If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Stella Kola Album : Stella Kola Quick Thoughts : Stella Kola is a musical duo out of Massachusetts that might have already made a leading candidate for best debut of 2023. This album leans heavily into the psych-folk past while still feeling incredibly modern and current, with addictive songs and absolutely beautiful instrumentation from start to finish. I did not expect to outright love this album as much as I did, and I want more. Great listen on a whole, make some time for this. Songs of Note : "Rosa," "Epiphany," "Free Afternoon," "November," "The Air We Breathe" Artist : Hamish Hawk Album : Angel Numbers Quick Thoughts : I didn't know Hamish Hawk before this week, but I wish I had, because this is an early favorite for 2023 best of lists. Hamish Hawk is what you've wanted Morrissey post-Smiths to be: a gorgeous baritone with excellent lyrics and a knack for storytelling. I was captivated by this album and...

Album of the Week : Artist : Stephen Malkmus Album : Groove Denied Quick Description : New album from the Pavement frontman. Why You Should Listen : Stephen Malkmus has earned the right to do what he wants at this point. Overall Thoughts : At least when Radiohead went weird, they didn’t try to alienate most listers right out of the gate. If you can get past the first track of Groove Denied , however, you’re in for a real treat. Malkmus’s output over the decades has always been a strange mixed bag even if it’s perpetually compelling, and this album is the vision of a man just spreading his wings as much as he wants and presenting the results. Sort of a Kraftwerk via the American West Coast amalgam of ideas and concepts through much-to-most of the affair, this is not going to have the sort of wide appeal of his early solo work or the indie smart takes of the most hardcore of Pavement enthusiasts. This is a bizarre record, but it’s also kind of brilliant and really works as long...