If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Nell Smith Album : Anxious Quick Thoughts : Nell Smith's Nick Cave covers record with the Flaming Lips a few years back was one of my favorites of the year. At the time, she was a 12 year old that forged a connection with Wayne Coyne and I have impatiently waited for her debut album ever since. I must have missed the news, however, because I learned upon release that this solo album is also a posthumous release, having died in a car accident last fall at only 17. It's always tragic when a teenager dies, but for those of us who love music, this one hurts a little harder, especially when the musical bookend we get here is so, so good. One of the best of the year, in fact, which I wouldn't have seen coming. It's a little weird, a little poppy, a little indie... what's kind of stunning is that she shows a range here that feels more appropriate for someone ten years old. Songs of Note : "Anxious," "Daisy Fields," "The Worst Best Drug...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz If you're going to write a proper country album, you need at least one drinking song. Julien Baker and TORRES have done just that with "Bottom of a Bottle." The song features TORRES on lead vocals and Baker on harmonies, and sounds exactly like you'd expect a TORRES classic country song would sound like. It has all of the twang along with TORRES' distinctive vocals, along with the edging into modern alt-pop that she does so well. When we first heard this pair were releasing a country album, this is exactly what we expected and wanted. All of the songs released for this album have been spectacular, but there's something a little extra special about "Bottom of a Bottle." You can watch the video for "Bottom of a Bottle" below. Send a Prayer My Way is due out April 18 on Matador Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Julien Baker & TORRES, check out the artists' website . Upcoming tour dates are ...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz We knew a collaborative album between Julien Baker and TORRES was going to be great, but each new single somehow surprises us with just how great it is. The latest, "Dirt," is a country ballad duet between Baker and TORRES (aka Mackenzie Scott), and it's both uplifting and heartbreaking. This is exactly what we expected and wanted once we heard this duo was releasing a country album, just much better and more captivating. If you're a fan of either artist (or both), you're going to love this song. If you've never quite gotten the appeal of one (or both) of them, "Dirt" is going to make you a fan. This song is just that good. You can listen to "Dirt" below. Send a Prayer My Way is due out April 18 on Matador Records, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Julien Baker & TORRES, check out their website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song and include a June 20 appearance at Green River Festival in Greenf...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz Julien Baker and TORRES teaming up for a country album is one of the true joys of 2025. The pair's latest single, "Tuesday," is fronted by TORRES, and according to the press release is about "... trying to overcome and heal from the guilt, shame and religious abuse that so many people experience discovering their identity and growing up Queer." The song is a twangy, laid back country track that lands somewhere between classic country and modern pop music (but nowhere near the current country pop sound). I'm not typically a lyrics guy and don't normally pay attention to the lyrics of a song until after multiple listens, but the lyrics of "Tuesday" grabbed me immediately upon the first listen. This is the type of song that is going to demand your focus and attention.  You can watch the visualizer for "Tuesday" below. Send a Prayer My Way is due out April 18 on Matador Records, and is available for pre-order here . F...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz Much like many of you, a collaboration between Julien Baker and TORRES is kind of a dream come true for us at If It's Too Loud..., so we're thrilled to bring you a new song from their upcoming album. "Sylvia" is a TORRES sung track about adopting her dog. It's a modern country ballad in the best possible sense. It's twangy enough to be a full on country song without sounding anything like modern pop country or classic vintage country. "Sylvia" sounds like TORRES writing and performing a country ballad, and if you've been as big of a TORRES fan as we've been, it's something you never realized you needed as badly as you do. Much like their previous single "Sugar in the Tank," "Sylvia" makes us even more thrilled for the duo's upcoming album. TORRES says of the new single: “The morning I went to pick up my dog Sylvia from an upstate shelter, I was at home making my coffee and I turned on WFMU and ...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz When the Green River Festival announced their 2025 line up, the one thing that leapt out at me was Julien Baker and TORRES performing together. I was intrigued and was dying to know if that meant they were releasing music together, and, if so, what would it sound like? Now we know since the artists debuted a new song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "Sugar in the Tank" is at heart a country/Americana song... mostly. There is still plenty of indie rock injected throughout the song to keep it from being a pure country song, even by alt-country or outlaw country standards. Plus, they've added in some of TORRES' alt-pop to the song. "Sugar in the Tank" is everything we wanted and expected from the pairing of Julien Baker and TORRES, plus even some extra to have us more desperate to hear more from them. You can watch the live performance of "Sugar in the Tank" below. For more on Julien Baker and TORRES, check out their web...

The Green River Festival is one of our favorites of the year. It always seemed to slide under the radar no matter how great their line up has been, but the past few years have seen it get national attention. They've announced the initial line up of their 2025 edition, and this one is certain to make Green River a destination festival. Headlining the 2025 Green River Festival are indie rockers Mt. Joy, Australian phenom Courtney Barnett, and the already legendary Waxatacheee! They also have current indie favorite MJ Lenderman and the intriguing pairing of Julien Baker and TORRES! Aside from that are other If It's Too Loud... favorites such as Kathleen Edwards, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, and Merce Lemon. As always there are bands we're not as familiar with, but we have seven months to do our research and become enamored with new favorites! The Green River Festival will take place June 20-22 at Franklin County Fairgrounds in Greenfield, MA. "Plan Ahead" packages are n...

Artist : Future Islands Album : People Who Aren't There Anymore Quick Thoughts : When "Seasons (Waiting On You)" became a surprise critical favorite, complete with chaotic Letterman/Jools Holland performances, I wasn't sure if their brand of synth-forward indie rock would work with Samuel T. Herring's unique voice in the long term. They've remained a favorite of the indie set, but People Who Aren't There Anymore feels like an accessible entrypoint in a way they haven't gone before. "King of Sweden" and "The Tower" in particular both feel epic and present, and the album gives a mood of a true journey across its tracklisting. I loved this, and in a week with a lot of really solid releases this shouldn't be ignored. Songs of Note : "King of Sweden," "The Tower," "Give Me The Ghost Back," "The Thief," "Iris," "Peach" Artist : Angry Blackmen Album : The Legend of A...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz The first time I saw TORRES (January 22, 2016 at Great Scott with Palehound) was almost eight years to the day of Mackenzie Scott's most recent performance in Boston. After seeing that show, I thought TORRES was a good artist who would one day be great. I've been watching her grow and evolve as an artist over the past eight years, and I'm thrilled to say that I was correct. TORRES' set was delayed a bit due to some technical issues with the keyboard, but one of the good things about shows in small clubs is that a late start kind of adds to the fun of the night. Scott got very chatty with the crowd while the issue was being worked on, and it just added to the intimate feel of the show. In fact, chatty was one of the themes of the night as she introduced most of her new songs with a bit of an explanation. (The fantastic What an enormous room was released just the day before the show.) Finally, the music was able to start. And what a show it was. Scott...

Photo by Ebru Yildiz TORRES just continues to release music that keeps getting better and better. The musical project of Mackenzie Scott just released "Wake to flowers," which might be her weirdest and maybe her most accessible song to date. This new song is pure art. It's kind of an experimental electronic song with some gnarly feedback behind the whole thing. But "Wake to flowers" has a strong pop appeal to it despite the unique sound and noise base. It's weird, because the song should only appeal to a select few who typically look for music that pushes boundaries, but when I hear this one, it just sounds like the kind of song that could unexpectedly appeal to a wider range of listeners. Mackenzie Scott says of her new single: “I’m familiar with the disappointment that frequently follows hope. People are frighteningly resilient. We are regularly optimistic and regularly shattered by the want of something, maybe something that takes all our might and energy...