Happy early Thanksgiving!
It’s been a long, exhausting month, hence why I’ve had to step back from writing a little bit. I’m finally on vacation, so this will be my last post for the month, but I wanted to throw out some recommendations — here are fifteen albums and two singles I’ve been listening to this month.
Moveys, Slow Pulp (2020)
I saw Slow Pulp open for Alvvays at the Franklin earlier this month, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Solid indie rock; beautifully structured songwriting wrapped in a laid-back haze with…bluegrass infusions. Love a Chicago band.
Favorites: “Trade It”, “Channel 2”, “Montana”
The Loneliest Time, Carly Rae Jepsen (2022)
Carly Rae Jepsen remains the strongest argument for poptimism today.
Favorites: “Talking to Yourself”, “The Loneliest Time (feat. Rufus Wainwright)”, “Anxious”
Heaven To A Tortured Mind, Yves Tumor (2020)
I’m late to the Yves Tumor party, and I feel like an idiot for it. They’re just so cool. Heaven to a Tortured Mind is a beautiful contemporary psychedelic soul album with so much heart, constantly improving upon itself — an album which refuses to let you get comfortable, which is paradoxically what makes it so comfortable to live in.
Favorites: “Gospel for a New Century”, “Kerosene!” (feat. Diana Gordon), “Strawberry Privilege”
Wet Leg, Wet Leg (2022)
Speaking of parties I’m late to — Wet Leg is controversial, but I enjoy them. It’s always healthy to have one very British-sounding band in the rotation.
Favorites: “Angelica”, “Ur Mum”, “Supermarket”
Now That The Light Is Fading, Maggie Rogers (2017)
Maggie Rogers’ first EP includes some early renditions of songs that would end up on her eventual debut, but being so familiar with her discography as it stands now, it’s interesting to revisit her rougher edges. At the end of the day, she has such a capacity for tenderness in her songwriting; listening to Now That the Light is Fading feels like peeling some of her more contemporary work back to witness more of that vulnerability.
Favorites: “Alaska”, “Dog Years”, “Better”
Maggot Brain, Funkadelic (1971)
A classic, a perfect studying album. It’s a beautiful blend of so many different ideas — rock and soul meet and each take their place where they must.
Favorites: “Can You Get To That”, “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks”, “Super Stupid”
7, Beach House (2018)
This is my Beach House Album of the Month. Pure cacophony, measured and distilled and refined into something beautiful. Their work with producer Chris Coady is quintessential, of course, but I’ve loved seeing how they operate on their own.
Favorites: “Lemon Glow”, “Drunk in LA”, “Woo”
No Dogs Allowed, Sidney Gish (2017)
This album is so witty and snappy and cute when it needs to be. This is exactly what a Boston college student’s music should sound like.
Favorites: “Sin Triangle”, “Not But For You, Bunny”, “Imposter Syndrome”
Tako Tsubo, L'Impératrice (2021)
This album merits an article of its own someday — L'Impératrice is insanely cool and insanely French. A masterpiece.
Favorites: “Anomalie bleue”, “Peur des filles”, “Voodoo?”
Still Bill, Bill Withers (1972)
This isn’t my favorite Bill Withers album, but it’s laid-back and easy to melt into with stunning production.
Favorites: “Let Me in Your Life”, “Use Me”, “Take It All In and Check It All Out”
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar (2022)
I’ve been revisiting old albums released this year, and I’ve found myself once again stuck on Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. This album is meditative, exceptionally so — it feels like Kendrick’s way of trying to dissect his own narrative. I still have a lot of thinking to do on this one, there’s much yet to unpack, but I enjoy this album a lot more upon a revisit.
Favorites: “N95”, “Die Hard”, “Count Me Out”
Christine and the Queens, Redcar (2015)
The artist formerly known as Christine and the Queens never fails to enrapture me with his thoughtful songwriting — and the production on this album is so clean.
Favorites: “iT”, “Science Fiction”, “Narcissus is Back”
Jubilee, Japanese Breakfast (2021)
This album has a permanent place in my rotation; few have the effect on me that Michelle Zauner does. Go Birds!
Favorites: “Be Sweet”, “Slide Tackle”, “Savage Good Boy”
Time ‘n’ Place, Kero Kero Bonito (2018)
If I listen to too much KKB I get overwhelmed, but I do really enjoy this album.
Favorites: “Time Today”, “Visiting Hours”, “Swimming”
Gossamer, Passion Pit (2012)
This album is a pure nostalgia bomb. I’d forgotten how loud and crisp everything is, but it’s a great body of music to isolate yourself in for a little.
Favorites: “Carried Away”, “Cry Like A Ghost”, “Love Is Greed”
Bonus singles: Blurt & Risk by Mega Mango (2022)
I recently had the chance to speak with Mega Mango, a rapidly rising star in the DIY world and a local Philly outfit. I can’t get enough of their signature “phruitcore” sound and I go out of my way to recommend it to everybody.
What I've Been Listening to in November 2022
Post-pandemic, I’ve had an almost perfect track record of missing shows. In this case, I saw Slow Pulp & Alvvays were playing a show (for free!), got really excited...only to realize that it had actually been the night before. Oof.
Hope you had a good break, just catching up on emails/posts after my own holidays, and I agree 'Redcar' is a great record, a real return to form for C&Qs