If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Nell Smith Album : Anxious Quick Thoughts : Nell Smith's Nick Cave covers record with the Flaming Lips a few years back was one of my favorites of the year. At the time, she was a 12 year old that forged a connection with Wayne Coyne and I have impatiently waited for her debut album ever since. I must have missed the news, however, because I learned upon release that this solo album is also a posthumous release, having died in a car accident last fall at only 17. It's always tragic when a teenager dies, but for those of us who love music, this one hurts a little harder, especially when the musical bookend we get here is so, so good. One of the best of the year, in fact, which I wouldn't have seen coming. It's a little weird, a little poppy, a little indie... what's kind of stunning is that she shows a range here that feels more appropriate for someone ten years old. Songs of Note : "Anxious," "Daisy Fields," "The Worst Best Drug...