjustifiably, certainly pleasingly), which creates lulls that maybe make the difference from an automatic “yes”. Still in all, a solid and very worthy entry.
Paolo Nutini, Last Night in the Bittersweet– “Scottish singer-songwriter” is always going to catch my attention. In this case, his approach goes all kinds of places- sometimes in Springsteen/U2 bombastic direction, sometimes something more like post-punk spoken word, sometimes Van Morrisonesqu, sometimes straight up hooks and high energy 80s/90s style indie rock, etc. If it lacks something in coherence and produces a kind of sprawl, the advantage is that anytime I started to waver a little on one musical approach, a fascinating one came along next!
Planet Asia, Medallions Monarchy– I’ve heard this veteran Fresno rapper’s work described as “traditionalist hip-hop”, which, given that he debuted in 1997, means I’m probably a lot older than I think I am. It’s true though, there is a late 90s/early 00s muscular solidity to this mix, to his flow, to the tales of the street, to the whole damn thing. I’m not sure about “year’s best”, but it’s pretty good.
The Deslondes, Ways & Means– There’s a 70s feel to a lot of this- the singer/songwriter vibe, the burned-out undertow of the vocals and lyrics, the organ and strings pop flourishes of the era. Musically, that portion reminds me more than a little of Springsteen’s first two albums, although there’s also a pinch of the Band, Dylan, and Neil Young. A significant portion of the album is also in an 80s-00s alt country-flavored vein. The two approaches of the New Orleans-based group are complementary, so it doesn’t totally clash, but it is noticeably different. Two yeses that don’t quite fit makes a maybe?
The Fernweh, Torschlusspanik!– The name had me fearing some experimental German abstraction, but what I ran into was an utterly charming band playing with multiple strands of 60s and 70s pop, with a strong psychedelic and folk bent. It’s not the newest sound ever, but it is very pleasing! Also, they’re from Liverpool. I think there’s some kind of track record for good bands from Liverpool?
Westside Gunn, Peace “Fly” God– The ragged vocals, the unusual sampling and playful classic jams musical mix, the swirl of braggadocio, humor, and grim storytelling in the lyrics are all working for this. The music of this Buffalo-raised rapper has recognizable debts to Jay-Z, and relation to his cousin Benny the Butcher, but not unoriginal and still very well done.
Wilder Maker, Male Models– This Brooklyn-based band’s album is in that “this sounds like…” category. In this case, it sounds like several streams of classic rock, with an 80s production sheen on top of it, and some 00s indie rock polish and garage rock revival. The styles careen around kind of wildly, and the lead vocalist switches up a lot as well, but every iteration of it is hooky, and feels familiar while still being fun. I kept wondering about the coherence, but the charm of the individual songs kept winning through.
No
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, XI: Bleed Here Now– In theory I like the combination of melody, ornateness, and hard heavy music this Austin band aims for. In practice I liked it best when it led with hard and heavy, which wasn’t often enough on this album.
Al Riggs, Themselves– Somewhat electronic, somewhat jazz, very mellow. The lyrics are literate and interesting, but the low-key musical and vocal approach tends to subsume them.
Attia Taylor, Space Ghost– A synthy, glossy pop with psych and dance elements from this NYC-based musician. It was very pleasant, but a little too same track to track.
Bananarama, Masquerade– There are a lot of people these days doing an 80s synth-pop sound. None of them have a better claim to it than Bananarama does though! Really lush and solid, and if too time capsule for my taste, it won’t lead you astray is this is a time capsule you want to open.
Banks, Serpentina– Eh. This California artist is known for her electronic pop, but I found it all to be a little too dance remix and autotune.
Beabadoobee, Beatopia– Their album Fake It Flowers was on my 2020 maybe list, and there is so much to like from this Filipino-British artist, especially considering how young she is. Indeed, the best songs here are great- putting together dance/electronic music and rock (with a decided 90s tilt), strong vocals, and open vulnerable emotionality. There are problems with sequencing though, a few too many slower acoustic songs in a row here and there deflating the momentum.
Brent Faiyaz, Wasteland– A nice enough smooth-jams vein hip-hop/R&B outing. Nobody could accuse it of any significant wrongdoing.
Burna Boy, Love, Damini– A reggae-dancehall singer/songwriter from Nigeria. Things are at their best while African rhythms and soul/hip-hop are being mixed. Things are not as much at their best while heavy autotune is going on.
Candy, Heaven is Here– The metal is fast, brutal, and full of an industrial-noise edge. The vocals, though- I just can’t with the “can’t make a word out” screamo anymore. I guess I’m getting old!
Carlos Truly, Not Mine– The experimentation of this Brooklyn DIY pioneer as he tries different things track by track musically and lyrically in the course of this minimal soul album is very interesting. It’s so minimal that it sometimes lapses into barely registering, but other times the results are unique, weird, and wonderful. Three cheers for experimentation!
Chicago, Born For This Moment– I mean it’s the 2020’s, here’s Chicago with their 666th album, and Peter Cetera isn’t even part of the mix.
Dawes, Misadventures of Doomscroller– This California indie quartet’s outing is musically layered, lyrically subtle, and vocally complex. It’s also very jazz fusiony, and I just couldn’t sustain the mellow energy.
Delicate Steve, After Hours– He’s supposed to have an idiosyncratic sound, and I expect he does, but here it’s not showing up so much. What is showing up is a very lounge jazz mellow groove.
Duwap Kaine, Faith Like Esther– I will say that the flow is not bad, and some of the wordplay is quite fun. But the autotunnnneeee……
Elf Power, Artificial Countrysides– This Athens, GA indie band is doing a very nice thing. Indie rock, a little country twist, some 60s rock chord sensibilities thrown in for good measure. It had me on the edge for a while but falls down in being too same track to track to really keep working.
Flo Milli, You Still Here, Ho?– Apparently this female led gender-cliché inverted school of rap I sometimes really like is called “pussy rap”. In this case, the cliches (although inverted) got too cliched, and it didn’t have the wit of the best examples of this, but it was fun.
Gwenno, Tresor– Gwenno is a Welsh electronic musician. The first part favorably disposes me, and the second makes me instinctively cautious. As it turned out, it is an interesting mix, albeit it comes down too much on the ethereal/new age side of things. I did like that it was all in Welsh, though!
Ian Daniel Kehoe, Yes Very So– Canadian indie artist who delivers many different kinds of music, but this is synth-pop on the sparer end of 80s synth-pop. Which I didn’t care for much at the time, and even less so now.
Icewear Vezzo, Rich Off Pints 3– A solidly executed, very typical 2020’s hip hop album in every regard. No, please.
Imagine Dragons, Mercury- Act 2– I had the same reaction to this as I had to Act 1 last year- “I like imagining. I like dragons. Look, they’re fine. They’re very radio friendly. In fact, I liked several of the singles from their 2017 album. There’s nothing wrong with the songs musically, vocally, structurally. But I never catch the sense of anything vital or real from this album.”
Interpol, The Other Side of Make Believe– The nice thing about an Interpol album is you go in knowing it won’t be bad, even if it’s not quite your cup of tea. In this outing, they’re actually a good deal lighter and more in the vein of “mainstream” indie pop than they sometimes are. I like it a lot less.
JayWood, Slingshot– A lot of people are doing this neo-soul nostalgia space these days. Not many of them are from Manitoba, and he does a very pleasant version of it. But it doesn’t get a lot above pleasant, or very different track-to-track.
John McEntire/Sam Prekop, Sons Of– It’s a very nice sci-fi kind of electronic, with four extended pieces taking up about an hour total. A little abstract to hang one’s hat on at album length, but good if you’re in that mood.
Josh Rouse, Going Places– A nice 70s mellow gold pop sound, well produced, well sung, well played, but I’m not sure it ever rises above itself.
Journey, Freedom– I mean, it’s a journey album in 2022, well over an hour long, and doesn’t even include Steve Perry or the founding bass player. I guess it’s….nice? To know that somebody can still make arena rock? Just in case, you know, we need it.
Ken Car$on, X – I mean, the musical mix has some interesting elements, and the lyrics are interesting too. But good God, the autottttuuuunnnneeee…
King Princess, Hold on Baby– This is some good indie pop from this American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Brooklyn, New York. The lyrics are literate, personal, and revealing, and the music and voice are lush, but in a smoothly produced and low key way that makes it all blend together indistinctly.
Kode9, Escapology– This is an interesting electronic mix, tending toward sci-fi sound effects. Which I’m always going to like, but not enough in this case.
Launder, Happening– Launder is the project of Californian John Cudlip, and they’ve produced a very nice atmospheric fuzzy layer of guitar sound, not unlike shoegaze music. Which is kind of the thing, as far as it being distinctive enough to linger goes.
Lil Silva, Yesterday is Heavy– This album by an English record producer, singer, songwriter, and DJ, is certainly well produced and intelligent funk/house-infused electronic. A little too abstract to stick with me though.
Lloyd Banks, The Course of the Inevitable 2– It’s a fine hip-hop album, has some definite dark drive to it. But is it doing anything especially better or different from other “street life” themed hip-hop albums?
M. Geddes Gengras, Expressed, I Noticed Silence– Long abstract electronic pieces. I’m not telling you not to do it, but it doesn’t work for me.
Maggie Rogers, Surrender– A lively and well produced indie-pop, somewhere between electronic and rock, with a nice emotional literacy and point of view. But just a little too slick and plastic feeling.
Medicine Singers, Medicine Singers– Like the other Native American-related album I listened to earlier this year, this one makes liberal use of sound collage and modern musical forms in conjunction with traditional music. When it’s on an experimental rock/noise wavelength it actually works very well, but it sometimes got a little too experimental for me, and other times too mellow jazzed out. Still, some very intriguing soundscapes here.
Metric, Formentera– Since their late-90s debut, I’ve really liked Metric when they’re on the more rock, driving side. I don’t mind, but don’t particularly care for when they’re on a more muted electronic kick. They do both here, so, I partially liked it.
Mice Parade, Lapapo– A nice shimmery jangly indie rock thing. Particularly better than other nice shimmery jangly indie rock things?
Momma, Household Name– This was very close, because I love my lackadaisical lo-fi rock female singer-songwriters. Clear influences here of the originals (a la Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield, etc.) and of modern practitioners (a la Soccer Mommy), but in the end just a little too poppy and not equal to the best of this space.
Moor Mother, Jazz Codes– Their album Black Encyclopedia of the Air was in my top 21 list for 2021, so I certainly went into this interested. What’s going on here is not unlike the previous album in its mix of political/social import and music experimentation. As the name implies, though, this tips in a more jazz direction that didn’t always support the sometimes electrifying lyrical and sample work. Nothing here is bad by any means, but I guess that’s the danger of comparing to a favorite!
Mozzy, Survivor’s Guilt– This album is obviously indebted, musically, vocally, and lyrically to West Coast Hip-hop a la Tupac. And I liked that about it, but it doesn’t get much beyond the cliches of the genre.
mxmtoon, rising– I mean, you get me a quirky YouTube ukulele player from Oakland, I’m kind of preemptively done for. What I can additionally say about her, though, is that her song-writing instincts and vocals are impeccable. And if diy homegrown music is still the heart of this, the additional production level of a studio album often enhances the verve. Other times, it blands and standards everything up a little too much, and there are some sequencing problems. It eventually gets too uneven in that way. But if we had more smart, fun, unafraid to be sweet, but still incisive purveyors of pop like this around, what a world it would be…
Naima Bock, Giant Palm– She is one of the members from Goat Girl (in fact recently having left the band), whose album On All Fours was in my “honorable mention” for 2021. So I gave this a careful listen. This album is much more in an acoustic/experimental folk vein than their work. Which is a worthy experiment but ended up being a little low energy and same track to track to catch my attention.
Neighbor Lady, For the Birds– It’s musically and vocally very pretty, but all too in one muted country-flavored acoustic vein.
Ne-Yo, Self Explanatory– Some very autotuned contemporary R&B.
Nightlands, Moonshine– I saw that this was by the bassist from the War on Drugs, which immediately put me on guard given my failed attempts to like them. As it turns out, it’s quite a different sound, and actually kind of an interesting one- a gauzy and loungy vibe whose languid air belies heavier content. Didn’t ultimately work for me, but I’m not mad at it.
Nina Nastasia, Riderless Horse– This New York based folk singer has the earnestness, and a fine country-tinged sound, but it gets too same track to track to really stand out.
Orbital, 30 Something– More of a re-recording/remix of orbital’s now 30-year-old (!) acid house work. It is a great sound though! Two hours+ is a little long for it to work as an album, but it’s great music to trouble-shoot financial reporting problems to.
Prison Religion, Hard Industrial B.O.P.– This Virginia-based duo sounds a lot like the band and album names might lead you to believe. If you’re looking for something abrasive and unpretty, this might be for you!
Rico Nasty, Las Ruinas– I do enjoy the clashy, thrashy approach of this gender-inverted hip-hop, and the point of view. It’s eventually maybe too the same musically and lyrically though. Still, I’ve got my eye out for more!
Ronnie Foster, Reboot– hearing he was a 70s soul/jazz/funk artist who has been a frequent inspiration of hip-hop sampling, I tried. But instrumental jazz, I can only do so much…
Sean Nicholas Savage, Shine– It’s very nice pop music. Not more.
She and Him, Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson– Don’t get me wrong, I like She and Him, and this is really very good. Covering the more sunshine syrupy side of Brian Wilson is a great fit with their natural talents, and they do it well. There are flashes where you hear what this album could have been if it took a few more risks, but as is, it’s a little too reverent. However, Wilson fans, She and Him fans, and aficionados of new approaches to surf music will not be led astray by this.
Stealing Sheep, Wow Machine– The fact that 30 seconds in to track one I was checking my speaker volume trying to see if the song had started yet or not is, well, not a great sign. After that, it sounded like a series of recorded sound effects played to a microphone with feedback issues. It got more songy from there, in an extremely heliumated way with amusing sound effects. That was more fun, but I’m still a “no” on balance.
Stephen Mallinder, Tick Tick Tick– An album from Cabaret Voltaire’s co-founder. It’s really not bad if you want spare and somewhat sinister but oddly danceable industrial flavored music.
Steve Lacy, Gemini Rights– Once this got going, it sounded like 90s soul. I found that to be upsetting.
Stimulator Jones, Round Spiritual Ring– This Virginian producer’s mix sounds like a lot of the retro-soul out there. Not worse than any of it, not noticeably better than a lot of it.
Tallies, Patina– A nice outing, more than a little reminiscent of a certain late 80s/early 90s space occupied by, say, the Sundays or Sixpence None the Richer. So, you might well like this if you like that reference point (heck I do too!), but I don’t know that it gets enough beyond it to be a lasting album of the year.
Tatsuro Yamashita, Softly– Tatsuro Yamashita is one of the leading lights of the “City Pop” style that was popular in Japan in the 70s and 80s (and has lately been having a weird cult moment on US social media). And what you get here is indeed excellently done pop. It doesn’t necessarily make a lasting impression, but it goes down smooth.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, I Am the Moon: II. Ascension– Part two of four album project, An 11-piece band, fronted by the married guitar slingers, which plays a righteous meld of rock, blues, gospel, and New Orleans funk. This more often wanders into overly-slick, or low energy drifting songs than June’s Part 1 did, and is still not working for me as an album.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, I Am the Moon: III. The Fall– Part three! The sound here was very smooth, I appreciated the general musicianship, but it didn’t grab me. Maybe part IV will?
The Last Goodbye, ODESZA– Some nice international sounding electronic dance music. Eh.
TRAAMS, personal best– A fine album coming from a post-punk kind of place that lots of people are coming from these days and doing a fine job of it.
Vladislav Delay, Isoviha– Finnish stalwart of electronic music. It’s well done, and muscular, but a little too abstract ultimately.
Working Men’s Club, Fear Fear– This sounds like it exists at a late-80s/early 90s intersection of techno and industrial. It’s a good intersection, it’s a well-done version of it, and besides sounding so perfectly dated and typified, there’s nothing wrong with it.
Wu-Lu, Loggerhead– The drum and bass breaks and guitar elements and low-key chant from this London artist are not bad, but it fails to really catch and hold interest.
ZZ Top, RAW: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas– A semi-soundtrack recorded for a recent ZZ Top documentary, from live recordings in 2019. The band is in good form here, and reminds you, if your first introduction to them was in the slicker 80s version, what a raw honky tonk blues band they were when they started in the 70s. And still can be! Fun, recommended for fans, but not breaking new ground.
And so July is out, with nine days still left in September! Can we get August out too before the end of the month? Stay tuned…
We have now reached the halfway point in our quest for the 22 Best Albums of 2022! Or, at least the halfway point of the initial sorting-out portion of the search. That’s right, we’ve hereby completed six months of listening to new releases each month, and then sorting them into “Yes”, “Maybe”, and “No” contenders for the best albums of the year.
If you missed the previous five months, you can find them here:
I did this last year too, so you can also read my wrap-up of the 21 best albums of 2021. And for extra credit, here are the round-ups of my blog series reviewing the critic’s choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and 2020.
Before we get on with tackling June, a brief overview of the three categories:
Yes– These albums could be in running for the year’s best. If they survive the mortal combat to come!
Maybe– These albums definitely have something going for them, but also something that gives me pause. I’m giving them their own category, because “maybes” sometimes linger and become “yeses”.
No– Being a “no” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re crap. I mean, sometimes you do end up there because you’re crap. But you can also be fine, but not more than fine. Or interesting and ambitious, but not quite pulling it off. Getting to “yes” isn’t easy!
Now that we have that established, onward with the review of the 103 June new releases I listened to!
700 Bliss, Nothing to Declare– 700 Bliss is a duo made up of of Philadelphia experimental poet/rapper Moor Mother and New Jersey-born DJ Haram, who between them were responsible for two of my favorite hip-hop outings last year, so I went in interested. And my interest is well repaid! This often reads more as a densely sampled electronic album than a conventional hip-hop album, and it’s deconstructing a lot of current conventional hip hop themes as well. Sonically and lyrically challenging and interesting!
Andrew Bird, Inside Problems– This is interesting! His literate wordy lyrics and straightforwardly melodious vocals populate a range of musical approaches including swinging lounge, 70s acoustic, contemporary indie pop, even a tad Velvet Underground, and more besides. Throughout, it has a good feel for hooks. I started off unsure of the stylistic oscillation, but it rapidly grew on me. This is apparently his 16th studio album, so I guess I’m just catching up, and the excellence on display here makes sense.
Corb Lund, Songs My Friends Wrote– The title tells you what’s going on here, this Canadian musician is covering songs from a variety of contemporaries and musical fellow travelers. Along the way is some spontaneous and joyful country/Western/rockabilly/(North) American roots music and a variety of interesting lyrical takes and moods. It reminds you just how vital this kind of music can still be!
Damien Jurado, Reggae Film Star– A haunted 70s burning out into 1980 feeling, lyrics that are literate and sometimes feel achingly revealing, vocals that know how to bring out the nostalgic melancholy. This Seattle-based singer songwriter is in my age cohort, started recording in the 90s, released albums on some of my favorite labels (Sub Pop and Secretly Canadian) and this is his 18th studio album. I don’t know how he didn’t get on my radar before this, but I’m glad he’s on it now!
Fantastic Negrito, White Jesus Black Problems– This is great! Musically, it’s an R&B shakedown with edges of electronic dance, new wave, garage rock revival, 70s soul, and gospel. Lyrically it is a cycle of songs about struggle, freedom, and joy, and vocally it’s extremely playful and varied. Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, aka Fantastic Negrito, was inspired to play by listening to Prince and then taught himself. I feel like he’s teaching us now what’s still possible for an album to do!
Grace Ives, Janky Star– This Brooklyn-based musician delivers tales of internal and external misadventure, fantastically clever and lively synth arrangements, and vocals so replete with light sweetness and that they belie the wit, snark, and sometimes darkness of the lyrics. This all adds up to a fun and multi-layered pop album, and it’s especially impressive when you know that she’s home-produced and arranged the whole damn thing. Grace Ives for God Emperor!
Hank Williams Jr., Rich White Honky Blues– The idea is pretty simple: Have a producer known for getting good down and dirty blues performances work with an idiosyncratic country artist known for getting down and dirty. It works very well! Junior is in raw grizzled grouchy veteran form, the material is great, and the playing and production is sterling.
Hollie Cook, Happy Hour– This ska/dub/jazz mix from a British singer and keyboardist (and late lineup member of the Slits) is quite fetching! It sounds like a happy hour- not the loud obnoxious sports bar kind, but the mellow night out at a local spot where everyone is enjoying the grove. If it sometimes feels a little too smooth, it never sounds in-genuine for it, and it carries you along track to track like a warm current.
Jens Lekman, The Cherry Trees Are Still in Blossom– Technically, this is a re-production of Swedish indie artist Jens Lekman’s 2005 compilation Oh You’re So Silent. That compilation was taken down from streaming services years ago, and this re-recorded, expanded, and re-titled version has just been released in its place. It’s a hodge-podge of fresh revisions, almost completely unaltered original recordings, and previously unreleased material with audio diaries from a personal cassette archive as interludes between the songs. And remember, this hodge-podge approach has been applied to what was originally a “greatest hits”. It shouldn’t work, and it shouldn’t sound unified, but it really does- the saccharine perfection of the pop songs vs. the extremely idiosyncratic nature of their subject matter, the variety of styles, and the stripped-down nature of the production all feel like they hold together. And they’re practically aglow with singular talent and wit!
Katie Alice Greer, Barbarism– This is the first full-length solo album from front-person of D.C. art punk band Priests, Katie Alice Greer. Thrashing guitars, swirling metal machine noises, witty lyrics, and vocals that have at various times an arch new wave delivery, distorted psychedelic sheen, and 90s straightforwardness. This reminds me more than a bit of Bjork, but doesn’t feel like a mere copy- what I mean is the knack for songs that are catchy and fun, but experimental and challenging. Amen!
Kula Shaker, 1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs– Knowing they’re an English psychedelic rock group, combined with that title, gives you some sense of the goings-on here. And, indeed, there are British psychedelic touches a plenty- a framing mechanism of a church service, a kind of through story about the fall of man, ornate musical production in parts, Indian influences, and lyrics sometimes given to extreme whimsy. What all of this doesn’t quite convey is how often it is blisteringly guitar rocking. Listening, I heard hints of all the concept album forebearers one might expect- the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Who, the Zombies. But it never felt inauthentic, or not vitally present. This band has been at this since the 90s heyday of Britpop, with a break and resurrection in the early 00s, and this 6th album shows what they’ve learned.
Lucy Liyou, Welfare/Practice– This album by a Philadelphia-based Korean-American experimental musician is, in a sense, very detached, even muted. It’s a pastiche of text-to-voice vocals, piano, and sound samples. The detachment works though, to take just enough of the edge off the confessional lyrics of family estrangement and therapy to make the content even that more raw and revealing. Yes, it tends toward the abstract and is over an hour long, but damned if my first impulse after finishing it wasn’t to immediately play it again to examine all the layers hidden therein.
Regina Spektor, Home, before and after– The literate and vivid poetry of her lyrics, the alternating softly and ardently compelling quality of her voice, and the orchestrated swell of the music behind her here are all working so, so well together! She’s been doing great work for about 20 years now, and it’s nice to see it continuing here.
Tim Heidecker, High School– Tim Heidecker is a comedian with a more than incidental side career as a musician. As in, he’s really good at it, making a philosophical kind of soft rock. This album is in that vein and lives up to its name. Musically, it almost seems like frat rock at times, but gets a hint of 90s alt guitar, and name checks music from multiple genres of the 80s and 90s. It’s full of authentic details of the travails of suburban teen youth. More than that, it evokes the sense of dusty nostalgia of teen memories, how everything seems serious and yet vague at the same time. Kind of peculiarly, it feels philosophical and shallow at the same time, all because it so authentically taps into its theme through mood and mode.
Yaya Bey, Remember Your North Star– Brooklyn singer-songwriter whose sound is a combination of hip-hop, smoky soul, dub, biting social commentary, and gender inversions. There are some things in life I’m not sure about, but one thing I am sure of is that the world needs more Yaya Bey!
Maybe
Angel Olsen, Big Time– I’ve been favorably impressed by her on previous outings. She’s an excellent vocalist, and an honest, emotional lyricist. Both of those are on display here, in even more focused form, and the slow country-flavored background supports what she’s doing very well. It is a little bit all of a tone song to song, but a gorgeous richly sung tone.
Art d’Ecco, After the Headrush– This is a delightful and well-done romp through classic influences a la David Bowie and Roxy Music, and the currents of post-punk and new wave that most strongly reflect them. I had this same reaction to their album In Standard Definition last year, which made my initial “yes” list. So the derivative aspects may wear thin on repeated listen, but it’s so energetic and fun on the first listen that I can’t dismiss it as a possibility!
Automatic, Excess– So many people are doing this brittle post-punk 80s chilly synth early electronic thing these days. Does everybody have to keep doing this? But dammit, this Los Angeles group is doing it so well that I have to say “maybe”.
Bartees Strange, Farm to Table– His stylistic kaleidoscope of an album Live Forever was one of my favorites of 2020, so I was looking forward to checking this out. Here he often sticks a closer to a conventional palette in terms of music and production, but still pulls surprises like the first track, where a quiet introspective examination of the past year becomes a booming indie rock song, or the great surges of synth sound and echo in what had started off as more of a conventional electronic dance song in “Cosigns”. Sometimes the surprising moments are subtle, on others they blow your socks off. If it’s a little off in pacing and not quite as dazzling as his previous outing, it’s still worth another listen.
Cola, Deep in View– These veterans of bands from the Montreal art punk scene have produced an album that sounds like early post-punk. Spare, angular, driving, a little chill, and densely worded. There are a lot of people mining this vein these days, but I must give points for this being a well-done version of it!
Erin Anne, Do Your Worst– Crunching guitars of power-pop, crashing synths of high-energy bedroom pop, and a ridiculous way with melody. That’s on the musical side, on the vocal side she tends between pop-punk and autotuned, and lyrically, there’s romance gone wrong with some snark and attitude thrown in.
Horsegirl, Versions of Modern Performance– First thing to note: this Chicago-based trio recorded most of this album when they were in high school! It’s thick on guitars and fuzz feelings, both musically and emotionally, and brings to mind multiple aspects of alt/indie rock from the 80s-00s. A little samey track to track, but, return to opening note- they recorded this while they were still in high school! A very promising debut.
Logic, Vinyl Days– There’s a dizzying kaleidoscope of styles and samples on this album from American rapper and record producer Logic, well-deployed guest appearances, and some serious wordplay amidst the flow. On the lyrical side, there’s plenty of bragging, but there’s also plenty of humor, some serious message, and wild inventiveness. At an hour ten, it’s a little sprawling, but there’s a lot of good stuff in that sprawl!
Nicki Bluhm, Avondale Drive– A solid set of blue-eyed soul and country with an electric stomping edge and yearning vocals. In classic country fashion, this was inspired by her divorce, and the authenticity shows up in the lyrics and vocals. The music sometimes is a tad formulaic, but damn it’s a good formula.
Pet Fox, A Face in Your Life– I kept thinking, “This sounds like…” and could never specifically place it, because what it sounds like is so damn much from my alt 80s youth and 90s alternative still pretty youth. As this would indicate, there’s a variety of styles here. What unites them is a sense of romantic yearning throughout, and the deftness with which they’re all worked. Derivative, but it’s a great derivation.
S.G. Goodman, Teethmarks– This Kentucky singer-songwriter is a powerhouse! Moving between folk, country, blues, and some good honest rock, with vocals sometimes powerful and driving and sometimes haunting and subtle. Her lyrics have a knack for both bare emotional and topical anthems. Some tracks get a little indistinct, and you’ll hear influences for sure- Sheryl Crow, Edie Brickell, Ricki Lee Jones, even a pinch of Janis all came to mind. But it’s not a copy, and there’s something here that catches the attention.
Shintaro Sakamoto, Like a Fable– Shinataro Sakomoto is a psychedelic rocker from Japan known for bending genre, and that’s well on display here. You’ll find some swinging lounge sounds, some 60s pop, some psychedelia, and it’s entirely in Japanese. Despite the language barrier, it feels instantly understandable, and is like an overflowing plate of sunshine.
Soccer Mommy, Sometimes, Forever– This is like the second-coming of 90s guitar songstresses! Her album color theory was a maybe in my 2020 blog. I have some of the same concerns here as I did there- a kind of sameness of tempo track to track, some pacing issues. But the dark undertones of her music, vocals, and lyrics kept pulling me through.
The Inflorescence, Remember What I Look Like– Emotional female-lead vocals, high energy guitars with a pop-punk flavor, distortion! That’s the basic elements of what will always be a happy place for me. This particular edition is from San Diego, and while it may not be the most original formulation ever, I’m a sucker for the sound.
No
µ-Ziq, Magic Pony Ride– As electronic music goes, this was enjoyable and interesting. Ultimately not enough…something… Structure? Lyrics? Unifying theme? To really work as an album, but not a bad listen!
Alice Merton, S.I.D.E.S.– Smart and sophisticated cosmopolitan sounding dance-pop. I certainly didn’t dislike it but didn’t think it was enough above and beyond other examples in class to really stand out.
Andre Bratten, Picture Music– Norwegian artist Andre Bratten’s album is certainly well done, but too much on the chilly and abstract side of electronic to hold attention at album length.
Astronoid, Radiant Bloom– A description I ran across said, “fuses black metal’s volume and precision with the soft ambience of shoegaze and the steady repetition of post-rock”. To me, it sounded like it would have been very much at home on College Radio in the 80s somewhere between the Icicle Works and the Psychedelic Furs. It’s not bad, but not sure it’s “still talk about it in a year” good.
Avalanche Kaito, Avalanche Kaito– Players from Brussels’ experimental scene and a Burkina Faso-born griot. It’s a winning combination in many ways, bringing to mind the fertile interplay between post-punk and African music in the early 80s. Ultimately a little same track to track, and with the language issue, it doesn’t quite come together as an album.
Big Moochie Grape, East Haiti Baby– It’s a fine enough hip-hop album, but in a mumbly vocal style that doesn’t particularly catch my attention, and it doesn’t stand out thematically.
Big Sad 1900, I Don’t Tap In or Tap Out– I really liked the 80s R&B-sound mix of this hip-hop album and there’s some power in the vocals, but it is a little same track to track and it doesn’t have something that really stands out.
Bobby Oroza, Get on the Otherside– A native Finlander of Bolivian descent, his music includes elements of jazz and Latin but relies most heavily on a trinity of classic R&B, funk, and soul. So read the description, and indeed this had a beautiful honey-dripping slow 70s soul feel, with some jazz keyboard sprinkle. It’s very nice, but it got a little samey eventually.
Brett Eldredge, Songs About You– Pop country, but with a distinctive R&B swing and call-backs to a lot of musical heritage. It’s considerably less odious than your average pop country! Eventually it gets a little too cliché-slick and packaged, but still a cut above.
Caamp, Lavender Days– Some nice American roots music from this Ohio band. It’s more than occasionally quite charming, but it’s sometimes a little too 2020s indie folk produced slick.
Carrie Underwood, Denim & Rhinestones– Certainly well produced pop country, but the country goes for pop country cliché, and the pop is too slick and ornate in its production.
Charlie Musselwhite, Mississippi Son– A modern blues great, and he does some fine Mississippi Blues playing and singing here, but it feels like it leans a little too much on form versus spontaneity.
Coheed and Cambria, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind– Second of a five-part arc of concept albums around a greater storyline! Surging rock with prog and arena influences! Very well produced! It all feels a little plastic to me though!
Conan Gray, Superache– A nice emoey teen angsty thing that leans in a pop direction. It’s fine.
Day Wave, Pastlife– Bay Area band, so I’m pre-disposed to think well of them. And they’re doing a perfect shimmering jangling music with a lo-fi feeling, but eventually it gets too fuzzy and indistinct to keep working for an entire album.
Deliluh, Faultlines– This Toronto art rock group’s album almost made it! Its combination of a spare industrial synth with occasional grating touches and spoken word almost affectless vocals was oddly compelling until the last track which meandered and bad 80s soundtrack synthed around for eight minutes.
Drake, Honestly, Nevermind– Wait, Drake is Canadian? Why did no one ever tell me this?!?!?!? In any case, wherever he’s from he makes reliably good music with fun and clever touches, but this one was a little unfocused and way too autotuned for me.
Elucid, I Told Bessie– Elucid is doing some interesting things here, and has collaborations with some of the best names in the darker more creative reaches of contemporary hip-hop like Armand Hammer bandmate Billy Woods, as well as Pink Siifu, Quelle Chris, the Alchemist, and Kenny Segal. And the dark undertow of his flow, spare musical background and incantatory lyrics does cast a spell, but, it’s a little too same track to track to really stand out.
Emma Ruth Rundle, EG2: Dowsing Voice– The artistry of the experimentation here is undeniable, but it’s too much on the experimental/avantgarde side to be repeatably listenable.
Fashion Club, Scrutiny– If you ran across a band called “Fashion Club” on a college radio station in the 80s, you would not be surprised to hear them have this haunted, dark, melodramatic and melodious synth feeling. In fact, this band is from the LA indie scene of the 2020s. It’s not bad at all, in fact it’s kind of great, but it is so of an era/vein that it has trouble escaping that context.
Flasher, Love is Yours– This is a blend of post-punk/art rock I would have loved in the 80s. And it is very well done, but a little in the same vein song to song, and too bound by its time sound/genre place.
Foals, Life is Yours– I mean, I like the post-punk, neo-new wave, pseudo-disco sound so many bands have been exploring this millennium but…so many bands are exploring it. And do many of them stand out from, or above the others? In a “will be listening to this/thinking of it” several years from now way? I wonder…
Gaby Moreno, Alegoria– Guatemalan-born, her self-defined “Spanglish soul” sound encompasses jazz, blues, pop, rock, and R&B. There are moments when she’s simply outstanding, but there are others where the smooth jazz is too smooth, or the production is too slick. Still, for range and quality, a name to keep an eye on.
Giveon, Give or Take– The quality of this LA-born R&B artist’s album is high, the viewpoint is laudable, but urgghhh, the autotune!
Grey Daze, The Phoenix– If you were thinking, “I need some more post-grunge that sounds perfectly like post-grunge” this Phoenix-based band (who, to be fair, started doing it in the 90s, so they come by it honestly) has you covered.
Hercules & Love Affair, In Amber– Spare synth sounds that straddle atmospheric and upbeat dance, sometimes dolorous vocals, emotional and deeply internal lyrics. It’s not bad, but it is kind of low key, and not different than other such outings.
Horse Jumper of Love, Natural Part– Dreamy lo-fi pop that, on the upside, mentions tentacle porn and skunks living under the house. On the downside, it sounds a lot like a lot of other things that sound like this.
Jack Johnson, Meet the Moonlight– It’s pretty, it’s accessible, it’s warm. It’s Jack Johnson. But it’s also something we’ve heard a lot before.
Jasmyn, In the Wild– Somewhere between electronic, indie pop, and punk, Jasmyn’s music is fun. It’s occasionally more than fun, thrilling even, and I’d certainly want to keep an eye on her in the future.
Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Carbon– Against my better judgement, my friend and music appreciation savant Matt had me listen to Air, and I ended up quite liking them. That French electronic outfit is where this artist hails from, and what’s on display here is a lot like their music. Ultimately a little too like to stand out. But it’s great if you’re in that mood, and there is a song here called “sex ufo” so there’s that.
Jens Lekman, The Linden Trees Are Still in Blossom– Technically, this is a re-production of Swedish indie artist Jens Lekman’s 2007 album Night Falls Over Kortedala. Or rather, what he did is remove it from streaming platforms and replace it with The Linden Trees Are Still in Blossom. Linden Trees is one of two albums Lekman uses to revisit, partially re-record, and otherwise reconfigure older work. The other album he just did this with, The Cherry Trees Are Still in Blossom, made my “yes” list. While this contains much of the charm of that album, and originally came from a proper album as opposed to Cherry Trees “greatest hits” source material, it actually feels less unified. Among other things, it’s longer which makes an album “through line” harder to maintain, and it feels a lot more produced and less quirky, which frankly detracts. Not that there isn’t a lot of worthy material here, but it feels much less like a proper album than its companion piece.
Jimmie Allen, Tulip Drive– I mean, having pop country that leans heavily to the pop side and sounds all the slick, packaged, and cliche one would think based on that, except with a Black male lead, is different. That doesn’t really make it work though.
Joan Shelley, The Spur– A beautifully sung and played acoustic-oriented album, full of literate lyrics. It’s a little too all in that vein to work indefinitely, but if you’re looking for that vein, it’s beautiful.
Joyce Manor, 40 Oz. to Fresno– 9 songs in 17 minutes! So you might argue this is actually an EP, but the Ramones first album did 14 songs in 28 minutes, so we’re in a similar timing territory here. I also like how the title is based on an autocorrect miscorrection of a Sublime album title. This is some good catchy pop-punk of the 2000s pop-punk variety, but not sure it really brings something original to that.
Just Mustard, Heart Under– This Irish band is channeling some identifiable spirits- an angular haunted early post-punk (aka Joy Division), some industrial, some emo side of goth. It’s not a bad channeling, but it may not be new and different enough to really stand out.
Kelley Stoltz, Stylist– This San Francisco auteur has been doing great work reminiscent of classic 70s singer-songwriter sources for decades. It’s in good form here, most every song sounds in a way familiar a la 70s pop and the Nick Lowe school of new wave/pub rock, but also new. It’s well-done and all very pleasant, but it feels curiously emotionally detached and over-slick in production, and, at nearly an hour long, the sprawl doesn’t quite come together.
Luke Combs, Growin’ Up– Honestly, as formulaic dude pop country goes, this is top of the line. I wouldn’t throw myself onto a funeral pyre instead of listening to it again, but it still doesn’t make a “top of year” cut.
Luke Steele, Listen to the Water– This solo debut of one half of the electro-pop duo Empire of the Sun was self-recorded in a cabin in rural Northern California, which automatically makes me favorably disposed to it. And the electro-folk goings on here are good, sometimes quirky and quite interesting. It does fuzz out into an indistinct sameness a little too much as it goes on though.
Lupe Fiasco, Drill Music in Zion– The consciousness of this hip-hop/R&B outing is coming from an interesting place. And, about half the time, the musical and vocal accompaniment of it is great (I could have stood a lot more of the spoken word/poetic style that kicked it off), but the rest tends a little too much toward the autotuned.
Mapache, Roscoe’s Dream– It opens with a country-style love song for the artist’s dog, and honestly, I was all in at that point. From there this Los Angeles duo starts to stylistically vary, usually to good effect, but there end up being a few too many indie folk numbers that sound like all other indie folk numbers.
Martin Courtney, Magic Sign– I mean, it’s not unpleasant. But it is a little like some kind of cross between synth and yacht rock. If I were on a yacht, heck, it might be the prefect accompaniment!
Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band, Dear Scott– This Liverpool-born singer/songwriter is really a pretty solid songwriter and musician. And yes, you can hear hints of the songcraft of certain Liverpool-born songwriters past. It’s a little low-key to ultimately stand out, but it’s solid.
Michael Rault, Michael Rault– This Canadian singer-songwriter takes us through a sunny fuzzy slice of 70s pop sounds. As so many are doing these days. It’s well done, but it often feels like the (nearly perfect) form is coming at the cost of any emotionally vital substance to me. With so many others plying these waters, it takes something special to stand out.
Michaela Anne, Oh To Be That Free– A little country, a little folky, a little lush poppy. Not bad, but it doesn’t feel vital or authentic.
Mt. Joy, Orange Blood– LA band originally from Philadelphia, with the minor chords, the hooky melodies, the jangly guitars with just the right balance between indie pop catchiness, driving rock, and psyche flourish. But then it gets a little too into a bland kind of 2020s indie rock. Alas!
Muna, Muna– Some good, sophisticated pop from this trio under Phoebe Bridger’s label, and you can understand how they appealed to her and her musical approach. But it was too slick, autotuned, and produced to ever really get its hooks in to me.
Perfume Genius, Ugly Season– This is romantic synth pop as complex orchestral conceptual music, and as such, I can’t dismiss it as bad. I will say it tends toward a little too abstract and occasionally ethereal to really grab and hold my attention for a whole album though.
Poliça, Madness– A nice enough shimmery electronic thing, but, eh…
Porcupine Tree, Closure/Continuation– A reunion of sorts for this well-respected band, including founding member Steven Wilson, who’s album The Future Bites made my “honorable mention” list last year. I didn’t like this quite as well, though its mix of prog rock, semi-metal and synth/electronic provided many interesting moments and let me know why this band has the strong reputation it does. It tended too abstract too often to keep me consistently engaged, though.
Post Malone, Twelve Carat Toothache– Godddddd dammmmnnnnn issss thissssss autotunnnnnned…………
Rufus Wainwright, Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios– Recorded from Wainwright’s livestreaming a cover of Judy Garland’s 1961 classic Judy at Carnegie Hall with a four-piece jazz ensemble (and one appearance by guest Kristin Chenoweth). Classic American songbook source, and the material and musical setting certainly plays to his strengths. It’s a good performance, even if it is a little twice-derived to end up as a best of year.
Sally Ann Morgan, Cups– This was described as a “blend of Appalachian folk traditions, drone music, and light psychedelia”. I think that’s true, although it’s a lot more classical sounding than that introduction gets across. Certainly beautiful, but not really compelling as an album in total.
Saya Gray, 19 Masters– This Toronto-based singer’s album is a fascinating swirl of unusually-produced and emotionally revealing songs incorporating elements of synth, acoustic and experimental electronic. It’s never an uninteresting or unworthy listen, but in the experimental edges and variety, it never quite gels together either.
Shearwater, The Great Awakening– This Texas-based band has an international outlook and some interesting ecological ideas. The music and vocals, however, are…not interesting. A little too far on the mellow bleeds to ambient side of electronic.
Sound of Ceres, Emerald Sea– If you know that Sound of Ceres is a dream pop group, and if you know that they’ve extensively collaborated on this album with performance artist Marina Abramovic, you might be expecting things to be trippy and weird. And you would be right! As such, it’s always interesting, but a little too abstract and gauzy to work at length for me.
Stella, Up and Away– I did enjoy this Greek-influenced pop as international mellow jam music. Sort of an Enya, Dido, Everything but the Girl space, but with Greek highlights. It doesn’t rise much above nice. But hey, nice is nice!
Supersonic Blues Machine, Voodoo Nation– California’s Supersonic Blues Machine does something like the name might lead you to expect- plays loud, fast blues with a rock edge. And I was on board for most of the hour+ run-time, but toward the end it started veering too often into songs that flavored slickness and production over vitality and bruising noise. Alas!
Tedeschi Trucks Band, I Am the Moon: I. Crescent– Part one of a four album project by this 11-piece band, fronted by the married guitar slingers, that plays a righteous melding of rock, blues, gospel, and New Orleans funk. This sounds great, a real 70s Americana R&B influenced rock sound. I’m not sure it really holds together as an album as such though. Maybe parts II-IV will tell.
The Dream Syndicate, Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions– The Dream Syndicate is in fine form here, but the form is a little dated, and not as dreamy as it was in the 80s. Alas!
The Range, Mercury– Electronic musician/producer/DJ James Hinton moved from Brooklyn to Vermont, fell into a depression, and then musiced his way out with this album. I mean, as someone with experience with depression, and as someone who’s experienced the lifestyle shift of big city to Vermont, I’m interested in the premise. In practice, it’s some nice, lively enough electronic music, but it doesn’t really hold my attention above a background level.
Tijuana Panthers, Halfway to Eighty– This trio from Long Beach brings together sounds from punk, surf, garage rock, and sometimes even brought to mind The Replacements. I’m pretty sure I would have loved this in 1986. Now it’s more of a reaction of nostalgic fondness.
Tim Bernardes, Mil Coisas Invisíveis– A beautiful acoustic album from this Brazilian artist. But, without much Portuguese on my part, and largely being in a uniform musical tone/vein on the album’s part, it never quite wowed me.
Tony Shhnow, Reflexions– The vocal flow is sharp, but kind of all too the same. And the subject matter is a little too 2000s hip-hop standard. On the upside the cool vibe of the musical mix does work well.
Trixie Mattel, The Blonde & Pink Albums– When I heard this was by an American drag queen, actor, and singer who was on the seventh season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was definitely intrigued! I was expecting some kind of disco inferno because, you know, stereotypes. What I actually got was a fun, high energy basically emo pop album. I’m glad my stereotypes got busted, but musically, while fun, it wasn’t really distinguished from many another fun emo pop album of the past twenty years.
TV Priest, My Other People– Their 2021 album Uppers made my “maybe” list. This has all the same charms of that album- a spare and nervy post-punk delivery with an industrial edge. But it also doesn’t sound new or different to that, or all that different from a lot of groups I’ve heard in the past year and a half who are mining that same vein. Alas! A fine example of the sound though, if you’re looking for it!
Ural Thomas & the Pain, Dancing Dimensions– First of all, this has an interesting story- he had performed widely as a child soul singer and back-up singer for many notables in the 50s and 60s. In the 2010s a Portland DJ, learning that he was living locally, organized a band for him and got him back into regular performing. This is some good fun soul, with a jazz influence and 70s feel. I’m not sure if it adds up to a standout album, but I love the story and it works as a slice of fun!
Various Artists, Under the Bridge– Sarah Records was a Bristol, England indie pop record label active from 1987 and 1995, and hugely influential in developing the poppier more shimmering side of indie rock through its releases, which were largely singles. This is a tribute to Sarah put out by the also indie Skep Wax label, organized around a simple premise: the current projects of various Sarah-related artists record contemporary versions of classic songs by other Sarah artists. The results are quite charming and reinforce just how influential this body of music continues to be. This is great as a sampler, but it’s a little twice-derived to be a year’s best album.
Westside Boogie, More Black Superheroes– There is some freshness to this hip-hop album, and the more than occasional unusual touch, and it’s certainly well done. Some more of the more interesting parts would have put it into contention, but too much of it was focused on the now standard “street life“ clichéd material.
XAM Duo, XAM Duo II– Hey, a XAM Duo is a pretty good duo! This Yorkshire-based pair is putting out some clean solid electronic music, even if it ultimately didn’t grab me.
Yann Tiersen, 11 5 18 2 5 18– If you see the title, and know that he’s Breton, and much of his work is on film soundtracks, you might be expecting something quite disembodied and abstract. It does get there eventually which is why I have it as a “no”, but the first 3/4 were really solid techno with all the best butt-moving music and interesting sound effects that go with that.
Yoo Doo Right, A Murmur, Boundless to the East– Somewhere between electronic and an 80s alt sound that combines the darker sides of synth and “big music”. Not bad, but a little swirly and unmoored.
Young Guv, Guv IV– I liked this a lot better than III, which came out in March. It still wore thin after a while, but I did enjoy the shimmery jangly neo-psych (with occasional country dashes!) space it inhabited.
Zola Jesus, Arkhon– It’s not the elements here- looming feeling, dark orchestral synths, operatic vocals- are in any way bad. But it is indistinct track to track, and not a whole lot different from many other examples of same.
And that’s it for June! Tune in next time for July, when we’ll be halfway plus one…
Chris LaMay-West 