If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Daria Kobayashi Ritch It's been five long years since we've had a new album from Snail Mail, but luckily the drought is over! Lindsey Jordan's musical project is back with a new single and a new album due out in March. "Dead End" is a gorgeous mixture of indie rock and pop, which is kind of our jam around here. As melodic and poppy as the song is, there is enough of a chugging guitar to keep it in the rock genre. This is the indie rock goes pop genre at its absolute finest, which is what we've come to expect from Snail Mail. If anything, Jordan took the last five years to up her songwriting game, and "Dead End" may end up being considered one of her best. Welcome back, Snail Mail! We're thrilled to have you. Lindsey Jordan says of her new video: “ We shot the video for ‘Dead End’ in random places all around rural North Carolina between the hours of 5pm and 4am on one of the coldest nights of my life. The goal was to be inconspicuous with...

Artist : Hana Vu Album : Public Storage Quick Thoughts : In one of the more unsettling album covers in recent memory, it gives off abrasive vibes to what's actually a pretty solid poppy listen. This was unexpected in many different ways, and I didn't want to lose this one in the shuffle. A good record on a whole, with a lot that makes me think it's going to be a true grower. Songs of Note : "Keeper," "World's Worst" Artist : Recognize Ali Album : Underground King II Quick Thoughts : We dig Recognize Ali here, and this effort continues along the same lines of his previous work: a great flow with some great beats. I don't know how to talk about rap music, really, but I do know that I really enjoyed this album and wanted more of it. A true highlight. Songs of Note : "Murder in Daylight," "Giant Steps" Artist : Georgia Train Album : Needles and Pinches Quick Thoughts : I didn't know Georgia Train prior to this we...

A slower week after last week's big one. Artist : Soft Science Album : Maps Quick Description : Shoegazey pop rock. Why You Should Listen : This is the best release from last week that we missed? Overall Thoughts : We missed this from last week, and I’m glad I tripped up on it. It has some alt-rock elements mixed with some shoegaze, and there are simply hooks for days on this. In a week where I liked a lot of things but didn’t love anything, this would otherwise be my album of the week. As it stands, though, this is a stellar listen that should have some real longevity in my rotation, and it’s different than a lot of what I’m hearing lately. Recommendation : Worth your time. Artist : Lykke Li Album : so sad so sexy Quick Description : The European alt-popper is back with something truly great. Why You Should Listen : Lykke Li has always pushed boundaries and made some great music. Overall Thoughts : It’s been a while since we heard from Lykke Li, and this is a f...

Snail Mail, aka Lindsey Jordan of Baltimore, MA, does 90s throwback indie rock perfectly, especially considering she wasn't even alive in the 90s. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Snail Mail is 17. (When I stop to think of the kind of music that I would have been doing when I was 17, and that was in the 90s...) Snail Mail's EP, Habit , was released back digitally in 2016 and somehow evaded our attention. Luckily, it's about to be released on vinyl so it has popped up on our radar. Habit  is going to be perfect for anyone that is loving the current 90s indie sound being brought back to the forefront by Courtney Barnett and Palehound. Her voice is a mixture of Juliana Hatfield and Liz Phair, with just the slightest bit of Kim Gordon thrown in. Musically, it's also pretty similar to those three artists. It has a much more melancholy aspect to it, and could almost fall into the singer/songwriter category if the guitars weren't so perfectly jangly. You can l...