If It's Too Loud...

Artist : The Cure Album : Songs of a Lost World Quick Thoughts : Listen, I don't need to explain how The Cure are legendary, how so many of their songs are modern classics, and so on. This is also their first album in 16 years, and could very well be their last. You'd never know it, though, as this is an epic, soaring piece of musical art that both feels like a Cure album while also feeling like an evolution of their sound in a way you'd expect from a band 30 years earlier in their trajectory. This album has no business being as good as it is, and if it's the final hurrah for the band, what a way to go out. Songs of Note : "Alone," "A Fragile Thing," "Warsong," "Drone:Nodrone," "Endsong" Artist : Gossip Collar Album : Spinning Silk for Parasites Quick Thoughts : This was an enjoyable surprise. Especially in a week with a new Cure album, a gothy new wave-adjacent listen is welcome, especially one as good as thi...

Doing Anything this Weekend? is a feature here at If It's Too Loud... where we feature some live shows in and on the far outskirts of the Boston area. Our main rules are that they have to be reasonably priced shows that you can attend last minute. They'll feature If It's Too Loud... approved bands, and we'll provide event links when possible. And since we're in outdoor music season, these events are weather permitting. If you're looking for last minute plans this weekend, we recommend: September 6 Lady Lamb, Hannah Mohan, and Naomi Westwater at Arts at the Armory, Somerville, MA Travels with Brindle at Gilman Park, Somerville, MA Linnea's Garden, TIFFY, Lipsmear, and Lover of Eve at The Middle East, Cambridge, MA Haley Heynderickx and LePond at The Word Barn, Exeter, NH September 7 Sweeping Promises and Zowy at Myrtle, East Providence, RI JP Music Fest featuring Merrie Amsterberg, The Ghouls, Prateek, TELL, Travels with Brindle, and more at Pinebank Field, J...

I Need to Start a Garden  is one of the very rare albums that both Jeff and I included in our top 10 for 2018, so that says huge things about this one. Haley Heynderickx came out of nowhere back in September 2018 with "Oom Sha La La" and I instantly knew I needed to hear more. There aren't a lot of truly unique artists in folk. but Heynderickx is one of the most unique ones. From her odd and interesting way of arranging songs into long epics like "Worth It" to her stunning voice that is just slightly off kilter enough to keep interesting, I Need to Start a Garden is one of the more mesmerizing releases of the year. Take a song like the aforementioned "Oom Sha La La." It starts off as this lovely little pretty song, with the chorus of "Oom sha la la/Oom oom sha la la" just sucking you in, and then the near repeated screaming of "I need to start a garden" kicks in. I'm sure some listeners would be repelled as this can shatter th...

It's that time again where we arbitrarily decide what the ten or so best records of the year are. I'm kicking my list off with Haley Heyndrickx's I Need to Start a Garden . A folk record at heart, this has a little more oomph behind it than you'd initially think it would. My favorite song, "Oom Sha La La," shows (and releases) a bit of the grit and passion that feels held back throughout the affair, making the entire listen not only a great one, but slightly uncomfortable as if you're waiting for that tipping point to happen. In a year with a lot of really superlative folk efforts, it's that added bit of something that sets I Need to Start a Garden apart. Heyndrickx collaborated on a second album that's worth hearing, but, of all the debuts from this year, this is probably the one I'm most excited to hear about what's coming next. It's a testament to the strength of this new voice on the scene. Songs of note: "Oom Sha La ...

Photo via Facebook Earlier this year Haley Heynderickx released her debut album, I Need to Start a Garden , which is a strong contender for album of 2018 for me. You'd think one album would be enough for 2018, but Heynderickx is about to release a collaborative with Maine musician Max Garcia Conover. I'm going to borrow straight from the label's description for this one: "An organic farm in the middle of nowhere. Dry wind through dry leaves. Dogs sleeping endless siestas in the sun. Rain that never comes. And horses. Always horses. This is the scenery the critically acclaimed singer-songwriters Haley Heynderickx (Portland, Oregon) and Max García Conover (Portland, Maine) were dropped in by the Barcelona based label Son Canciones in September 2017. They were given one week to get acquainted, become friends, write six songs, record them and try to catch the ducks that hopped the fence. After five days of hard labor, they walked up the stairs to the dusty st...

It got way too busy, so here's some quick hits. Must Listens : Lucy Dacus - Historian : Believe the hype. This is not only the best album of this week, but maybe of 2018 so far. It's a brilliant record that combines the best of Margaret Glaspy, Sharon Von Etten, and a ton of our favorite singer-songwriters lately to bring a raw, compelling album that just sticks to your guts. I loved it on first listen, and I put it back on earlier today because I wanted to and it just has so many great layers. Don't miss out on this. Tracey Thorn - Record : If I’m being honest with myself, I’ve liked but haven’t loved Thorn’s solo work. That changed considerably with this latest effort, which feels more essential and urgent than anything she has put out since her Everything But the Girl days. I’d expect things to not be this way given Thorn’s lengthy career up to now, but there are just so many songs on this record that are rock solid. If you’ve jumped off the bandwagon, now i...

Photo by Alessandra Leimer We were forced to wait four long months between the release of Haley Heynderickx's amazing "Oom Sha La La" and "Untitled God Song." Luckily for us all, it's a mere two weeks later and we already have a new song of hers to check out. "Worth It" is simply stunning. It starts out as this mesmerizing quiet, slightly off kilter folk-ish song, truly driven by Heynderickx's exceptional voice. Out of nowhere, it starts going off into some noisy indie rock until it's pulled back down into its folk beginnings. I could gush and gush about the various twists the song takes, but I don't want to spoil this one for you. I don't think I've been this mesmerized by a new song since I first heard Lady Lamb's Ripely Pine back when she was the Beekeeper. This is the unicorn level rare folk-ish song that's nearly eight minutes long, and you're going to be desperate for more when it's over. You can (and...

Photo by Evan James Atwood Haley Heynderickx has been on my radar ever since I first heard her ridiculously great song "Oom Sha La La." That was way back in September, which feels like roughly five years ago right now, so I was starting to think she was a figment of my hopes and dreams for 2018. Luckily, I didn't imagine her, and she's back with another song off her upcoming album. "Untitled God Song" starts off as a pretty straightforward folk song in the vein of the current Newport Folk Festival friendly artists. Heynderickx's voice feels vulnerable yet strong. Slowly the song starts transforming and showing some of its quirks, until it breaks out into some 90's style indie rock. It's still somehow melodic and quiet even at its most rambunctious, so this is basically my idea of perfection. You can listen to "Untitled God Song" below.  Haley Hyderickx's debut album,  I Need to Start a Garden , will be out March 2 on Mama Bir...

Photo by Evan James Atwood One of my favorite musical styles I'll always have a fondness for is early 60's doo wop. I grew up an odd kid, choosing a lot of my parent's music instead of my own generation until I was about 12. Because of this, I've listened to way more classic doo wop than New Wave. Doo wop is one of those genres that doesn't really get the throwback love that it deserves. Haley Heynderickx is here to help remedy that. With a song title like "Oom Sha La La," her classic doo wop influence is right out there. The song is a true mix of Americana and the aforementioned doo wop, so there are some similarities to Molly Burch, another of our favorites from earlier this year. But there's just something about Heynderickx's singing style that just feels raw. Her voice goes from light and vulnerable to a feeling of joy (accentuated by the hints of a chuckle on some lines) and back again. And then there's the repeated near screaming of...