Daily Album Digest: September 6 - October 3, 2015

Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

9/6: Ben Folds' So There: Ben Folds and chamber music/baroque pop? Oh, yes. Highlights: "F10-D-A" and "Phone in a Pool"

Why? Featured on NPR’s First Listen.

Additional Thoughts: Ben Folds is one of those artists so good that I wish I listened to them more often, but paradoxically can only apparently handle their genius in small doses. I just… ugh, the man is brilliant, truly. So much so that what can really be said about his work? But, of course, I’m here to at least try to say something. So. As the cover says, So There contains “8 chamber rock songs with yMusic” and the three movement “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” performed by the Nashville Symphony. The melodies on “Phone in a Pool” and “Yes Man” are simply gorgeous. “Yes Man” also serves as a great example of Folds’ ability to balance humor and sincerity, both overall and sometimes even in the same song. It’s a tricky line to walk and a lesser artist would fall flat on their face, their credibility flung out of their hands along the way. This skill isn’t new to Folds, as evidenced by Way to Normal’s “Hirsoshima,” but I find it remarkable, nonetheless.

9/7: Janet Jackson's Janet Jackson: Very of 1982, for good and ill. Decent dance songs can't compensate for its weaknesses.

Why? I know was going through Green Day’s discography, but I suddenly remembered that while getting caught up on Janet earlier this year, I neglected her first two albums.

Additional Thoughts: I suppose I should expand on the “very of 1982” bit. Well, I say that because of the combination of disco touches in tracks like “You’ll Never Find (A Love Like Mine)” and the vaguely Gap Band-esque (but not nearly as funky) aspects of others, like “Young Love.” I don’t know, the album does a pretty good job of summing up my image of dance music in the early eighties. The album does have some duds, of course, most notably the saccharine ballad “Love And My Best Friend.” The problem with the record, even on the good tracks, is the fact that, at 16, Janet is noticeably shy and didn’t yet have her powerful stage presence and many tracks could’ve benefited from some extra confidence.

9/8: Grace Potter's Midnight: Striking in its variety and Miss Potter's powerful voice, particularly on "Delirious."

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: Midnight is the solo debut from Grace Potter frontwoman of the “rootsy” band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. As said in the tweet, this album covers and mixes a wide variety of genres, such as pop, rock, gospel, country, soul, R&B, and even disco, like on the aforementioned “Delirious.” Another stand out is “Instigators,” which sounds like the rowdy child of “Layla” and the White Stripes. Add in her powerful, raspy voice and on paper it seems like it shouldn’t work, but it does; due in large part to Grace’s commanding voice and presence. Seriously, she can wail. It’s a strong, great record, but unfortunately it was met with blowback from male Nocturnals fans that called it a sell-out move and accused Grace of, how do I put this, turning herself into a “pop tart” via sexy photoshoots. Now, I have yet to listen to any of her previous band’s work and will concede this record is quite polished, but ehh… the comments I saw just felt like gatekeeping and typical latent misogyny that pervades dude-helmed music fandom. Maybe I’m wrong on that, but I can’t help but be suspicious when such criticism is thrown at smaller acts, particularly when they’re women.

9/10: Janet Jackson's Dream Street: If Control shows Janet in full bloom, Dream Street planted the seeds.

Why? Rounding out what’s left of her discography before Unbreakable.

Additional Thoughts: What a difference a couple years makes! While Janet is still a ways away from pulling off the likes of “Nasty” or “If,” she is most definitely on the road there. Dream Street is, by probably every metric, better than her debut. The album’s finally three songs (“Hold Back the Tears,” “All My Love To You,” and “If It Takes All Night”) are fantastic dance/R&B tracks and it’s a shame that this period gets ignored in Janet’s set lists.

9/11: The Libertines' Anthems for Doomed Youth: Ironic that its very existence is remarkable, yet it feels a bit safe.

Why? New release.

Additional Thoughts: The Libertines are a weird case for me. I enjoy their stuff well enough, but came to them after things had gone to hell for them and therefore don’t have the deep love and nostalgic affection many folks have. It’s that same love and affection that made this record something people hoped would exist one day and, after everything, it’s damn near miraculous that it does. And while I wouldn’t call this album bad (good bits, like “Heart of the Matter.” are about on par with good early Libertines tracks), I worry the pedestal the band’s been placed on might cause folks to be too harsh or too kind to it – myself included. I mean, on the one hand. I want growth, but on the other hand, I can see why they’d want to tread lightly and given how this project could’ve very well gone horribly wrong to the point of not coming to be at all, I almost feel bad saying anything negative about it. I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to see what, if anything, follows this and hopefully that will give better perspective on this record.

9/15: Beirut's No No No: Feels sparse at times, perhaps, but it has some shining moments, like "Gibraltar."

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: Positives first: the album is loaded with very, very pretty melodies, such as “As Needed.” They have an almost McCartney feel to them. Unfortunately, Beirut tends to hammer on them too much, for too long, so they don’t go anywhere and the repetition quickly weakens them. Add to that, sparing instrumentation, half mumbled vocals, and repetitive lyrics and one can’t help but feel like one is caught in a loop. An often pretty loop, yes, but still one that gets old after a while. It can be very lovely; I just wish it was more… dynamic.

9/18: Darwin Deez's Double Down: Bright and catchy with tinges of nostalgia and familiarity, like on "The Mess She Made."

Why? New release and I must confess the cover made me curious.

Additional Thoughts: The aforementioned familiarity tends to manifest in melodies and such that feel like the Strokes, Weezer, and even grunge. A more specific example is “Lover” with guitars and vaguely Eastern touches that make it feel like it could’ve been on the Beatles’ Revolver. (Plus it has the ridiculous line, “No I don’t care to meet your parakeet,” which I can’t help but love.) I can see how this might work for and against the record. On the positive side, it does reveal a variety of influences, but on the negative, it’s not exactly reinventing the indie rock/pop wheel. The album does have a lot of charm, so which side you come down on, I guess, really depends on what you want out of it.

9/27: Ought's Sun Coming Down: "Beautiful Blue Sky" uses semantic satiation well and, in doing so, proves its own point.

Why? 2015 release and the review on the NeedleDrop made me curious.

Additional Thoughts: Semantic satiation comes into play in the chorus of “Beautiful Blue Sky,” which is multiple small talk questions repeated incessantly and insistently. It can be grating. It does prove the point that such small talk is done automatically and thoughtlessly to the point of losing all meaning, but it’s still grating. In a way, that’s indicative of the album as a whole for me, in that I mostly get what the album’s going for, but care for it. For instance, the vocals are often done in a spoken word way that sometimes sounds like Mick Jagger doing a silly voice. And the music, at times, I think, tries to be manic and chaotic, but it comes off incoherent and jumbled. Or I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong on all that. I just know that, aside from maybe “Passionate Turn,” it doesn’t work for me.

9/28: Green Day's Nimrod: A lot to digest at once; luckily most of it is quite good. Highlight: "Redundant"

Why? I’m currently working through their discography.

Additional Thoughts: This album is like when you eat a steak but realize too late that you cut off too big of a piece and you keep trying to chew because it’s really flavorful and yet you still can’t ignore the fat that comes with it. Also, I must be honest and say that I chose “Redundant” as a highlight largely due to it being my favorite Green Day song. Honestly this album has many highlights (“Last Ride In,” “Worry Rock,” “Hitchin’ A Ride,” just to name a few), but at eighteen tracks, it’s a lot. Granted, Billie Joe is so skilled in melody that even though it can feel like too much, it at least it always sounds good. Plus, the old “too much of a good thing” comes up again with Green Day only with much more mixed results in their 2012 triple album, so I can forgive Nimrod. Besides, “King for a Day” instantly makes up for any shortcomings.

10/1: The Rolling Stones' Between the Buttons: Though all originals, the most interesting songs seem to riff on others.

Why? I’m currently taking a course on the Stones and slowly working their catalog as a result.

Additional Thoughts: Okay, first off, the US version was included in the RS500, so I can’t get too deep into this one just yet. But I just wanted to say that I don’t necessarily mean that tweet in a negative way. Much of the critique around Between the Buttons I’ve read thus far describes this period as an identity crisis for the Stones. I don’t know that I agree with that. I feel like that’s perhaps the case if one thinks the band was only ever in one little, very blue box to begin with and that certainly wasn’t reality, even on their debut. Two of the stand out tracks here are “All Sold Out” and “Please Go Home,” which quite obviously owe much to the Beatles and Bo Diddley, respectively. Is that a bad thing? Not inherently. Do they stand out because of Diddley and Beatle overtones? Maybe? But I wouldn’t dismiss them as mere rank imitation either.

10/2: Janet Jackson's Unbreakable: As the title track fades Janet says, "I'm glad you're still here." Same here, J.

Why? New release and c’mon, it’s Janet! I’m not going to let myself fall behind on her again.

Additional Thoughts: Like Nimrod (and most of Janet’s albums), Unbreakable is a long affair. With seven years between it and Discipline, the length makes sense, as Janet says in the title track, “Lots to talk about” - and it’s true. Love, loss, looking forward, looking back (and more) are all topics and themes touched on and make this Janet’s most introspective album since probably The Velvet Rope. Like TVR, it also can be moody and dark, but it has plenty of light (and dancing), too. 

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.

Daily Album Digest: August 9 - 22, 2015

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Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

8/11: The Mynabirds' Lovers Know: Tracks like "Omaha" have a sense of grandeur while retaining a genuine emotional core.

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: Multiple reviews compared a couple of the tracks to the Killers and I can certainly get behind that idea with the stipulation that the Mynabirds do so with actual sincerity. I mentioned it in the tweet as well, of course, but “Omaha” got some real chills out of me. It’s one of the most beautiful tracks I’ve heard so far this year.

8/14: New Politics' Vikings: Energetic and fun, though full of clichés... until the baffling and terrible final track.

Why? New release. I saw them open for Paramore and Fall Out Boy last year, but I had yet to check out any of their work.

Additional Thoughts: I remember liking New Politics well enough when I saw them. Evidently not enough to check them out immediately and perhaps I should’ve taken that as a sign. The album is energetic and fun, but any enjoyment is impeded by just how Fueled By Ramen they are. Take opener “Everywhere I Go (Kings and Queens),” which tries so hard to be like fun.’s “Some Nights” and fails utterly because, try as he might, vocalist David Boyd being no Nate Ruess. There’s also “Loyalties Among Thieves” that some lyric sites have credited to Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump, and Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy. The album’s Wikipedia page, meanwhile, claims every track has been written by New Politics, which frankly, you could be forgiven for not believing considering how much it sounds like Fall Out Boy. New Politics’ inability to set themselves apart isn’t a new criticism, either. I found reviews of their debut that pointed out how much they seem to want to be the Killers and Franz Ferdinand. And funnily enough, the final track “Strings Attached” nearly turned out my opinion on the album until it turned on me. The track starts off as a blistering ska, sort of hardcore number and then after about three minutes of silence there’s a rap verse about having a “gold dick” and what sounds like folks high on helium. Then after another three minutes there’s a dance synthpop interlude calling a girl an STD. Delightful. Yick. I’ll give their other records a shot just to be sure, but as of now I just don’t know who these guys are for. I mean, if you don’t dig any Fueled By Ramen related artists, it’s doubtful they’ll convert you and if you do like FBR (as I do) they’re redundant.

8/15: Backstreet Boys' This Is Us: A marked improvement on previous work in terms of vitality. Highlight: "Undone"

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through. This time I decided to a walk down memory lane with the Backstreet Boys.

Additional Thoughts: I hesitate to call it a return to form, but I suppose if any BSB record could be called such it would be this one as it has more in common with the upbeat dance music of their international debut than adult contemporary/ballad focus of much of their output since then. I should also mention that while I find it an improvement on Unbreakable that doesn’t mean I necessarily find it good on its own. The music has much more life to it, which is great, in a way, but it’s not enough for me to ignore a lot of the lyrical faux pas, like “PDA.” Though the worst offender is probably “She’s a Dream”; the full lyric being, “She’s a dream, cause she knows me.” And it gets worse. The basic point of the song is that this girl is such an awesome wonderful person for the narrator, because she doesn’t have a TV or radio and she’s completely ignorant of his celebrity status which everyone (including him) actively keeps from her. It’s. Just. Baffling. Plus, personal gripe, I guess, I know it was co-written by T-Pain, but I don’t need to hear the Backstreet say shorty. Maybe A.J. McLean could’ve carried that off in 2000, but the rest of the group in 2009? No. It’s like a dad desperately trying to sound with it. I really like “Undone,” though, so there’s that at least.

8/16: The Rolling Stones' The Rolling Stones, Now!: Maybe it's me, but the cover of "Down Home Girl" is... uncomfortable.

Why? I actually wasn’t going to include this album, but didn’t have enough time to listen to another instead. Whoops.

Additional Thoughts: I’ve probably touched on this before, but the early Stones records are difficult to talk about. The abundance of covers is one reason; another is differences and overlaps in the UK and U.S. versions. There’s often so much overlap that for the most part I’ve decided to forgo most of them altogether as daily albums. But, as I said, I run low on time on this particular day, so I decided to bend the rules. Plus, I’m not sure if “Down Home Girl” was on an album I’d already discussed, but it’s a song that I didn’t want to pass without any comment. The song basically sings the praises of a Southern country girl with all these stereotypical things like “turnip greens,” but then there’s a line about working in cotton fields and the line, “Every time you monkey child.” And I just… no. Again, maybe it’s me, maybe I’m being overly sensitive or something, but it doesn’t sit well with me.

8/17: Backstreet Boys' In A World Like This: If only their ostensible maturity yielded more like the sweet "Madeleine."

Why? Finishing up the Backstreet Boys’ discography.

Additional Thoughts: The title track says, “In time like this when nothing comes from the heart” and much of this album proves that. The big exception to that, of course, is “Madeleine” which is genuinely touching. It’s perhaps the most touching thing they’ve done since “Shape of My Heart.” It’s just a shame that their idea of maturity manifests as empty platitudes and attempts to sound like OneRepublic as shown in “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of)”. (Ironic, considering the only song I like off This Is Us was actually co-written by OR’s Ryan Tedder.) That or metaphors comparing love to prison or war, which sound way more melodramatic than they are in practice. In fact, they could probably stand to use more melodrama in such cases. I mean, if you’re going to compare a break up to prison you might as well go all out.

8/18: Thee Tsunamis' Saturday Night Sweetheart: Feels like it's from an alt-universe 1950s full of rough girl bands.

Why? 2015 release that Spotify recommended.

Additional Thoughts: The second I heard tracks like “I Know” I immediately regretted not saving the “punk rock Pipettes” descriptor. It does sound like it’s from an alternate timeline or that it’s a live recording recently unearthed from someone’s attic, which might be due in part to the fact that it was apparently recorded onto tape. It’s great fun. I don’t know what I did to have my Spotify recommendations filled with so many awesome chick bands recently, but I’m really glad it happened.

8/19: Cloud Nothings' Attack On Memory: Such blunt lyrics are admirable when others get so caught up in arch metaphors.

Why? A review on the Needle Drop made me curious.

Additional Thoughts: Granted I do have a not-so-secret affinity for metaphors, arch or not. Still, there is value in getting straight to the point and saying what you mean. If I had any issue with the album, it wouldn’t be the lyrics, but Dylan Baldi’s vocals. The gritty, growly thing he does (most prominently on songs like “No Future/No Past” and “Wasted Days”) seems a bit affected. I know other complimented such things, but it didn’t really work for me. Even so, I like the album and “Stay Useless” in particular.

8/22: Green Day's Dookie: A bit juvenile at times, sure, but damn, if it isn't cathartic and fun.

Why? Maintaining motivation has been difficult lately, which means a “Longview” loop can’t be too far behind.

Additional Thoughts: I nearly didn’t choose this album as I’ve probably heard it in full while driving around with friends, but I figured since I made an exception for Backstreet Boys’ first two records I could make another one here. And while I would love to crack into this album more, it’s part of the RS500, so that must wait. However, unlike the other daily albums that overlap with the RS500, I’ve decided to bump this up in the queue, so a full Dookie post might come sooner than you think.

All albums available to stream on Spotify. 

If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry or tweet me. 

Daily Album Digest: July 12 - 25, 2015

Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

7/12: Miles Kane's Colour of the Trap: Portions sound like a 60s spy movie. I dig it. Highlight: "Happenstance"

Why? Spotify recommended it to me.

Additional Thoughts: This album presents a problem for me. I really like it, but at the same time I don’t feel like I have much to say about it. I think the 60s spy movie comparison is a pretty good summation, though maybe an oversimplification. There are other sounds going on here, such as the bouncy “Quicksand,” but, still if you’re not into 60s style stuff it might not be for you. 

7/13: Phoenix's Bankrupt!: The title track is among the most noteworthy, particularly the line "Self-entitled portrait."

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through; I decided to round out Phoenix.

Additional Thoughts: Honestly, I’m still not sure how I feel about this album overall, but as I said, I think the title track is interesting. The line “Self-entitled portrait” stuck out to me, because it’s one of those lyrics that seems like it might have a lot to unpack or it only wants to appear that way. I’m not sure which category it sits in though. I need to think on it a bit more.

7/15: Jessy Lanza's Pull My Hair Back: Minimalist electronic/R&B, but that restraint works both for and against it.

Why? Her featured performance on Caribou’s “Second Chance” made me curious.

Additional Thoughts: Jessy’s performance on “Second Chance” was one of the few moments I felt Caribou’s Our Love sprang to life, so the restraint of this record came as a bit of a disappointment. The beats and atmosphere are good, but I wish she’d push through more. Her lovely voice is allowed to just fade into the background. I get that much of it is going for a breathy Janet/Aaliyah sort of vibe and that’s cool, but it feels detached.

7/18: The Staple Singers' Be Altitude: Respect Yourself: "I'll Take You There" is a classic, but "Who" should be as well.

Why? While listening to songs discusses in my Rolling Stones course, I listened to another track of theirs and figured I’d just give a whole album a listen as well.

Additional Thoughts: This is some uplifting and passionate soul. It saddens me that years of commercials can make one forget that in regard to “I’ll Take You There,” but it’s so recognizable (and therefore useful for such things) for good reason. 

7/19: Jessie Jones' Jessie Jones: "Quicksilver Screen" reminds me of the Fiery Furnaces, especially "Here Comes the Summer."

Why? NPR featured it in First Listen.

Additional Thoughts: I want to like this album, but I’m not feeling it, at least not right now. Many of my favorite records so far this year have gone down a psychedelic route, so one would think this would be up my alley. I don’t know, though, in some ways this record feels like checking beats off a pschedelia checklist, such as in the Middle Eastern influenced track “Lady La De Da.”

7/20: Phoenix's United: Fantastic debut, though more rock orientated than more recent work. Highlight: "Funky Squaredance"

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through; I decided to round out Phoenix.

Additional Thoughts: The first Phoenix records I listened to were Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and It’s Never Been Like That, which I guess counts as their mid period work (as of now.) Those records are a bit more atmospheric and have a more electronic bent, so the rock presence on United caught me by surprise. I was also shocked by how varied the record is, while still having underlying joy that made me love Wolfgang. And “Funky Squaredance” is a blast! It’s this great mix of a country, old school hip-hop, funk, and rock that on paper probably shouldn’t work, but it does.

7/21: Wilco's Star Wars: The dad rock label seems appropriate yet dismissive. Solid, but might need to grow on me.

Why? 2015 release. I’ll be honest the title and cover were what intrigued me the most.

Additional Thoughts: The first time I heard the term “dad rock” was during a discussion about the Black Keys. I was going through my usually thing about them not doing anything wrong, per se, just not having much of anything there to grab onto and this person referred to them as dad rock. It seemed a perfect fit. Dad rock, to me, evokes bands that love 70s guitar rock, but don’t really do anything with it and as a result end up kind of boring to anyone but dads nostalgic for that time. While parts of Star Wars do fit that description, I do think there’s good in it, such as “You Satellite,” “Pickled Ginger,” and “King of You.”

7/22: The Elwins' Play for Keeps: Unabashedly sunny pop/rock. Refreshing in its seeming lack of cynicism.

Why? Spotify recommended for me.

Additional Thoughts: Some might wish for more grit to break up the sunniness of this record and while I can certainly understand that view, I don’t know that I agree. It’s refreshing to find a record that isn’t bogged down in angst or too-cool-for-the-room posturing. Is it for everyone? Probably not. But it’s good to know such a record can still exist.

7/23: Phoenix's Alphabetical: Rides a nice groove throughout, but lacks the variety and effervescence of other work.

Why? I have a list of discographies I want to get through; I decided to round out Phoenix.

Additional Thoughts: This seems where they started trying to go a more atmospheric route. I don’t know that it really works here, but they eventually do get it right and so I can’t rag on this record too much.

7/24: Ducktails' St. Catherine: Quite a chill album that also has a sense of humor and the ability to move ("Medieval.")

Why? New release.

Additional Thoughts: Ducktails is a side project led by Matt Mondanile, guitarist for Real Estate. I don’t know much Real Estate, but I quite liked Atlas. Also, the names of this project and the first track of this album (“The Disney Afternoon”) gave me a laugh, so I figured I’d check it out. The line between something being chill and being comatose is difficult to walk and probably a matter of personal taste, but I liked this. It’s not totally lifeless, like some mellow music can feel. As I tweeted, there is humor here, mainly in the previously mentioned “The Disney Afternoon.” Also, I think “Medieval” is moving and heartfelt. It seems to be about the fleeting thoughts one can sometimes have post-break up, thoughts that aren’t necessarily regretful but just curious, even after a very long time. “It’s all in the past, my feelings for you. And once in a while it goes away, the thought of you, it fades.” But I might sit on this one for a while and see if I can make a full post about it. 

7/25: The Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads: The UK version consists mostly of covers; the best likely being "Cry To Me."

Why? I’m currently taking a course called The Music of the Rolling Stones, so it’s going to reflect in my album choices for a while.

Additional Thoughts: These early Stones records are difficult for me to judge given the amount of covers present. I’m not knocking that in any way. Everyone does covers and the prevalence of the practice was especially common in the 50s and 60s. The Beatles first few records consisted mainly of covers as well and I certainly don’t look down on them at all. It’s just difficult to gauge an artist’s identity when most of their material is covers. Covers speak more to what they are able to play and what they like, not the full potential they might hold. Anyhow, I also really liked this album’s cover of Sam Cooke’s “Good Times,” but my favorite track is the original “Gotta Get Away.” Why that wasn’t included on the American release is beyond me.

7/25: The Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads (US): Yeah, sure, "Satisfaction" is here, but "The Last Time," man.

Why? The UK version was a bit underwhelming, so I figured I’d give this one a shot.

Additional Thoughts: Honestly, this is the first of these early Stones records that I’ve actually enjoyed. And yes, most of that might be due to “The Last Time,” which is a killer track. But this feels much tighter than other early records, which just feel kind of like compilations. Though, granted, back then albums were just compilations and afterthoughts when compared to singles. 

All albums available to stream on Spotify. 

If you'd like to suggest an album, comment on this entry or tweet me. 

Daily Album Digest: June 28 - July 11, 2015

Carrying on February's Music Writer's Exercise (#MWE), each day I listen to a new album and tweet a brief review of it. Then every two weeks compile those tweets here with some extra thoughts.

6/28: The Rakes’ Klang: "The Light From Your Mac" and "1989" have their charms. I don't know about the rest of it though.

Why? Spotify recommended it to me because of the Strokes.

Additional Thoughts: I try my best to be constructive, find the good in things, and not sink into ranting and hate, but oh boy, was this album an unpleasant listen for me. One review recommended it for people who enjoyed pre-Tonight Franz Ferdinand, which would make me want to flip every table if not for the fact that it does sound like Franz – if Alex Kapranos couldn’t sing at all.

6/30: Radioactivity's Silent Kill: Great energy and flow. "No Connection" almost sounds like a punk rock Buddy Holly.

Why? New release. I’m not sure if the title was meant to be a riff on Silent Hill, but that’s my headcanon and why I chose it, so there.

Additional Thoughts: Some pretty straightforward punk with awesome energy. I like how many of the songs flow so well into each other, which is helpful since many of the songs are quite short (most are two minutes or less) and that flow makes the album feel cohesive. As for “No Connection,” I think it’s the vocal melody that reminds me most of Buddy.

7/1: Laurel Halo's Quarantine: The purposely ugly vocals make it unnerving and stand out, but I don't know if it works.

Why? A review on the Needle Drop made me curious.

Additional Thoughts: I would feel presumptuous calling the vocals “purposely ugly” if not for the fact that the album’s final track, “Light + Space,” proves Laurel Halo can carry a tune well. The juxtaposition of these often very pretty synth and electronic pieces with distorted, unconventional (if not, out of tune) singing and unnerving lyrics makes for an interesting listen, if nothing else. Personally, I don’t dig it very much, but she does have talent and ambition which I do applaud.

7/3: Son Lux' Bones: I like much of the atmosphere and beats, but it gets repetitive lyrically and drags a bit.

Why? 2015 release.

Additional Thoughts: Unfortunately, I feel that tweet about sums it up. The only thing I’d add is that the vocals remind me of Brandon Flowers, in a way. That isn’t a judgement call or anything, just an observation.

7/4: The Rolling Stones' The Rolling Stones: A wide stylistic gulf sits between the covers and the one Jagger/Richards track.

Why? I’ve mentioned on Twitter that I’m currently taking a course called The Music of the Rolling Stones. I listened to this not long after completing the corresponding lecture.

Additional Thoughts: Prior to starting my course of them, my knowledge on the Stones was quite limited. I basically know their prevalent image – the Bad Boys of Rock ’n’ Roll. Their debut certainly hints at that as well as showing their love of blues, but that’s mostly through covers. However, their one original track is so typical early 60s pop and as well as sticking out among all the early rock and blues, not what I would’ve expected from them at all.

7/6: Mini Mansions' Mini Mansions: There's much to like ("Crime of the Season"), but it's hard ignore a blemish like "Girls"

Why? I enjoyed The Great Pretenders and wanted to check out their debut.

Additional Thoughts: As I said, I really enjoyed The Great Pretenders, so I went into this one with kind of high hopes which was probably a mistake on my part. I try very hard to steer clear of making too many Beatles references, but this record, with its Lennon-esque lead vocals, harmonies, and psychedelia, invites those comparisons itself and most of the time it works. However, “Majick Marker” proves that for all the snide comments made about it “I Am Walrus” is very hard to replicate and I can’t help but cringe at “Girls,” particularly the line “Fond of fondling you, while you fondle me too.” It’s not sexy and it’s not funny (unless you’re in middle school), it just awkwardly and obviously sits there.

7/7: Hilary Duff's Breathe In. Breathe Out.: Decent ear candy, if you can ignore the often bewildering lyrical choices.

Why? 2015 release. A friend’s opinion on it made me curious, but I perhaps should’ve listened to them.

Additional Thoughts: Honestly, I should’ve run screaming from this record when the chorus of “Sparks” turned out to be just whistling. I wish I didn’t have to be harsh. I have no beef with Miss Duff; she seems like a nice person and I’ve liked singles of hers in the past, but yeah, I didn’t like this album. The music itself is passable pop, the melodies sweet, and her voice is pleasant to listen to. The lyrics are a big problem though. I’m not sure I can call the metaphors bad or even metaphors at all (see: “Confetti”), because that would imply the writers had a point to make beyond filling space with random words. I mean, look, I’m a big fan of Lady Gaga and she writes some pretty tortured metaphors, “Hair” for instance, but even when her metaphors don’t work you can at least see what she was going for with them. Or Gaga’s track “MANiCURE,” which has a fairly silly premise, but she throws herself in it and goes so hard vocally you can ignore that. Hilary Duff, by comparison, simply doesn’t have the vocal prowess or charisma to distract from lines like “Your television life couldn't channel this love” and “Hot sweats in cold sweaters.”

7/8: Pastel Ghost's Abyss: A beautiful mix of synths, chiptunes, and ethereal vocals that is wonderful to sink into.

Why? Spotify recommended it.

Additional Thoughts: I really like this album. My main criticism would be that the vocals are so low in the mix, which makes the lyrics barely audible. But I realize that’s likely the point. It forces you to pay attention since in order to catch the lyrics you need shut your eyes, lay back, and dive into the music.

7/9: Snow Patrol's Songs for Polarbears: The unassuming and open "Mahogany" stands out the most on this album.

Why? Front man Gary Lightbody has been tweeting up a storm lately, which made me track down whether or not I’d listened to this album. I hadn’t. It was time to rectify that.

Additional Thoughts: According to Last.fm, I “first scrobbled Velocity Girl on 13 Jun 2005” which makes my timing with this listen kind of funny to me. I can’t believe it took me a little over ten years to listen to this in its entirety. That said, I don’t know that I see myself going back to this album very much. Then again, Snow Patrol frequently takes time to grow on me. As debut albums go this does do a job of showcasing a lot of their qualities, for good and ill, which would become even more prevalent in time. Case in point, the straightforward lyrics of “Mahogany” remind me a great deal of Final Straw’s opening track, “How To Be Dead” and that song’s one of my biggest favorites in their catalog.

7/10: The Bird & the Bee's Recreational Love: From "Young & Dumb" to "Lovey Dovey" this record is simply exquisite.

Why? New release. Their Spotify bio intrigued me, especially the bit about jazz and “60’s tropicalia.”

Additional Thoughts: Some themes have definitely emerged among the 2015 albums I’ve loved the most; progressive rock/baroque pop, pyschedelia, sweet vocals, and echoes of R&B. Recreational Love contains those last two for sure. I just really love this record. I’m glad I took the chance to give it a listen and I look forward to checking out their other stuff.

7/11: The Rolling Stones' 12 x 5: So. The Stones did a faithful cover of "Under the Boardwalk" ...and I am confused.

Why? As with the previous Stones album this listen was influenced by my “The Music of the Rolling Stones” class. You all should probably expect a lot of Stones in the coming weeks/months.

Additional Thoughts: As I said earlier, I have very limited knowledge of the Stones and my image of them is definitely getting a shake-up. I never would’ve pegged them as fans of the Drifters, but right here is a very faithful cover of “Under the Boardwalk.” I don’t know that there’s much else I can say about this album, though, as it’s not very different from their debut. All I’ll say is this regarding their cover of "If You Need Me": Mick Jagger is no Wilson Pickett. Sorry, man.

All albums available to stream on Spotify. 

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