It still feels like January, with a comparatively modest list of new albums out today — at least among artists that I already know really well. In May, when I’ll be straining to limit myself to only four or five new albums, all by artists I already love, looking back on today will seem weird. Anyway, I found these new albums to listen to:
Runnner — starsdust. I totally loved Noah Weinman’s 2023 album like dying stars, we’re reaching out, so listening to this was a no-brainer. Unlike that album, this one is pure unadulterated ambient instrumental music that is so minimalist that the song titles are simply track numbers. I will certainly give this a few tries, but I wonder how long I’ll have the patience to stick with this.
The Paranoid Style — The Interrogator. Cuing this up immediately after the Runnner this morning was certainly a choice. Catchy up tempo music that’s totally infectious. Seems very promising.
J Mascis — What Do We Do Now. For some reason, I’ve never really gotten into Dinosaur Jr. or his solo work, but I’m happy to try this. His voice is totally unique — this seems decent after just one listen.
The Last Dinner Party — Prelude to Ecstasy. Any debut album that starts with an orchestral prelude gets credit for effort. Highly cinematic and the absolute opposite of subtle. I coined the term “brutalist pop” for Florence + the Machine and these folks are definitely in that lane.
Album Spotlight
I discover new music in lots of different ways. Lizzie No got a plug from Roman Mars a few months ago in an episode of the podcast 99 Percent Invisible and played a song she wrote about the eternally burning town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. She’s got a musical style that I find captivating — a singer-songwriter with a somewhat delicate voice that with proper production can truly shine. And she totally shines on Halfsies.
I love her musical diversity here. She weaves together a story about a character named Miss Freedomland and shifts gracefully between pretty traditional folky songs such as “The Heartbreak Store” and “Done” and some excellent bangers (“Lagunita” and “Getaway Car”). The backing instruments on the opening title track create a catchy and fascinating little world, punctuated by pounding drums and maybe a celeste?
The highlight for me is “Annie Oakley,” which presents the less glamourous side of life on the road (“Feel dirt between the sheets/Perforated by the end of a cigarette”). And nods to the fact that it’s particularly hard because of who she is (“‘Cause little black girls better move along when the sun goes down in this part of the country”). In the end, Miss Freedomland gets a taste of redemption in the very country-folk traditional-sounding “Babylon.”
I think I’ve only scratched the surface of this wonderful album and I look forward to drinking this in more deeply.
Enjoyed listening this week to
Bill Ryder-Jones — Iechyd Da (2024)
Green Day — Saviors (2024)
Marika Hackman — Big Sigh (2024)
The Vaccines — Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations (2024)
Next Week
Brittany Howard’s What Now. which was supposed to be out today has been delayed to next week — I will be very happy to hear her first new album in five years whenever it drops. Along with that, I’ve got my eye on Phasor by Helado Negro, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She by Chelsea Wolfe, and Weird Faith by Madi Diaz.