If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Bret McKenzie Album : Songs Without Jokes Quick Thoughts : You know Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Concords , and while this is billed as an album "without jokes," it's still a fun listen on a whole. This is some serious songwriting even while McKenzie isn't taking himself terribly seriously, and the result has a feeling of sitting in a piano bar, sipping a drink and having a grand old time. I really enjoyed this one. Songs of Note : "That's L.A.," "A Little Tune," "Tomorrow Today" Artist : Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith Album : Let's Turn It Into Sound Quick Thoughts : Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is one of my favorite experimental-type electronic artists, and this specific album is honestly better listened as a whole rather than the parts. It's got a lot of interesting structures and soundscapes throughout, and it kept grabbing my attention across the whole runtime. If you're not against some more challenging listens...

A busy week, so we're splitting this in two: Album of the Week : Artist : Alex Lahey Album : I Love You Like a Brother Quick Description : Debut full-length from someone who we've come to love very quickly here. Why You Should Listen : This is the best mix of indie, alt-rock, and an older aesthetic I've heard in a while. Overall Thoughts : Ken’s spent a lot of time raving about Lahey, and both of us had very high expectations for her debut full-length. Somehow she didn’t just meet them, she exceeded them easily. Sing-along choruses, a nice wall of sound that both hits hard and doesn’t overwhelm, an instrumental aesthetic that seems fully rooted in current times while still borrowing heavily from 80s and 90s soundscapes? There’s no flaw in this record at all, and it’s easily my favorite of the week. Unless you’re really, really anti-alt-rock, this has to get into your rotation this week, because Alex Lahey will probably end up being your favorite new musician on ...