If It's Too Loud...

A slower week, but an abbreviated post given my schedule blowing up again. The Plan - Nervous Energy : This is a different one, for sure. The Plan is absolutely going the strange, stilted indie rock route with this, and the returns are interesting in and of themselves. I can’t say for sure whether I liked it, but this is an album of odd song structures and challenging listens. I didn’t love it on first listen, but this is absolutely an album I want to revisit. I recommend giving it a shot, especially in a slower week. Various Artists - Tegan and Sara Present The Con X : A tribute/covers record of Tegan and Sara’s The Con . It’s not my favorite T&S record at all, and my familiarity with the songs has deteriorated with time. The versions here? As with any album like this, it’s hit-or-miss. Some interesting takes, other ones that just don’t work. Take what you like and leave the rest, I think. Dori Freeman - Letters Never Read : We enjoyed Dori Freeman’s previous record,...

Photo by Shervin Lainez While reading some of the press materials for the latest single from Elizabeth and the Catapult, I wasn't shocked to learn that Elizabeth Ziman, aka the Elizabeth in Elizabeth and the Catapult, incorporates her dreams into her music. "Underwater" feels like a dream. It's not exactly part of the genre of dream pop, but instead it's just dreamy. "Underwater" is definitely a pop song, but it straddles the world of indie Americana. It's not the more mainstream pop side of Americana, like The Avett Brothers or Houndmouth, but it's really a mash up of pop music and Americana, like if Tristen kept just a bit more of her country side on her last two albums. It's an interesting mix that has me looking forward to her new album. You can watch the video for "Underwater" below. Elizabeth and the Catapult's new album, Keepsake , will be out October 20 on Compass Records. For more on Elizabeth and the Catapult, ch...

So I try to keep up as best I can with the new releases, but sometimes they're late to Spotify or fall through the cracks. Consider this quarterly report our attempt to catch up. Katy B - Little Red : I became a fan of Katy B shortly after her first album, On a Mission , came out. It's been a while, but the British singer is back with an even better album of dancefloor tracks. The album is much more cohesive and miles ahead of its predecessor minus one major misstep in a slow ballad-type song. Even the extra bonus tracks on the deluxe edition keep things going. If you're into Europop, you really need to give this album a listen. Sun Kil Moon - Benji : Mark Kozelek has a very distinct sound no matter what moniker he's recording under, although Sun Kil Moon does tend to trend toward the extreme storytelling side of things. Benji feels a little overwrought, to be frank - it's not really a fun experience, and it's not memorable because of the songs but b...