Happy belated Valentine’s Day everyone. Hope you made it through alright, from one little goblin to another.
Vampire Weekend –
“Capricorn”
A
“Gen-X Cops”
A
God, I’m so happy with these. “Capricorn” is like the first sip of a nice cold Coca-Cola on a hot summer day. It has those baroque pop elements you might expect from Vampire Weekend but it doesn’t feel like retreading old ground. The chorus has this distorted wailing sound on it that contrasts nicely with the laid back acoustic guitar.
“Gen-X Cops” has a guitar line to rival the noise in “Capricorn” and has a beautiful lo-fi piano section. But tracks feel so unique to Vampire Weekend, who even after all these years manage to blaze their own path in the indie rock genre.
Lil Yachty – “A Cold Sunday”
A
We always knew Lil Yachty would return to form after the unexpected Let’s Start Here. I didn’t know it would come so soon, nor did I know he wouldn’t lose a step doing so. On “A Cold Sunday”, Yachty flows over a soulful little sample. And he drops a goblin bar. Automatic A for the goblin bar.
Waxahatchee– “Bored”
A-
Waxahatchee brings a more angsty tone with “Bored”, a classic rock/country/folk track that has only increased my anticipation for the upcoming album. “Bored” has those twangy guitars we’ve come to know and love from Katie Crutchfield.
ratbag – “dead end kids”
A-
A handful of singles have now been released by a ratbag, a newer artist who seemingly popped up out of nowhere. Maybe in a few years we’ll discover they were the child of Coolio or something. I don’t know. Either way, for now, the music speaks for itself. “dead end kids” is distorted, weirdo indie pop rock. It feels youthful and it’s as catchy as can be.
Faye Webster– “Feeling Good Today”
B
I’m not sure what to expect from this new Faye Webster album. She hasn’t let me down yet, but the singles have been a little underwhelming so far. I do like this one, which feels more like an interlude than anything else. I like the low key piano that plays the song out and I appreciate the experimentation with the vocals. Only time will tell how this pans out.
Caroline Polachek – “Butterfly Net” (feat. Weyes Blood)
A
What a combo. This has an almost Simon and Garfunkel quality to it in a way I can’t really explain properly. The melody feels timeless. But the instrumentation feels very much like a Caroline Polachek song. She recruits Weyes Blood for a duet, one of the only artists whose voice I can imagine alongside Polachek’s without being absolutely outclassed.
Declan McKenna – “I Write The News”
B
I don’t know what to say here. Declan McKenna sort of perplexes me as an artist and not in a good way. I might review the new album. I don’t know yet.
Wallows – “Your Apartment”
C+
I used to really enjoy Wallows back in the day. I thought their first album was pretty solid at the time. I haven’t really gone back to it since then. I think my lack of interest in revisiting it speaks for itself. But I’ve still enjoyed the occasional single from them in years since. I don’t love this one. Feels quite bland to me. Sorry.
Noah Kahan – “Forever”
C+
Why is there a new version of Stick Season? Didn’t we already get a new version? If you have this much new material, why not just release a new album? Noah Kahan is filling a niche for some people right now. I don’t know if he really breaks any new ground for me personally. I don’t hate this song or anything. The most interesting part to me is the Bon Iver-esque harmony in the first half. I’d like for Noah Kahan to branch out from here. I want him to get weird and try something risky. But a third, 2+ hour version of his hit album is the most risk averse move he could make. Get that bag, I guess. I’d do it too.
The Black Keys – “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”
B
This is a hooky little song. I like the vintage soul feel. Patrick Carney fumbled Michelle Branch though. And I can not and will not forget that.
Leave a Reply