If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Suz Slezak Album : Our Wings May Be Featherless Quick Thoughts : It's impossible for us to be objective about one half of David Wax Museum, so I'm not going to even try. Suz Slezak's first solo album is a really gorgeous folky poppy effort, with a few songs that, were there any justice in the world, would sit comfortably on the radio. If you're a fan of David Wax Museum, you'll find a lot to love here, and if you're not, you'll still find a lot to love. It's easily a favorite of the year so far. Songs of Note : "Beautiful Mess," "Blaze of Gold," "Now It Is Morning" Artist : Luna Li Album : Duality Quick Thoughts : Luna Li has been on my radar for a bit, but even this album surprised me. This has a lot of interesting songs, and it's got a bit of an edge to it, too - the song with beadadoobee in particular is a highlight, but her mix of styles and themes makes her stand out in ways other efforts don't...

Photo by Halle Hirota Luna Li is the rare indie rock musician with over a decade of classical training, in her case violin and piano. None of that is going to prepare you for her latest song, "Trying." "Trying" is a pop song, but one of the more interesting pop songs I've heard in years. It starts off pretty light in an indie pop kinda way. It has a dreamy, breezy feel to it that brings 60's girl groups into the modern world. And then the crashing cymbals and violins kick in, and even if you hate 95% of what can be considered pop (like myself), you truly need to check this song out. Luna Li explains the song: " Writing this song was an exercise in vulnerability. I had been listening to the podcast Song Exploder and noticed that the episodes I connected with most were the ones where the artists really opened up. I made a conscious decision to write something vulnerable as a way to combat my shyness and to better connect with others.  “ Trying ” ...