@@@ Eerie Wanda: Long Time (Joyful Noise, 2022) I got to this outfit via this week’s All Music notable release email and I like this label, they put out interesting stuff. It opens with a merry go round vocal round, a bowed cello, and then into slack full spaced out indie rock vibe. This is a pretty tried and true formula, not one I love a whole bunch but it’s popular for a lot of reasons — you can buy your coffee to it or you can have a brunch and everybody can feel influenced but not overwhelmed by the music. I will say that if there was any sort of unique rhythm in here I would shit my diaper, it’s just so straight rock and boring that it undoes the spaciousness of the other sounds which are pretty decent. Ah well, another case where I’m in the minority. I’m giving a quick listen to another track called Confess and it looks set to be more mope. It’s even slower than the first track, oy.
@@@ Sundub: Jump and Dance (N/A, 2022) The production of this roots reggae track is a bit too clean for my taste but this tune burns well, especially in the rhythm section. Also there’s a lot of energy contributed by the female and male singers who take turns on the microphone. I don’t know if reggae music will ever return to that murky, blunted sound that drove it across the international brain pan, but somebody’s gotta keep the train running and these guys bring the energy. I got to this via a music publicist email.