Almost missed this one this year! And it's reportedly the last time he's doing this, so if that's true, he's going out in epic style. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Monday, September 13, 2021
Rockin' My Turntable in 2020.
 |
| I know it's a break from tradition to use album covers instead of my yearly turntable image, but... |
Hey, at least this one isn't as late as my 2018 list, right? I honestly debated even doing this list since I think most of us can agree that music in 2020 was downright weird.* Indie musicians' careers halted just as they were starting to blast off, huge names in the music biz released hotly anticipated albums that were swiftly forgotten in the midst of a pandemic, and both me and the entire planet had to deal with a constantly shifting internal emotional landscape. And let me tell you, none of that is conducive to my usual approach to these lists. So this one is an oddity that I'm posting here more for posterity than as some sort of actual critical read on the year as a whole.
I did just take a spin through the albums on ye olde tankPHONE that are still in there from last year, and there are quite a few I still listen to that aren't on this list.** But when I started winnowing this down the only real mental metric I could apply was that these were albums I could reliably turn to that made me feel during a period of time when I wasn't certain I could feel at all, or ever again.
Also of note: I usually stick with 20 albums a year, but this list is a little longer since some releases are grouped together for various reasons that will make sense as you read along. I've also written this over the span of months, when I could harness the energy to do so. So I ask that you forgive me if it feels like a slightly less cohesive style of writing than I'd usually employ on something like a year-end list. But hey, slow and steady at least got this eventually finished, right?
Also also of note? I've tried to use Bandcamp over Spotify embeds whenever possible, but a bunch of these ain't on Bandcamp, and I'd rather you can easily sample the tunes, even if it's via one of my less favorite streaming services.
Let's do this!
______________________________
Local H released an absolute crusher of an album that got great reviews and showcased Scott Lucas' uncanny ability to merge melody with walls of crushing noise held aloft by Ryan Harding's thunderous drumming. It also continued Lucas' string of albums that never flag in quality while still pushing against the boundaries of what is expected from Local H. Anyone writing this band off as a nostalgia act, or '90s revival is really cheating themselves out of listening to one of the most consistent songwriters of his generation. Well, any generation, actually. I don't know how Lucas keeps this up, but I'm truly glad he's a "lifer."
Lucas also deserves bonus points for launching one of the best podcasts to debut during the pandemic.
______________________________
The High Water Marks are based in Norway, but the heart of the band is frontperson Hilarie Sidney. You may recognizer that name if you're familiar with The Apples In Stereo through her years with that band, but she takes center stage and dishes out a ton of sharp indie rock-n-pop tunes over the duration of Ecstasy Rhymes. A little burst of sunshine that helped me get through the year.
______________________________
This album is a force of nature. It knocked me on my ass. It is one of the rawest, strongest conduits to a mindset I find both awe-inspiring and incredibly bracing. In a year that threatened to crush the human condition, Fiona Apple gave us her most human album of her career and it will stand as one of the great artistic statements of this decade. Lots of other people have written about this far more intelligently than I ever could, so I'll leave it at that. But wow.
______________________________
I felt so bad for Joe Wong last year. He had an excellent podcast talking to other musicians, and was clearly very excited about the release of this album. And then the pandemic crushed all that excitement and Wong withdrew from podcasting more and more as the months went by, and I can't shake the feeling this album's release to a world that wasn't exactly embracing new music is to blame. But it's a lovely collection of finely crafted songs that walk the line between orch pop and full-blown '70s Cali-coast revival. And if you grab the version with the extra disc of instrumentals you can really sink into the craftsmanship. I really hope this album gets a second chance if Wong ever tours behind it, but I also can't imagine how dispiriting it would be to have to tour an album that is already years old.
______________________________
This was my go-to guitar album when I wanted to float on pillows of sound. It never failed to at least transport me to another place, even if it couldn't always cheer me up. But hell, little could be depended to cheer anyone up last year. Right?
______________________________
Thank GAWD The Struts managed to cobble together a pandemic album that still sounded like The Struts. Which is to say an over-the-top joyous blast of glam-pop-and-roll. When I needed epic stadium sounds in my ears during my looooong neighborhood walks, this often put a smile on my face for the duration.
Not to get too cliché, but this album made the days feel less strange, at least for a few minutes.
______________________________
Elevator pitch? Sonically, this is basically '80s Hall & Oates meets Phil Collins, with a touch of Steely Dan, but not enough Steely Dan to annoy the hell out of me. It was possibly my breakout vibez album of the year. As far as being an unexpected pleasure with vibez that seemingly sprouted from nowhere.
______________________________
These three are grouped together because they all fit particular emotional needs at particular times, and seemingly were released in perfect rhythm with those internal needs. Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia got TONS of play, letting me disappear to a virtual club of smart pop that would spur me to dance, no matter where I was. Luckily it was during the height of lockdown, so only a few people were exposed to my bad dance moves during my walks. Then, as the juice from Future Nostalgia might have started to lose its potency, Kylie Minogue stepped in with Disco to keep the party going, as I gained hope things might be looking up. They weren't. And that's why Annie's Dark Hearts hit the spot a little later, giving me a spot of darkness to disappear into for my internal dance parties. The mood was darker, the tone was heavier, but after I let them sink in, the rhythms and melodies proved incredibly therapeutic. And by year's end I had three nigh perfect pop albums I could rely on that had lost none of their punch.
______________________________
Both of these albums are brimming with life and energy and are just, quite simply, both incredibly beautiful and incredibly inspirational. They are two rather different groups, but both have the collective effect of lifting you up while making you think. Wonderful.
______________________________
Call me basic, I don't care. This was fucking great. And, finally, a return to The Killers producing killer albums again instead of killer collections of a few singles with a bunch of aimless filler.
______________________________
I felt like I had to wait for forEVer for a new album from my faves The Sounds, so I'm grateful they had the grace to exceed those high expectations. Pure dance rock bliss. And, of course, it came out when they couldn't promote it, because if they had, this would've been one of the albums everyone was talking about later in the year. They're touring now, so hopefully this catches fire before the end of 2021!
______________________________
Speaking of waiting forever for a new album...
But it was worth the wait, and I found the sonic tapestries to be miles ahead of their earlier output, creating a fully realized vision and album whose squishy, squooshy tunes molded to fit every nook and cranny of my brain that needed occupying.
______________________________
The last show I saw in 2020 was March 12. This was the bill. And both albums are tremendous, really. And act as counterparts to each other. And I have some complicated feelings about of Montreal at times, but UR Fun was one of the most, erm, fun albums Kevin Barnes and crew released in years. And of course, that night I had a feeling things were about to change, but I didn't realize quite how much they would be changing! So these two albums not only serve as standout releases, but as a very clear marker of time for me, now.
______________________________
Kid Sister is connected to these cats, so there is a Chicago connection here. But I prefer the band being mostly shrouded in mystery since I'm content to focus on their unnerving blend of classic soul sounds with the sounds of today to create a living, breathing masterpiece of an album.
______________________________
Whoa whoa whoa! Maybe the best back to basics super-charged rock album of the year. Still takes my breath away and makes me smile every time I put it on.
______________________________
Every year needs a few out-of-the-blue indie discoveries, and these two hit that spot dead center. 2nd Grade mined the more twee side of things while Supercrush went straight for the power-pop jugular with its fuzzy attack. Both are totally great.
______________________________
2020 should have also been Sabrina Ellis' breakout year. She's not new to the scene by any means, but her more traditional rock band Sweet Spirit released the catchiest and tightest album thus far, and she teamed up with Har Mar Superstar on the modern-day soul project Heart Bones. Add this to her ferocious fronting of noise-sters A Giant Dog and you have an artist who can front any genre of band without ever losing any of her particularly unique wild energy. Clearly I hold her collaborators in all these projects in high esteem as well, but heck, the through line is all Ellis, and she amplifies the efforts of everyone around her. It's stunning.
______________________________
Epic. Anthemic. Full of life. And definitely filed under where did THEY come from?! I'd never heard of Fire In The Radio before last year, and even upon first listen was like, is this cheesy? But on a second listen I realized this is not cheesy, it's just broadly, earnestly ambitious, and I've gotten used to not hearing a lot of that these days.
______________________________
These are all Chicago bands, many of whom I've long championed. Well, long being a relative term since a few are still early in their respective musical careers. But the thing they all have in common? All four of these albums would have broken them big on the national stage in 2020, and the fact everything ground to a halt cost all of them valuable momentum. These wold be standouts in any year, so it's particularly vexing they've mostly been forgotten as the bands have all apparently moved onto new music. Hopefully that magic moment is still right around the corner for all four.
______________________________
I wanted to end this list on a really high note.
In an era where surprise album drops are the norm, it takes a lot for an unexpected album drop to actually surprise me. But Scott Masson did just that with this mammoth beast stuffed with hooks and songs that just flowed all over, submerging me in their beauty. It's not "pretty" music, but it is catchy. It's not "sad" music, but it is emotional. What it is, is epic. I honestly didn't think Masson would ever return to something this polished and grandly rock and/or roll after OFFICE disbanded and he traveled down far more esoteric musical paths. But he did and I'm shocked and it's magnificent. If you only pick up a single album from an artist you are less familiar with on this list, this is the one to get.
*Holy understatement, Batman! Right?
**I wrote this sentence months ago, but a quick glance at the music on my phone shows this still holds true.
Saturday, September 11, 2021
20 years ago today.
There are three flashes of memory with images so clear and feelings so overwhelming that they haven't faded in 20 years.
- Groggily picking up the phone after its ringing woke me up to hear my roommate's boyfriend worriedly asking if she'd left for work yet. I answered yes and was clearly confused by how upset he sounded until he finally said, "Oh god. You don't know. Turn on the TV right now."
- Frantically biking under a bright blue sky in perfect weather, hunched over my handlebars to make myself as small a target as possible, terrified that an airplane would drop form the sky or explosions would go off or people would be shooting in the streets as I hurried to Photogal's condo. Early on we were all still terrified there would be more attacks taking other forms in other cities throughout the day.
- Sitting in a parking lot that afternoon and waiting to give blood at a donation center because we felt we had to do something.
Thursday, September 09, 2021
Pearl & The Oysters is perfect for a crisp, chilly, late-summer day, hold the pumpkin spice.
 |
| Photo by Laura Moreau |
Looking for a late-week jolt / pick-me-up? Then Pearl & The Oysters might be your thing.
This collection of crisp pop with a global touch—like ye olde school pop, francophone global-stylee) and really reminds me of April March and that musical contingent that burst forth for a brief spell in the late '90s.
That's it! Give it a listen, and buy if you enjoy it, or move along and check in later for another recommendation if you don't!
Thursday, September 02, 2021
Glam rawk 'n' roll straight to your ears from Sweden—it's Velvet Insane!
Velvet Insane's Rock 'n' Roll Glitter Suit is a big ol' batch of scrappy Swedish glam rawk that I can't get enough of it. I love it!
I kept hoping they'd put it on Bandcamp so I could share the whole thing here (and make it even easier for you to pick up), but I don't think that's gonna happen. But this should give you an excellent idea of what to expect from the band and then—it is inevitable—you can go track down the full album to enjoy.
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Rick White takes us all to "where it's fine" and man oh man it's a good place to be.
So I checked it out. Gave a few tunes a listen. And plunked down my dough to download the full album minutes later.
Where it's fine uses a psychedelic hard pop approach, fusing the fuzz with solid grooves and mantra-like melodies, topped off by a drumming style that manages straightforward beats with a more tumble style with a loose swing that is more mesmerizing than metronomic. And from what I can tell, it's all White, all the time. The only credit I could find is a short note from White saying the album was "made from collected solo recordings I created in my home studio between the spring of 2020 and spring 2021."
I gotta say, for a pandemic album, this sure doesn't sound like it was recorded in isolation. So hop alongside White and take a trip through an expanded universe. We all need temporary mental islands to escape to these day, right?
The album is available to listen to for free or pay for the download below, but if you wanna get it on vinyl that's an option too.
*It was literally a timing thing. Had I heard Eric's Trip maybe a year later than I was first introduced to them (1991?) my opinion might've been very different.
**It was a podcast about Sloan, so I guess it's not surprising they'd be championing other Canadian rockers. So read that purely as my surprise at the particular rocker they were championing. Though I didn't know White had also recorded a cover of Sloan's Peppermint EP recently as well, and then it all made total sense to me.
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
What does it sound like when a rainbow explodes overhead? mazie has the answer.
mazie's the rainbow cassette EP is a dizzying, kaleidoscopic production featuring short stabs of pop that rarely travel in expected directions. It's almost as if mazie consumed old psychedelic catalogs to help craft her own approach to the pop construct. Stay with me here, but whether or not it's intentional—and I have no idea if mazie has even heard of the band—some of this reminds me of Dukes Of Stratosphear. It doesn't really matter though, since this EP is 100% mazie, and after giving it a listen I think you'll agree the world needs more playful, technicolor experimental pop like this.
However you personally end up describing the rainbow cassette, I think every listener will agree that this EP is super fun and quirky and DARING. Sample it below and pick up a copy if it lands on you the way it did on me.
I also see she's playing a show in Chicago in December, so snag a ticket to that too. I know I'm deeply curious to see how this translates to a live setting!
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Sink into some "Country Glory" with My Tree, my friend.
 |
| My Tree photo by Lauren Desberg |
Great example of me sitting on an album until it's release and then completely missing the release date! As if that drives anything any longer these days. But still, better late than never!
Benjamin 'Jamal' Hoffmann and Caroline Davis are the core of My Tree (f.k.a. Maitri) and the duo specialize in ... I'm not exactly sure. Usually when you hear a band is genre-blending it's a misdirect because you're not sure how to categorize them, but in My Tree's case their mixture of soul, pop, off-kilter beats, and wild production touches all come together to create something I feel isn't hyperbolic to describe as unique to them. But it's all on glorious display on their new album, Where The Grace Is.
Usually I post a full album below, but today I'm just sharing their song "Country Glory" since it's probably the single tune that manages to pack much of what I consider distinctive to the band into its four minutes. Consider it the gateway to the rest of the album, because if you connect with this song, you'll love the entire album. And if you check out the full album, I highly recommend listening to the whole thing, uninterrupted, from start to finish and strapping in for the ride. You'll find yourself in weird headspaces, and if you aren't thrown pleasantly off-balance a few times by some of the sonic shifts, you haven't given yourself over completely to their world yet. And you should.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
What are the chances? Pretty good, actually. So "let's hear it for love!"
What are the chances that the first song I heard performed by a full band on a big stage with big ol' amplifiers after a year and half would be captured by a friend of said band and posted to said band's YouTube page, and feature me at the moment that my mind is being once again blown by the incredibly emotional realization that music could still make my body and soul sing in ways I had truly forgotten?
Pretty good! See?
I have made efforts multiple times to go to shows over the past few weeks and stayed at home at the last moment every single time. So Sunday I decided that maybe if I posted something publicly about trying to attend a show, it might help hold me accountable and get me out the door for once.
And it worked! Well, not so much the accountable thing and more the lovely responses from friends helped me realize leaving the house was worth it.
So I went to Wicker Park Fest to see Smoking Popes, and as I walked in they launched into "Let's Hear It For Love." I staked out a spot outside the venue I booked 20 years ago—close enough to the stage to see the band but far enough away I wouldn't be blocking anyone's view. I think I welled up near the end of the song, but after that first wave passed and I composed myself then ... the tears really started flowing.
Literally crying right now standing watching Smoking Popes because my physical frame forgot what the vibrations of live drums and amps and pure volume felt like.
— Tankboy (@tankboy) July 26, 2021
Bliss.
I have a lot more I could say about the experience and it's lasting and positive mental effects, but for now let me simply share that it will take a while to ramp back up to whatever "normal" socializing looks like, but these first steps feel wonderful.
Friday, July 23, 2021
Well, well, well...
How's everyone doing? Everyone's life back to normal yet? Everyone feeling good? Back into a regular schedule and seeing all your friends?
Yeah, me neither.
As part of an attempt to "get back to normal" I've been listening to a lot of shuffle on the tankPHONE to reconnect with acts I once felt passionate about as a method to rediscovering some of that emotional brain space that's taken a bit of a beating over the past couple of years.
I think it works maybe 15% of the time, but each time that connection reignites and blossoms into a pleasurable flame in the center of my brain and spreads throughout my body it makes the effort totally worth it.
And it's happening more often. I've even been able to start enjoying some artists again that just held too much emotional baggage for me to listen to over the last couple of years.
And I'm doing other things. But for now I just wanted to let you know it's still absolutely O.K. to not be O.K. We've all been through one ringer or another—and I'd say the majority of the rational population is suffering from a pretty massive shared trauma—so don't push yourself if it doesn't feel right.
It's going to take a looooooooong time to figure out what the actual new normal is, and there is nothing wrong with you for realizing that and taking it slow.
Also, in a time where many of us might feel largely forgotten, or think no one cares or remembers us, know that I am thinking of you. You are not forgotten. And we'll get through this. Patience, my friend. Patience.
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Lost somewhere between the earth and my home today.
I often think of The Geraldine Fibbers, actually. How they shoulda been bigger. How unique they were. How sexy was their sound. How otherworldly Buzolich's voice and how its expanse swallows you and surrounds you with every emotion and stimuli imaginable from within its acrobatic depths. How gnarled and tangled they got those guitars. How their proper full-length debut never stood a chance on a Major label in 1995 and that is just all the more reason to love it. How that debut hasn't aged a day because it was always ahead of its time. How much I fell and am still in love with every new nook and cranny my ears and/or brain discover each time I listen.
How random it was that I was looking for something to listen to that was meaningful to me on my birthday and when I fired up Lost Somewhere Between The Earth And My Home I also hopped online to see if the band had been up to anything I missed in the last, oh, 20 years since I last checked up on them and whammo-blammo can you believe it they just released Lost Somewhere Between The Earth And My Home on vinyl last year and it includes the first new track from the band in 20 years (!) as a bonus so I immediately ordered a copy of my own and that was pretty exciting.
Tuesday, June 08, 2021
If you wanna feel fancy you'll call it 'Oxygène'
I've scraped most of the streaming services for content that can still hold my interest after 14+ months of largely staying home. After my extreme disappointment in the latest Conjuring* movie I was looking for something that might actually be scary, and while Oxygen (titled Oxygène elsewhere) is more thriller than horror, it is very effective at raising your pulse ... even after you've figured out the twist (which, of course, there is a twist but it's reasonably obvious, so it never feels like you've been hoodwinked or anything).
So yeah, watch Oxygen!
*To be fair, I've never watched a Conjuring movie all the way through before, and while I was aware it was a popular franchise I had no idea HOW popular! So I'm probably in the minority when it comes to people that find them terrible.
Monday, June 07, 2021
Hold onto your hats!
While it might seem odd I'm only just now seeing a video from 2016, that's the glory on the internet, right? Discovering old news that feels surprising and new! Well, sometimes. In this instance I had to watch this a few times because I figured there had to be a trick I was missing, but apparently it's just physics at work.
[h/t Kottke]
[h/t Kottke]
Friday, June 04, 2021
The Rare Occasions ask that "You Call Me When You Get There," so put them on speed dial.
The Rare Occasions are based in L.A. and their new album Big Whoop is out June 18, and it is very fun and quite incredible. The video above for "Call Me When You Get There" nicely encapsulates the band's strengths, so if you're expecting a brash and bright power-pop explosion from the rest of the disc, your expectations will be met!
Also, a side note about videos in general, but is anyone else simply floored at how almost every video these days looks great and is as inventive as all get-out? I was reading the oral history of the initial MTV boom and I swear that videos these days produced on shoestring budgets either rival or are superior to the once that cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.
All you need is a great idea now, and technology has caught up with how you execute your visions ... so I think that's pretty cool. Even if I am doubtful any video by anyone not a superstar converts into many sales, I'm grateful they're still out there and bands are making them awesome.
You can pre-order Big Whoop here, but if you can't wait you can snag "Call Me When You Get There" below.
Thursday, June 03, 2021
It's been a good week!
I've spent more time in my company's physical office in the last week than I did in the previous fourteen months. I don't know what the future holds, though I am not a fan of the notion we would all resume the regular pre-pandemic commutes and losing all that time just to be in the office every single day. But I do appreciate having a physical space to use when I need gear that I don't have at home. And now that more and more folks are fully vaccinated, meeting in person occasionally can't be beat when hammering out complicated projects on tight deadlines. There is something about being in a room together, knowing everyone is in the same physical space and working toward the same destination, that even the most robust virtual meeting platforms can't replicate.
Plus, my office rooftop has views like the above, and it's beautiful!
Wednesday, June 02, 2021
LØLØ's killer jamz.
Some days you just need a really big, crunchy guitar, straightforward pop tune that doesn't have any real deeper meaning beyond creating an aggressive head-nodding vibe and the potential to start throwing stuff around your family room while slam dancing with your cat.
Or something like that.
Tuesday, June 01, 2021
Debris slide!
So Saturday I was minding my business when I suddenly had to hear a particular song! This was unusual, since it has been years since my entire system demanded such specific immediate aural and systemic satisfaction, so I listened and dialed up Pavement's "Debris Slide" post haste, with results that surprised even me with their pleasurable force.
The band never made a proper video for the track, but this performance from 1994 very much reminds me of the first few times I saw Pavement play during that era, so here you go. No point here—just fond memories and the hope you find this as pleasurable as I do.
Friday, May 28, 2021
Bachelor's sound is less doom and more sun, but fully both those things.
 |
| Photo by Tonje Thilesen |
Look, I don't think Bachelor really needs my help in raising awareness about the duo since it's made up of Palehound’s Ellen Kempner and Jay Som’s Melina Duterte. However, on the off chance you haven't heard of this team up, I hope to rectify that situation.
Elevator pitch? This is the best Liz Phair album of the year ... probably until Phair releases her own album later this year. Which is to say they've got that particular vibe down. And the comparison to Phair is fair inasmuch as Bachelor is definitely surfing on that Matador '90s sound, while tweaking it to fit their own purposes. All with their own unique style and swagger—it's truly a joy to listen to (even when the subject matter is challenging and emotional).
I think this will be one of the big breakout albums of the year. I'm not one to make predictions, but their tunes will fit nicely into the space vacated by the year-long promo campaign of the last Phoebe Bridgers album. So anyone that was worried they'd spend 2021 looking to fill that hole, Bachelor's Doomin' Sun is it.
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Throwing a DAGR onto the dancefloor.
 |
| DAGR, bringing the dance party outdoors |
I was listening to DAGR's forthcoming debut recently, playing it in the background and kind of enjoying their decision to freeze their sound circa 2007, and midway through the album one track broke through the scrim and popped a little louder than the others. When I went back I discovered the title of that song was ... 'Tank Girl." I laughed out loud. Of course!
But the other track that immediately leapt out to me is also the first single from the album and it features ... Uffie?! Further substantiation for my theory the production team behind this—Ceci G and Veronica Jane—are locked into the party soundz of '07-'10 and are trying to pull their favorite elements into '21 and beyoooooond!
I'd tell you where to pre-order DAGR's self-titled debut, but I can't seem to find any link to that yet. But I'll update this once I do! Until then, go ahead and follow the duo on Bandcamp.
Friday, May 07, 2021
5 albums to snag on this (potentially) final Bandcamp Friday!
I've been meaning to write about a few of these albums for a while now—though there is one surprise in here, even to me!—and rather than let the final Bandcamp Friday (for now) pass by I wanted to alert you to their existence in hopes you'll dig them too and give the artists all the dough. SO....
PONY's TV Baby was one of those albums I found in a weird corner of the internet, listened to, and immediately bought a physical copy of it because it absolutely slays. All really big crunchy guitars, great vox, and super catchy. LOVE IT. It's short, sharp, focused, fun. DO NOT MISS OUT.
I was going to save the "surprise" for the end, but I'm just too excited—Analog Radio finally released a new EP! The group got their start in Chicago, and were on a loooooong hiatus, but the members managed to come together (virtually, I assume?) from their various locations and started making new music again last year. But I didn't expect this to drop today! Also, for Bandcamp Friday, they are matching all proceeds and donating everything to the NAACP legal defense fund. So hop to it!
Tamar Berk played in a bunch of Chicago bands and led her own project Starball, before heading west. She's kept making music, most notably heading down the slightly prog classic rock route of Paradise. On this new album the restless dreams of youth sees her returning to a grittier power-pop, and it is fantastic. She also just announced a limited vinyl release of the album, so pick that up too if you dig it!
What would happen if Ted Leo and Joe Jackson started a band together? It would sound like Proper Nouns' Feel Free. This is an absolute furnace blast of frenetic guitars and impassioned vocals that are buried in so many hooks nothing ever sounds melodramatic. It just feels real, and big, and excellent.
Sparked by his break-up with his Rubblebucket bandmate, Tōth worked through it by writing music. And the first song that leapt out to me while listening was "Guitars Are Better Than Synthesizers For Writing Through Hard Times," which I discovered turned out to be the starting point that led to the rest of the album. And it's a lovely album, managing to weave in the occasional horn line and other little sonic flourishes that just make the ol' ears perk right up. Perfect for getting lost in or winding down with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)