part two...
11. Sheep, Dog & Wolf TWO-MINDS: Two-Minds was meant to reflect McBride’s attempts to return to his own version of normal. The sharp dissonance and hints of whimsy are part of the melodrama of that recovery, and the knowledge of how that melodrama would play for an audience. What McBride didn’t know is that the audience would all have their own versions of the same joke. (THE QUIETUS)
12. Jon Batiste WE ARE: though he beams into bedrooms every week night as bandleader on The Late Show, Jon Batiste re-introduces himself with his most complete, personal expression of self on WE ARE. It’s rewarding to hear the New Orleans jazz multi-instrumentalist (and most-nominated artist at the upcoming 2022 Grammys) shake off the churn of nightly talk show house music to successfully create music with such permanence. (COS)
13. Julien Baker LITTLE OBLIVIONS: in the past, indie dynamo Julien Baker—acclaimed both as a solo act and as a member of boygenius alongside Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers—has stunned us with her ability to evoke powerful feelings using only her hushed vocals, confessional lyrics and sparse instrumentation. On her third studio album Little Oblivions, though, Baker’s self-described “bummer jams” have gained a new and arresting sense of scale, losing none of their poignance in the process. These are lush, expansive compositions, awash in everything from drum machines and synthesizers (“Highlight Reel”) to banjo and what sounds like theremin (“Heatwave”). But ever-present on Little Oblivions is the breathtaking introspection of Baker, alone at a piano (“Song in E”), pouring her whole heart into her songs. They’re more fearless than ever, with instrumental scope to match that of their overwhelming emotions. (PASTE)
14. St. Vincent DADDY’S HOME: slinky, smart, and gloriously down-and-out, St. Vincent’s latest brings us back to the New York of the Velvet Underground and the Factory’s waifs, leaving us to lounge among the glitter and the grit. Our generation’s rock & roll chameleon, Annie Clark delves into her formerly incarcerated father’s record collection to deliver Bowie- and Prince-esque tunes that are simultaneously utterly her own, weaving in brass and backup singers, while still reflecting that sepia-tone-tinted musical era. The record’s throwback appeal is made all the more delicious because we know Clark will only inhabit this skin until the next one, making the anticipation even greater to see where she heads next. (SPIN)
15. Lia Ices FAMILY ALBUM: may come off a little one-note for those who aren’t particularly interested in Ices’ style, but if you give the album the attention it needs, it reveals bountiful details, surprises, and moving moments. It’s catchy sometimes, and somber and slow other times. It’s also such a delight to hear Ices back at the piano, evidenced best by the staggeringly gorgeous and spare title track. Her knack for melody and creating a very specific sound with such a familiar arsenal of tools is on full display, perhaps more than ever on this album, which is also her most collaborative work, full of guests who come and go and lend only the most graceful additions to the songs. (BEATSPERMINUTE)
16. Little Simz SOMETIMES I MIGHT BE INTROVERT: it’s been interesting to watch the progress of Little Simz’s career over the past five years: each project a stunning leap from its predecessor, juxtaposed with surety of writing skill and confidence. But the key ingredient is conscience because, let’s be frank, an album of this political ambition tends to fall down around its edges at some point. Simz doesn’t force her points though…there’s no rush to stick the landing because she is trusting the musical progress to walk hand in hand with its black intent.
17. Gallant NEPTUNE: it’d be criminal to paint a picture of Gallant’s perceived loneliness as something of his own doing. The singer stumbles across individuals who ruin the few moments he has it together. Take “Dynamite” with Brandy, for example, Gallant deals with a woman who’s both insecure and blinded by the fame and money that surrounds her. Blowing up their lives to the most basic element would be nice but it’s highly unrealistic, something he accepts in the song. Gallant even deals with his frustrations on “Scars.” The up-tempo, dance-friendly track is enwrapped with both the physical and emotional pain that the singer carries on his shoulders. He balances nonchalance with discontent with a track that ultimately finds him moving one to the next awaiting soul who is hopefully ready for what he has to offer. (UPROXX)
18. Billie Marten FLORA FAUNA: a collection of songs that acknowledge the need to weed-out toxic behaviours, using metaphors in nature to nod to both her imperfections and personal growth or humankind’s precariousness. All this is sound tracked, largely, by a departure from the pretty but safe acoustic sound of her 2016 debut ‘Writing Of Blues And Yellows’ and its 2019 follow-up ‘Feeding Seahorses By Hand’. Marten learned bass and listened to lots of Krautrock around this record; the melodies here are her most moreish, her stories are her most open and experimentation is at its broadest. (NME)
19. Odette HERALD: Sonically, the album takes flight with orchestral strings, brass and woodwind arrangements intertwined with electronic elements. While Herald largely sits in line with other rising bedroom pop artists like Joy Crookes, Arlo Parks and Celeste, the album also makes bold experiments that pay off. Spoken-word track "Feverbreak," featuring the Australian electronic duo Hermitude, recalls the work of rapper Kae Tempest, while sound collage of "Amends" includes found sounds of insects and magpies, giving the track a perfect Aussie touch. (EXCLAIM.CA)
20. Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine A BEGINNER’S MIND: while in the past Sufjan Stevens has drawn inspiration from his personal history, the United States, and the cosmos, for A Beginner’s Mind, he and collaborator Angelo De Augustine looked to the movies. On some of these songs, the connections are immediately evident and logical. For instance, the bizarre horror of Hellraiser III is a clear influence on the ominous “The Pillar of Souls,” and the serene “Olympus,” based on Clash of the Titans, is, predictably, filled with mythological figures. But other songs reach far beyond the kernels of inspiration offered by their respective sources to arrive at the unexpected and empathetic conclusions for which Stevens is known. On the De Augustine-led stunner “Murder and Crime,” the duo spins the dystopia of Mad Max into a dirge for an unjust world, and on “Fictional California” (titled after an out-of-context phrase from the Wikipedia page for Bring It On Again), they reinterpret a cheerleading competition as a story about vulnerability. Leave it to Stevens and De Augustine to find true emotion in unconventional sources. (SLANT)
