Beabadoobee – Fake It Flowers [Dirty Hit 2020]
She has a cult following of people that FEEL her (who doesn’t these days to rise up?). As far as 90’s fetishism goes, sound-wise she’s more than a little hollow. Lyrically she’s Rupi Kuar. 2.1/5
Superchunk – What a Time to be Alive [Merge 2019]
Four 50 -somethings from an influential indie band/label decided to go balls to the wall with guitars against the fascist regime of The Great Cheeto with palpable rage that surprises because of their age and location in deeply southern North Carolina. Not too privy to the rest of their work myself I appreciate the way Mac McCaughan not only shreds his mind out but also how he speaks very clearly about the moods those of us revolted by 45 feel; “Everyone is acting normal/and no one’s sleeping through the night”; “Stop taking pride in your white style”; “I’m not a violent person but fight me”. All the while, even though the mood is exasperation there are no jeremiads to distract him; and the community he urgers to rely on one another is personified in the form of killer cameos from Katie Crutchfield and Stephen Merritt. 4.2/5
The Mountain Goats – Tallahassee [4AD 2002]
Expanding from short story collections to a full concept novella in terms of format – except not really because this is music not literature – John Darnielle’s alpha couple is the perfect device for him to ponder toxicity, vitriol, dependence, and the odd clarity that comes from deranged living over his guitars. The move away from lo-fi takes some twee away, which is good. There are no heroes to be found, just melody after melody from a loud voiced NasalMan finally backed with drums, bass, and electric guitars that meet his footing every time he makes a call to emotion, which is every song. 4.8/5
Tricky – Maxinquaye [4th & B’way 1995]
Feeling like the George Harrison of Massive Attack, this noble Brit-of-Color went and found himself a vocalist in Martina Topley-Bird and ended up taking the vestigial parts of drone, rock, dub, electro, metal, and hip-hop and put them together in a perpetually interesting way. He mutters and mumbles, he doesn’t curse at the state, at least not beyond “damn” but he “fucks in the ass just for a laugh”. Truthfully, it’s status as a landmark misses me because it doesn’t scratch the itch, but in the 90s this was leagues ahead and remains solid. 3.7/5
Madvillain – MadVillainy [Stones Throw 2004]
After Daniel Dumile’s death his canon became permanent since his family doesn’t seem like the type to salvage a project. He stopped releasing after he was deported anyway. So I checked out his supposed synergetic, masterpiece with his homeboy Madlib and, what else, aesthetically it’s a work of genius. All his characters are here to play, leaning on a semi-formed narrative based on the sounds of the 60’s comics and movies they loved to watch together. And the rhymes from a mouth that sounds like its always chewing on something only help that “damaged villain” schtick its landing. Rest in power. 4.5/5
Cosmic Hero 