If It's Too Loud...

I'm hoping this week is evidence that we're out of the summer slump! Album of the Week : Artist : Ruby the RabbitFoot Album : Divorce Party Quick Description : New album from folkie-turned-pop artist. Why You Should Listen : A shift in sound works out really well. Overall Thoughts : We first got a hint of Ruby the RabbitFoot's change in approach with her cover of Madonna's "Take a Bow" from last year , and I found the early songs released from this to be a little jarring. But hearing the album in full, I was feeling like this is sort of like what we might expect Madonna to sound like if she were just starting out now (and that's before getting to album highlight "Wild Cherry Chapstick," which opens with a declaration from Ruby where she admits to having a "sex dream about your brother"). This is a really solid listen and one I'm really looking forward to spending a lot more time with, it's a fun one. Might be jarring ...

A pretty good week this week! Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit : Judging by how much I liked her double EP release from last year, I was pretty confident I would like Courtney Barnett's debut. I didn't expect to like it this much, though. It's a wildly confident, fun, interesting album that both retains what I've liked from Barnett so far while improving the value of the production and such. Plenty of good, hooky songs, and by far my favorite release of the week. Definitely check this one out. Action Bronson - Mr. Wonderful : In a new release timetable that includes records from Earl Sweatshirt and Kendrick Lamar, Action Bronson's major label debut feels out of place. I hadn't heard Bronson before this week, and the best comparison I can make is that he's almost like the rap version of Har Mar Superstar in a lot of ways. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's an interesting release that mig...