Man I was so here for a three week album cycle, and then y’all drop the review a week and a half early! Gah!
It doesn’t have to top Golden Hour to be great. That album got me through a rough time (I have unironically cried to “Rainbow” because I am a corny motherfucker), as I imagine this one will too, because, well, *breakup album*. But Kacey don’t miss, even when she’s a mess. Can’t wait to activate my free trial of Paramount + next week.
That Dödsrit album rules. My other favorite metal albums would be RYE, Noctule, Esoctrilhium, Anti God Hand, Respire, svrm, Spectral Lore and Eyelet.
Also, it’s not *metal*, but there are enough bone-crunching riffs on Fucked Up’s Year of the Horse to warrant a mention IMO
The Deafheaven album is great, and I knew it would be because I thought the singles were great, but it’s got stiff competition on both sides (metal/nügaze).
My advice if you want the next level artistic shit in 2021?
Get into heavy music. Metal, hardcore, and even Screamo are just flush with unbelievable music this year (and probably every year in the past, I’ve just only started paying attn). I’ve been working on this playlist of some of my faves that I found over the last year and a half that I think are pretty accessible, without being entirely clean. Check it out and maybe you’ll find something you like?
https://open.spotify.com/user/dpads24/playlist/5ieUJCv8CdOKGitHCerqDP?si=JJye8trjRF6s8996Mpe3EQ&dl_branch=1
Or maybe just wait for Kacey next week 🙃
I’m feeling quite the opposite. There are the albums that were clearly held back until they got the green light to tour, so those piled up over the last couple months. And there’s albums that are just as clearly a product of the pandemic, which are also piling up against those. Throw in metal, which is just a constant flood of madness, and I feel like I’m drowning in awesome music.
Tried to close a pop up and accidentally submitted. Lol.
Sun June, Lightning Bug, Lingua Ignota, Jeff Rosenstock, Violet Cold, RYE, and Fluisteraars round out my top 20. But again, who tf knows where they will end up in December. Lists are dumb (which is why they’re fun).
Speaking of jangle, did you ever check out Alien Boy? They kind of sound like The Smiths if Moz wasn’t such a wanker and Johnny worshiped New Miserable Experience.
3 months til listmas, who ya got? I’ve got a 13 way tie for 1st lol (aka ranking changing daily)
Indigo de Souza - Any Shape You Take
Turnstile - GLOW ON
Wednesday - Twin Plagues
Origami Angel - Gami Gang
Men I Trust - Untourable Album
Panopticon - ... and Again into the Light
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee
Ogbert the Nerd - I Don’t Hate You
Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm
The Armed - ULTRAPOP
Parannoul - To See The Next Part of the Dream
Alien Boy - Don’t Know What I Am
Clairo - Sling
Did five of these albums come out less than a month ago? You bet your ass they did. Recency bias be damned, I’m pretty sure I just saw my favorite month of new music in years.
I’ve had an insanely busy weekend, and spent most of my solo music listening time listening to GLOW ON just to summon enough energy to get through it. I just got to spend real quality time with Any Shape You Take this morning and it’s even better than I had hoped. Her music is refreshingly omnivorous (dare I say poptimist) take on indie rock, while still absolutely hauling ass when it needs to.
I remember going in on Oncle Jazz for the first time, being dumbstruck by the sheer volume of air tight, classic pop songs. It was like watching someone hold their breath so long underwater that you begin to wonder if they have gills. Turns out, Men I Trust have gills. They have perfected a sound (I mean LISTEN to these individual instruments. That bass! Those synths! Gah.) that would be impressive enough on its own, but then they come through with the s o n g s. Every song is a simple little bliss machine, expertly put together with exactly the right number of parts, in exactly the right place. Even this time, when they were pulling out the stops with new sounds that they might not be able to pull off live, it’s still an exercise in restraint and minimalism. I see the Mac comparisons, sure (that Montreal sound), but I think they’re on a Beach House-type run. What a band. What a record.
Fuck an album cycle, in this howse we memory hole our favorite bands until the new record is literally on our doorstep *manifests Alvvays LP3 surprise release*
But really, I’m probably going to drive around and listen to Indigo de Souza while I’m killing time in between when I have to drop my wife off at Wedding Headquarters (my parents’ house), and when I have to report for groomsmen duties, feeling all sorts of (good) things.
My sister is getting married on Friday. When they go to cut the cake, I’m obviously gonna jack the aux from the DJ, play “HOLIDAY”, and suplex the Groom through the table before they have a chance to shove cake in each other’s faces.
The week goes from Friday to Thursday. So any non-single from Twin Plagues was eligible this week, just as the Solar Power singles will be eligible next week. F’ing n00b 🙄
Man…
I feel like there’s a decade of pent up frustration with Poptimism™️ that is about to get unleashed on this album and it kinda bums me out (pun intended).
Does pop music as an industry, and the terrifying stan culture that it has cultivated need to get taken down a peg? Sure! Did Lorde kind of disappear up her own ass on this one? Sounds like it! (I obviously haven’t heard it and the rainy weekend forecast makes me think I won’t even bother until sometime next week). Butt the way people are jumping at the chance to shit on this album before they even hear it makes me feel kind of weird!
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