If It's Too Loud...

Folk covers of hip hop songs tend to come across as novelty songs, but when it's Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses) covering a song from Kendrick Lamar and SZA, everything gets elevated. It's been ten years since Sam Beam and Bridwell have collaborated, and their version of "Luther" is amazing. They completely avoid the silly/novelty trappings of a folk/hip hop cover, and reimagine Lamar and SZA's hit as a gorgeous folk song. Something about the song shows that they have complete reverence and respect for the source material. It's a fun cover, but not a funny one. Plus, it will have you wanting to dive back into the catalogs of everyone involved in the song. Ben Briswell says of their new cover: “ Working with Sam again feels like a homecoming in so many ways. To circle back ten years after Sing Into My Mouth and expand the project is a wonderful dream relived.  "I chose to focus on ‘Luther' after kinda hitting a wall wondering which so...

Artist : Kendrick Lamar Album : GNX Quick Thoughts : We knew a new Kendrick was coming after having arguably the song of the summer during the Drake beef, but a surprise drop was unexpected to everyone. GNX suffers slightly from Jack Antonoff's production in many areas and is unlikely to end up as anyone's favorite K.Dot record, but "squabble up" and "hey now" are two of the better rap songs of the year that aren't "Not Like Us." I definitely think he probably gained some new fans this year (myself included) and this album is likely to be stratospheric in impact, but it's worth the time. Songs of Note : "wacced out murals," "squabble up," "hey now," "tv off," "heart pt. 6," "gnx" Artist : Poppy Album : Negative Spaces Quick Thoughts : Poppy's biggest flaw is the semi-identity crisis. She started as a robotic pop deconstruction, went full metal, and now comes at us wit...

Artist : Dua Lipa Album : Radical Optimism Quick Thoughts : In a year with Cowboy Carter and Tortured Poets , I didn't really think Dua Lipa having the pop album of the year on my radar, but Radical Optimism is the follow-up to her already classic Future Nostalgia we've been waiting for. Just a catchy as all hell record with a good balance of fun and serious throughout its runtime. If anything, this record proves that leveling up from her self-titled wasn't a fluke, and that she deserves to be listed with the top stars of the moment. A great listen. Songs of Note : "End of an Era," "Houdini," "Training Season," "These Walls," "Illusion" Artist : Camera Obscura Album : Look to the East, Look to the West Quick Thoughts : I've loved Camera Obscura for close to 20 years and I appreciate that this album demonstrates how well their classic sound holds up over the decades, especially after some time off. No, there...

A short week, likely due to the Easter holiday. Album of the Week : Artist : Lillie Mae Album : Forever and Then Some Quick Description : Your new favorite Third Man roots record. Why You Should Listen : You love good rootsy music with a raw feel to them. Overall Thoughts : Lillie Mae was on my radar due to some sort of Spotify mix. If you see her picture on her album covers, you’re greeted with a very specific expectation of a sort of pop sensibility, with her very modern look and such, but what you get instead is an amazingly solid set of country/roots tunes. I spent most of the album both surprised at its quality and really enjoying what I was hearing, and there might not be a bad song in the bunch. Lillie Mae, unsurprisingly, is signed to Third Man Records, and that probably explains why everything works so well here. She might be the 2017 version of Margo Price, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Recommendation : Best release of the week. Artist : Kendrick Lamar Al...

This might be the biggest new release list for us since the blog started, so I'm going to break these highlights up into two chunks for us this time. The rest of the new releases will be covered tomorrow. The Pine Hill Project - Tomorrow You're Going : This is an album of covers by a folky supergroup that, unfortunately, didn't work for me at all. The album felt a little more meandering than I was looking for, and some of the choices (most notably "The Sweetest Thing") felt a little weird. People really into folk music (which I don't qualify for) might find more to enjoy from this, but I wouldn't recommend it for the more casual listener overall. Houndmouth - Little Neon Limelight : Houndmouth is a band we've talked about here before, and while they're really not quite my taste, this album is absolutely a step forward for them as an overall sound. The songwriting feels sharper, the instrumentation solid, and if I have a complaint from a te...