If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Mathilda Brink Album : Glimmingen Quick Thoughts : This one was a surprise for me. Yes, I'm highly likely to take a flier on anything that says "Nordic folk" on it, but this Gothenburg native put together an album of music that is the best of all worlds. It's indie, it's rock, it's folk, it's interesting in so many different ways, and all of them great. This would be a mandatory listen in a busy week, so you have no reason to skip this one. Songs of Note : "Victory," "Sista Vandningen," "Spela Hogre" Artist : Alison Goldfrapp Album : The Love Invention Quick Thoughts : It's almost a shame that this came out so close to the Jessie Ware album, as this is an absolutely wonderful dance record in every way. Even as a fan of Goldfrapp over the years, there's something special about this record that made me a nearly instant evangelist. The first two songs are really killer efforts, and the rest of the albu...

Three new releases this week and another late 2016 find round out this early-year slow week. Artist : Dropkick Murphys Album : 11 Short Stories of Pain and Glory Quick Description : The Boston Irish punks offer more beer-soaked rockers. Why You Should Listen : You're a contractually-obligated New Englander or enjoy this sort of thing. Overall Thoughts : Regardless of how I feel about the Dropkicks, they'll be forever intertwined with the Red Sox in these parts, and they've become a Boston institution the way the Bosstones were before them. The new album sounds like the sort of Irish punk sea shanties that we assume they keep pumping out, complete with songs about the Marathon Bombing and and so on and so forth. As someone who generally isn't a fan, I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this on a whole. I don't know if I'll go back to it often, but (especially in a slow week) this might be worth your time. Recommendation : A surprisingly fun ...