Artist: Jade Jackson
Album: Wilderness
Quick Description: Great alt-country.
Why You Should Listen: Jade Jackson's debut was good, but this is amazing.
Overall Thoughts: I was turned onto Jade Jackson from an old friend a few years back, and I hadn’t kept up quite close enough to know that she had a new record out. With that said, what a great album! I felt like her previous record had better parts than a whole (with “Aden” in particular a truly great song), but this album seems to pull it all together in a way I didn’t anticipate. This is the album, for me, that pushes her out of the second tier and into the spots I put women like Kathleen Edwards, Lydia Loveless, and the like. Such a great listen, and I am really hoping this has the staying power I want.
Recommendation: One of the best of the week, if not the year.
Artist: Thom Yorke
Album: ANIMA
Quick Description: Dystopian blues from the Radiohead frontman.
Why You Should Listen: Do I really need to explain the need to listen to a Thom Yorke album?
Overall Thoughts: I’ll be honest – Radiohead hasn’t done it for me in well over a decade, and yet Yorke’s solo output seems to meet the standards I’m looking for in a Radiohead record. Yeah, it’s heavy on the electronics and is probably more reminiscent of an ironed-out Kid A, but that’s what makes it work. I don’t know if this will be divisive or not, but I’m really into it.
Recommendation: Not for everyone, but it worked for me.
Artist: Gena Rose Bruce
Album: Can't Make You Love Me
Quick Description: Rootsy goodness.
Why You Should Listen: Gena Rose Bruce has the sort of dirty backyard roots music we've been looking for this summer.
Overall Thoughts: This is definitely roots-influenced, and really reminiscent of Lera Lynn in many regards. The pacing on this is so slow and deliberate, and feels like it belongs more on some sort of grungy deck than on an album. I really enjoyed this on a whole, and it has a few great moments that are likely to stick with you as they did with me.
Recommendation: You should put this in the rotation.
Artist: Berwanger
Album: Watching a Garden Die
Quick Description: Power pop perfection.
Why You Should Listen: The title may be bleak, but it will put a smile on your face.
Overall Thoughts: I know I listened to the last Berwanger record, but it didn't really stick with me in any significant way. This new album, though, might do just that. A fun, upbeat-sounding slice of indie pop, this is one that just shocked me from start to finish, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Different than most everything else out this week, it's worth your time.
Recommendation: Give it a listen.
Artist: Sarah Bethe Nelson
Album: Weird Glow
Quick Description: Third album by a low-key fave 'round these parts.
Why You Should Listen: Nelson knows how to craft a song.
Overall Thoughts: Sarah Bethe Nelson releases her third album when I still haven't finished with her first one. That's kind of how she works: she writes songs with immense staying power that work both in and out of the album context. This is a slight diversion of sorts from her first efforts, but it still feels clearly and specifically Sarah Bethe Nelson, and this is as good a time as any to hop on the bandwagon.
Recommendation: One of the best of the week.
Of note:
* The Black Keys - "Let's Rock" (I have nothing significant to say about this, but it's really good.)
* Summer Cannibals - Can't Tell Me No
* Heather Nova - Pearl
* Daughter of Swords - Dawnbreaker
* Sure Sure - What It's Like
* Ingrid Michaelson - Stranger Songs
* Julia Michaels - Inner Monologue Part 2
* Sofia Bolt - Waves
* Spirits Having Fun - Auto-Portrait
Eps:
* Gabriell Marlena - Manners
* Poppy - Choke
* Charlie Marie - Charlie Marie (a catch up from May.)
* Arc Iris - Friends and Lovers
* American Trappist - Amuse-Orielle Vol. 2
* HONEYMOAN - Body
Also out:
* Kim Petras - Clarity
* The Alarm - Sigma
* Iggy Pop - Zombie Birdhouse
* The Appleseed Cast - The Fleeting Light of Impermanence
* Horse Jumper of Love - So Divine
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