If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Natalie Jane Hill Album : Solely Quick Thoughts : This is some pretty solid folk stuff in a week with a few folk options. I really liked a lot of this, and songs like "Orb Weaver" in particular have a lasting impact. Not a ton to say about this one, but it's worth the time. Songs of Note : "Orb Weaver," "If I Were a Willow," "Solely" Artist : Lunar Vacation Album : Inside Every Fig is a Dead Wasp Quick Thoughts : Lunar Vacation has an album with a gross title, but the music here is solid. It's fuzzy alt-rock that's pretty melodic and really addictive, and kept surprising me throughout its runtime. A lot to love on this one, but it's absolutely the record I'm most looking forward to going back to this week. Songs of Note : "Shrug," "Making Lunch (Not Right Now)" Artist : Xeno & Oaklander Album : Vi/deo Quick Thoughts : Xeno & Oaklander were doing the retro synth thing before...

Photo by Julian Neel We've been digging the "cosmic Americana" of Austin, TX's Natalie Jane Hill, and her latest release solidifies that. "Plants and Flowers that Do Not Grow Here" is a beautiful although somewhat uncomfortable listen at times. The song has all the elements of being a pleasant listen. Hill's vocals are stunning, and the music beneath complements her perfectly. It should be a delightful listen, and it is. But... there's an odd intensity lurking underneath the quiet and beauty. There's just something slightly off and hypnotic that keeps you slightly on edge (although you're not going to want it any other way). Natalie Jane Hill says of the new single: “Plants and Flowers That Do Not Grow Here” is one of my more personal songs on the album. It’s about trying to navigate through a time of addiction while in a disassociated state. I had spent some time trying to distinguish reality from illusion, and I wanted this song to capture ...

Photo by Julian Neel Austin's Natalie Jane Hill has crafted an absolutely perfect modern folk epic with "Orb Weaver." The song isn't a throwback or old timey by any means. Instead, it's a timeless folk/Americana song that could have been released any time in the past fifty years. It's a simple song, with Hill's mesmerizing vocals mixing expertly with a picked guitar and possibly some steel guitar poking out of the background for atmosphere. "Orb Weaver" is far more hypnotic than haunting, and is a truly beautiful, organic folk song from Hill. In a press release, Natalie Jane Hill says of the new song: “'Orb Weaver' is a song about comparing myself to the hidden intricacies that I might find on a walk in the woods. I attach most of my memories to what is visually around during a certain time. Sometimes there is a comfort to the natural world and other times there is a harshness. My experiences can almost mirror them. I’d like to think that...