Tuesday, June 28, 2022

First Listen: New Releases for 24 June 2022

Artist: Soccer Mommy
Album: Sometimes, Forever
Quick Thoughts: Soccer Mommy continues to get better with every release she puts out. The fidelity is higher, but the songwriting is such a significant step forward that this demands attention. I love love love this album and I'm definitely looking forward to getting back to it.
Songs of Note: "Bones," "With U," "Shotgun," "Don't Ask Me," "Fire in the Driveway," "Feel It All the Time"

Artist: Boy Jr.
Album: Pay Attention to Meee
Quick Thoughts: Boy Jr. has, somewhat suddenly, started killing it on TikTok, and while those words might be incomprehensible to a lot of our readers, it's a big deal. Her previous EP, Starter Pack, has a few of my favorites from her, but this album shows that she's capable of a lot of interesting songwriting. "Meet Me In the Middle" in particular highlights her unique songwriting abilities in perhaps the best way since "Drop at 1:01." Overall, I hope this album makes her huge.
Songs of Note: "Narcissist, Baby," "Smart Man," "Meet Me In the Middle"

Artist: Petrol Girls
Album: Baby
Quick Thoughts: We know we don't live in a simulation, because no one would write a script or algorithm where an angry political album like Baby gets released on the same day Roe v. Wade is overturned. The album does not shy away from difficult topics or controversial stances, and they make no secret about where those stances sit. It's basically a perfect punk record for our times, so check it out.
Songs of Note: "Preachers," "Baby, I Had an Abortion," "Clowns"

Artist: G. Love
Album: Philadelphia Mississippi
Quick Thoughts: G. Love is somewhat legendary in many circles, and his blues/rap-R&B album here has no right to be as great as it is. I really enjoyed this, and especially given how this had every chance of going off the rails, it ends up doing a good job of not falling into self parody. A solid listen on a whole.
Songs of Note: "Love from Philly," "Mississippi," "I Ain't Living"

Artist: Hackensaw Boys
Album: Hackensaw Boys
Quick Thoughts: The Hackensaw Boys continue to put together some great roots music, and deserve to be talked about more than they are. This self-titled effort has some truly catchy listens, and is a pretty great listen in a busy week. If you haven't gotten into them yet, now is as good a time as ever to start.
Songs of Note: "Mary Shelley," "Cages We're Grown In," "Strangers"

Artist: Caleb Nichols
Album: Ramon
Quick Thoughts: Caleb Nichols sometimes channels Britpop and sometimes channels Elliott Smith and sometimes just does his own thing, and all of it ties together in an album that really, really impressed me. I hadn't heard of Nichols before this week, and of the new artists I've discovered as of late, he is absolutely one I'm looking forward to learning more about. An excellent singer-songwriter record.
Songs of Note: "Dog Days," "Run Rabbit Run," "Captain Custard," "Jerome"

Artist: Maggie Carson
Album: The Dark Was Aglow
Quick Thoughts: We love Spirit Family Reunion here, and Maggie Carson, singer/songwriter/banjoer, has a solo album worthy of similar adoration. It's mostly her and her banjo, but the songs feel lush and rich even while sparse, and they feel like they'd be right at home at some sort of outdoorsy sing-along. I really loved this surprise of an album, and I'm looking forward to spending a lot more time with it.
Songs of Note: "From Here to Anywhere," "Here Among Us," "Waiting"

Of note:

* Dilettante - Dilettante
* Lipphead - In the Nude
* Deau Eyes - Legacies
* Regina Spektor - Home, before and after
* KITIMOTO - Vintage Smell
* Peter Rowan - Calling You From My Mountain
* Lupe Fiasco - DRILL MUSIC IN ZION
* Canyons and Locusts - Roll the Dice
* GRMLN - Lost Days in Lake Biwa
* MUNA - MUNA
* Long Neck - Soft Animal
* Motherhood - Winded
* Zola Jesus - Arkhon
* Ex-Hyena - Moon Reflections
* Red Ledger - Comfortably Stagnant
* Tim Heidecker - High School
* Porcupine Tree - CLOSURE / CONTINUATION
* Young Guv - GUV IV
* Joan Shelley - The Spur
* Damien Jurado - Reggae Film Star
* Katie Alice Greer - Barbarism
* Caamp - Lavender Days

EPs:

* Half Waif - Portraits
* Greet Death - New Low
* Josin - Traveller
* Wolf Alice - Blue Lullaby
* October and the Eyes - Who Upset You?
* Freedom Fry - Falling
* Weezer - SZNZ: Summer
* Lydia Luce - Garden Songs
* Zoon - Big Pharma
* KALI - Maltman and Effie
* Empress Of - Save Me
* Planet 1999 - this is our music
* Careen - Careen Love Health

Live albums/Compilations/Reissues:

* Ska Punk International - Songs for Mom Volume 2 (Ska covers album for charity, lots of good stuff here.)
* Madonna - Finally Enough Love (Remix album spanning her whole career.)
* A Place to Bury Strangers - Hologram: Destroyed and Reassembled
* Third Eye Blind - Unplugged

Also out:

* Conan Gray - Superache

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