@@@ Ethel Cain: American Teenager (Daughters of Cain, 2022) This young musician has been named Crack Magazine’s something of the year. The video below is the second track on the record and right away I hear how there’s too much reverb on the snare and how much this person’s alter ego sounds like Taylor Swift. Her delivery, her feels, it’s there epic and dramatical, I mourn the effect Tay Tay has had on our culture. I skipped to the next track and if it comes out swinging with the classic American cheese. This third tune A House in Nebraska is coming on hard with the ringing piano chords and the big reverb voice. I can deal with it but I don’t want to and I urge folks to go with something less like this and more straight ahead.
@@@ MJ Lenderman: You Have Bought Yourself a Boat (Dear Life, 2022) This record is high up on the Gorilla Vs. Bear best of 2022 list that hasn’t done much for me at all to this point. Here we have some retro classic guitar driven rock smashed into indie business with a weirdish singer carrying the indie part of the show. I haven’t heard this circular jam style guitar sound for a bit so I dig that but overall it’s the same as a lot of indie there’s just not a lot of passion here, it’s a slouchy somewhat mopey vibe that I can’t abide. If you want a big bowl of mope have at it, there’s plenty to be had.
Deep In the Music 