@@@ Semaphore: Unreliable (N/A, 2019) I got to this pre-release single via a music publicist email. A friendly rock tune with feelings based lyrics. The vocal hook is ‘I told you we were unreliable’ which you will receive at a steady dosage through the tune. It builds with some side stick snare at the beginning and moves into full rock band mode and bashes it way on the way out. It is a rare case of upbeat rock that doesn’t collapse into Death Cab for Cutie cheese and actually rocks. Successfully mines the Foo Fighters sonic legacy.
@@@ Jessica Pratt: Quiet Signs (Mexican Summer, 2019) Singer songwriter music off this week’s All Music notable release email. Blurbed as timeless acoustic folk I can get with that. The record opens with a piano solo followed by a dreamlike female voice. It’s a 1+ minute appetizer for what’s to follow. The second tune comes out with sparse acoustic guitar and Pratt singing and mixed as a retro vibe with a lot of reverb on her voice. Some folks, like myself, might say it’s too much reverb. I like the prettiness of this but I’m not sure there’s enough for me to remain interested. And I’m not sure I love her voice. I skipped to the next track so it was not enough for me to remain interested. The third tune, Fare Thee Well, retains the retro folk thing but adds a high frequency synth/keyboard part as well as a percussive keyboard part. All very tasteful and minimal. I appreciate that she’s going for the less is more but I don’t love her voice and I feel like taking a nap. I love a good nap!
YTD recordings listened to: 81
Good music, not list worthy: 45
Not good music: 32
Best: 0
Honorable Mentions: 0
Possibles: Retox, Defeater, Jonwayne, Okkyung Lee, Slidhr, The Chewers, Susie Iberra/Roberto Rodriguez, The Coral, T.O.M.B., Lozen, Erase Errata, Mastery, Hartley C. White, Weed, Cold Water, Luther Dickinson, Graeme Barrett, Fast Asleep, Goldlink, Cavanaugh, Satoko Fuji, Moken, Juan Atkins, Lantern, Twin Peaks, Djelimady Tounkara, The Oh Sees, Denny Zeitlin, MILF, Unfun, De La Soul, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes, A Tribe Called Quest, Noname, Klara Lewis, Krullur, The Lowest Form, Hard Proof, Yotoco, Jungle Fire, Sandoz, Oddisee, RAM, Fiver, Succumb Succumb, Gloom, Priests, Propaganda, This is the Kit, Roberto Gonzalez, Integrity, Tuba Skinny, The Expanders, Converge, Criolo, Billy Strings, Flowers of Sulphur, Portal, Lawaii, Etran De L’Air, Ruby Karinto, Elysia Crampton, Parquet Courts, Moskus, Kendl Winter, Tkay Maidza, Barro, Daniel Khan, Tallawit Timbouctou, Sumac, Tropical Fuck Storm, Harriet Tubman, Ammar 808, Anais Maviel
Deep In the Music 