1/4: Hanson's Shout It Out: Maybe it's my weakness for horns and harmonies talking, but... how was this not bigger?!
Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through and recently chose Hanson as one of them.
Additional Thoughts: As I said about Underneath, Hanson have a wonderful gift for making songs that can plaster a smile on your face and parts of this album seem laser targeted on me. One thing about me you gooootta know is that some of the music that makes me absolutely, instantly, viscerally happy is Motown soul and early Chicago, so tracks like “Make It Out Alive” definitely hit those buttons for me. Just, ugh, I love it so much.
1/15: Panic! At the Disco's Death of a Bachelor: “Impossible Year” makes me wish Urie would channel Sinatra more often.
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: You may remember that when I finally got around to finishing my 2015 Favorites list, P!ATD took the top two spots for singles, so I had some big hopes for this record. Luckily, it mostly lived up to them. I’d even go so far as to say it’s the most consistent Panic record since Pretty. Odd.. It does have some weak points, of course; the second half is not as strong as the start, “LA Devotee” is mostly just okay, and “Golden Days,” while beautiful, goes on a tad too long. As for the positives, well, I’ve already professed my love for “Hallelujah” and “Emperor’s New Clothes” as well as “Impossible Year,” so I won’t go into them again. “Crazy=Genius” gives me major A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out Vibes, specifically “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered, Honey, You Just Haven’t Found It Yet,” which is most definitely a good thing. Also, who would want to be like Mike Love? Brian Wilson all the way. “Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time” seems like what Fall Out Boy has tried to do recently (like with “Centuries” and “Uma Thurman”), except for the part where it actually works and all the disparate elements come together. The album definitely shows Brendon Urie getting comfortable and more confident, both as a singer and as the creative force behind Panic.
1/20: Girlpool's Before The World Was Big: Simplicity in construction allows the intimate and affecting songs to shine.
Why? Spotify recommended it.
Additional Thoughts: The aforementioned intimacy comes not just from the lyrics but how the minimal accompaniment makes Girlpool seem right there. The title track in particular feels almost like a campfire or car singalong with happily clashing voices and closeness. That said, “Crowded Stranger” adds fuzz to the album’s mostly unadorned guitar and bass work. “Emily” also seems to have something else going on in the accompaniment to make it feel bigger, but I can’t put my finger on what. “Emily” is also quite affecting and the album is full of lyrics that, at least for me, hit close to home. “Chinatown” contains one such line, when they sing, “I’m still looking for sureness in the way I say my name.” Another would be in “Pretty” (a track that’s almost acapella but for some water sounds); “I could only stare at my feet when you said you felt close to me.”
1/21: Hanson's Snowed In: Pretty much the Christmas album I'd expect them to make, which is definitely not a bad thing.
Why? …I’d meant to listen to it on Christmas, but that didn’t work out well.
Additional Thoughts: It’s what I expect from them in that it favors covers of soul and rock ‘n roll Christmas songs, rather than more traditional fare. Oh, a couple traditional songs appear, of course, but mostly in the form of one medley. Like Middle of Nowhere, this invites Jackson 5 comparisons, especially on the cover of “What Christmas Means To Me” (which makes sense given that one of the writers is both the sister of Motown’s Barry Gordy and Marvin Gaye’s first wife.) It’s pretty clear also that Taylor was in a more awkward phase vocally than their debut and it can be hard to listen to sometimes. Plus, their original tracks lay on the sentiment a bit too much (except for “Everybody Knows the Claus”) and run too long. Either way, this album is a ton of fun, particularly “Run Rudolph Run.”
1/25: Hanson's Anthem: Lives up to its name by remembering the sincerity and emotion that anchor any true anthem.
Why? Currently finishing up their discography.
Additional Thoughts: I stand by my tweet regarding this record, but I also think the title represents more of Hanson’s ambitions present on it and expanding the scope of their sound, not so much that it’s filled with anthems. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs here, but while tracks like “Already Home” and “Tonight” feel quite anthemic (and “Scream & Be Free” seems to be trying for that but doesn’t quite get there), stuff like “Lost Without You,” “Fired Up,” and other early tracks feel more like arena rock. Plus, other tracks stick to their typical power pop/soul thing. That’s not a bad thing, by the way, just mostly an observation. I’ll be honest, though, I’m not super into this record. I think part of that is due to how much I love Shout It Out, but there’s also the simple fact that no one will ever be head over heels for every album an artist puts out. It’s not realistic and anyone who claims otherwise is probably lying. Even so, I do really like “Juliet” despite the fact that reminds me of something that I can’t place and it drives me nuts.
1/26: Hinds' Leave Me Alone: A debut that, while rough, is sunny and inviting, despite its aloof title.
Why? 2016 release.
Additional Thoughts: Maybe that tweet could’ve been phrased better, because holy commas, Batman! Jeez. Anyway! Given the title and cover, I expected an album harder and more, well, as mentioned, aloof. I was pleasantly surprised, though. The album also gave me a Libertines sort of vibe. Though Hinds sounds more laid back, tuneful and not as outwardly debauched or messy as the Libertines, both bands have a pair of discordant and clashing lead singers. And wouldn’t you know it, Hinds actually opened for the Libertines back in 2014, sooo that tracks, haha.
1/27: Julia Kent's Asperities: Conveys the same dark, brooding beauty of a thunderstorm as it rumbles and rolls in.
Why? Mentioned in the LoadingReadyRun Best of 2015 Part 1 podcast.
Additional Thoughts: Julia Kent is a cellist and composer who uses the instrument, loops, and electronic elements to make instrumentals. Regarding Asperities, she said, “I was thinking about the concept of difficulty. Whether in life or in nature - of conflict, of being troubled. The idea of friction. Also in geology, an asperity is some part of a faultline that doesn’t move which can create an earthquake, which is quite an evocative concept.” The album does a wonderful job of conveying her concept. It contains a lot of darkness, tension, and, such as in “Terrain,” a sense of foreboding that is borderline frightening. It’s a beautiful work, but maybe not necessarily one to listen to when already in a dark place. Or maybe that’s just me.
1/29: Joey McIntyre's Talk To Me: I appreciate pop standards being a classy affair, I just wish it had more zing.
Why? I wanted to catch up on Joe’s work, but this is the only album of his available on Spotify that I don’t already own. It’s all very disappointing and another discussion for a different time. So.
Additional Thoughts: I think the lyric “bewitched, bothered, and bewildered” is a good summation of my feelings for Talk To Me. As mentioned in the tweet, I do think it lacks zing and more upbeat stuff with the closest the album comes to that is “Come Dance With Me.” That said, if you think the ballads and sweet singing didn’t melt me into a squeeing puddle, you’d be very, very wrong. I’M WEAK, MAN! Now, I gotta be honest and say that this will more than likely be the only time I go into any kind of depth about Joey’s solo work. Not for lack of anything to say about it or inability to see its faults, but because, well, frankly, it’s precious to me and I want to keep it just for me. I don’t have many boundaries in terms of what music I’ll write about, but I do think it’s necessary for some things to be off-limits.
1/29: Wet's Don't You: Even my affinity for 90's R&B buckles under this album's need to slam the same buttons constantly
Why? New release.
Additional Thoughts: Oy. Alright, I’m not entirely sure what Past Me meant by the “90’s R&B” reference in that tweet. My best guess would be the breathy, Aaliyah/Janet style vocals, but yeah, not sure what that referenced. Even so, the part about the “need to slam the same buttons constantly” does ring true still. The album is very comfortable in this low-mid tempo spot and hardly ever leaves. It lacks dynamics, both within individual songs and the album as a whole to the point that sometimes I didn’t even know a new song had started. The biggest exceptions to this would be “All the Ways” and “You’re the Best,” which add some much needed vigor to it.
All albums available to stream on Spotify.
If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry, tweet me, or ask on Tumblr.
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