Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death [Partisan/Rough Trade 2020] It’s smoked out, stoned if you will, and so there’s more pleasure in the guitars’ textures and the rhythm’s syncopation that catches you off guard. Grian Chatten’s still concerned with television like his beloved poets of the 20th century might’ve also been, the difference is how …
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Lomelda – Hannah [Double Double Whammy 2020] She’s a gentle and beautiful self-reflector, but the ears perk up most when the big bright one farthest from her bedroom aesthetic opens up. 3.3/5 Pavement – Slanted & Enchanted [Matador 1992] Irony done for irony’s sake, these are my people; the ones shit talking and snickering about …
Drake – Take Care [Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Republic 2011] In a conversation that the great critic Ann Powers has with NPR’s Frannie Kelley she mentions something that I had only half been noticing; Aubrey Graham’s perspective comes as a 25 year old upper middle class biracial kid from Canada. “You’re a fucking idiot” you might …
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 …
Drake – Thank Me Later [Cash Money/YoungMoney/OVO 2010] Groundbreaking when it came out for all of its navel gazing and reverbed beats. Now looked at fondly even because of its slightly fuckboy qualities because of the world conquering but emotionally stunted titan he has become. Here Drake still felt like he could grow, especially because …
Touche Amore – Lament [Epitaph 2020] Jeremy Bolm’s reaction to Stage Four’s reception. I don’t know what its like having kids in every city try to share their pain with you from death like you’ll know what to do (and based on the WHOLE record neither does Bolm). Knowing his insecurity and anxiety it’s wracked …
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia [Warner Records 2020] Sultry, heavy handed toward the end, “Good in Bed” is hot but a little toxic, She’s a diva-lite whose Albanian heritage is the signifier. Expect her to do even better next time. 3.8/5 Westside Gunn – Pray for Paris [Griselda 2020] One third of a classicist rap …
Moses Sumney – grae [Jagjaguwar 2020] Double down on the space, the prog, the folk, the LENGTH, throw in some messages about being isolated and distill it into painful listening. I miss the light material like an ex-junkie misses being allowed to celebrate. Can appreciate bringing race into in more explicitly even if utilized mostly …
Car Seat Headrest – Making a Door Less Open [Matador 2020] It seems like the keenster has reverted to platitudes out of a sense of writer’s block and covered for himself by saying it was influenced by a side project. Not that it isn’t still funny or melodic, but that tuneful sense of levity doesn’t …
Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud [Merge 2020] It’s not easy to place a finger on what makes this album so great, like it’s never been easy for Katie Crutchfield to hide her emotions in her music – not that she ever wanted to, but the move from jet engine guitars to creaky earth folk is too …
Cosmic Hero