If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Dua Lipa Album : Radical Optimism Quick Thoughts : In a year with Cowboy Carter and Tortured Poets , I didn't really think Dua Lipa having the pop album of the year on my radar, but Radical Optimism is the follow-up to her already classic Future Nostalgia we've been waiting for. Just a catchy as all hell record with a good balance of fun and serious throughout its runtime. If anything, this record proves that leveling up from her self-titled wasn't a fluke, and that she deserves to be listed with the top stars of the moment. A great listen. Songs of Note : "End of an Era," "Houdini," "Training Season," "These Walls," "Illusion" Artist : Camera Obscura Album : Look to the East, Look to the West Quick Thoughts : I've loved Camera Obscura for close to 20 years and I appreciate that this album demonstrates how well their classic sound holds up over the decades, especially after some time off. No, there...

Photo by Ingmar Chen Back in March, Lightning Bug released the excellent "Opus," an experimental and mainstream rock song with electronic elements. The band has changed things up quite a bit for their latest single, the absolutely gorgeous "Lullaby for Love." This new single starts off with what sounds like a single note of looped vocals before the rest of the instruments kick in. The result is this wave of dream pop melody that just washes over you. It sounds both intensely personal and absolutely epic in scope. It sounds like Audrey Kang is singing directly to you and an entire arena of people at the same time. "Lullaby for Love" ends up being this truly magical song that keeps Lightning Bug's talent of being both experimental and mainstream alive. Audrey Kang says of her band's latest single: “ I wrote 'Lullaby for Love' as part of a mixtape for an ex-partner. It was actually kind of a joke between us, like leaning into the cheesiness of...

Photo by Ingmar Chen Lightning Bug have released a new single that's virtually impossible to describe, which is usually our favorite kind. "Opus" is a fairly straightforward alt-rock song... kind of. The closest thing I can think of to describe the song is if Radiohead made Kid A in 1995. There are some electronic and experimental elements, but the song is a little more organic and rock. "Opus" has moments where it's experimental and is awash in beautiful noise, but it's also kind of a mainstream, almost Adult Contemporary song at times. It's the kind of song that makes you immediately want to restart it to make sure you heard it correctly the first time, and to see what you missed during your initial listen. Lightning Bug say of their new single: “ We imagined ‘Opus’ as a dystopian folk song written for a post-apocalyptic fantasy saga. Or maybe it’s for the saga we’re all living in, as every year our humanity resigns itself to a world turning faster...

Artist : TEKE::TEKE Album : Shirushi Quick Thoughts : A while back I mentioned El Michels Affair , which sent me down a rabbit hole of international music. Among the finds was TEKE::TEKE, a Montreal-based band that merges 1960s-70s psych folk with traditional Japanese instrumentation and songwriting. Some songs, like "Kaminari," sound almost cinematic, while "Yoru Ni" feels like a more direct rock song. I am so, so glad I tripped up on TEKE::TEKE - my musical life is so much better with them in it. Songs of Note : "Yoru Ni," "Barbara," "Kaminari" Artist : Lightning Bug Album : A Color of the Sky Quick Thoughts : This is such a nice, subtle album. I loved so much of this record, and I hated that I missed it so early on. It's got a serene quality to it that counters some really complicated songwriting and gorgeous vocals. I wish I had more to say about this one, because it's truly a record that shouldn't be missed,...