Replays + Rejects
Welcome back to another round-up of the best and not-so-bright releases that have popped up on my radar through April.
This month, we’ve accomplished a rare feat– almost none of the albums I feature today are Rejects. Whaaaaaaat? I know!
Now I’m sure we’re all busy people here, so I’ll try not to take too much of your time on the intro. Let’s dive in!
Singles:
REPLAY: Delulu Land - HODJE
Delulu Land is the anthem we’re all looking for in these trying times. HODJE, a Chicago-based indie artist, crafts the perfect hopping, skipping and jumping track to accompany your descent into obsessive infatuation while the world descends into chaos. She has nailed everything you need for a hit; it’s catchy, it’s danceable, and grants the listener the incredible potential to scream this in their car going 75 in a 60 mile zone. I can’t wait to see what more comes of this artist!
REJECT - Luna Li - Minnie Says (Would You Be My) (with tg.blk)
While this is my introduction to this artist, and I am usually more inclined to give a newbie in my repertoire the benefit of the doubt, Minnie Says is simply uneventful. Don’t get me wrong, it’s technically sound and would be a great fit for the musical background of an exposed brick-wall coffee shop, but that’s about as much attention as I can give this single.
Fantasy, the B-side, is probably a better fit to be the namesake of this release, considering it is lyrically and sonically beautiful. However, I can’t name this single a Replay if the title track isn’t even the best one, and it ultimately doesn’t strike me as something I’d remember or return to.
REPLAY: Kacey Musgraves - Lost Highway
Whatever Kacey Musgraves does, she does with love. Lost Highway is an homage to everything she was and is. Plucking from the family tree of legacy country artists, Musgraves took it upon herself to dedicate her own version of Hank Williams’ performance of the song written by blind country singer Leon Payne to her first musical home, Lost Highway Records. Musgraves has made her return to the revived label, crediting them for their bravery in backing her every step of the way after Follow Your Arrow garnered controversy and was even banned from country radio. Complete with an endearing faux-radio introduction by her grandfather and real rattlesnake tail percussion, every detail was handpicked for its sentimental value. Lost Highway is truly a gift to anyone with an appreciation for the roots of American music.
REJECT: The Bones of J.R. Bones - Car Crash
To “reject” this single might sound a little harsh, and believe me when I say that it didn’t fall into this category because it by any means is bad. As I’ve said in previous issues, in music there is no good, and there is no bad. There just is. Sometimes what a song is resonates with some, but not with others. That said, I don’t hate Car Crash or its b-side, Shameless at all. In fact, I can fully understand what would get someone really into this, but I am not one of those people. Onto the next!
EPs:
Replay: Rachel Chinouriri - Little House
Starting with one of the strongest tracks on this EP and in Chinouriri’s catalog altogether, Can We Talk About Isaac? is a heavy hitter for the hopeless romantic. It perfectly captures the butterflies fluttering around your insides, the gentle anxiety of this person occupying your every thought, and being so in love you don’t know if you want to write poetry, scream, or both.
23:24 is as sonically bouncy as it is emotionally, and it is just so. Damn. Relatable. It hones the torturous thought bubble of new love through its grandiose choir of double-tracks, heart-thumping bass, and cheshire-grinning guitar. No doubt, this has made its way to my own playlists.
This release carries an unexpected treat, a demo called Judas. The wonderful thing about tracks like these, stripped down to the bare bones of songwriting itself– a voice and a guitar, not only gives our ears a taste of something different, but allows pure emotion to marinate every word. This principle bridges Judas and Indigo, the final track. The finale scaffolds acoustic guitar, what sounds like banjo, and floats into a crescendo of digital and acoustic nuts and bolts, holding the walls up before they all come falling back down, exposing the soft, emotionally turbulent underbelly of this EP.
Albums:
REPLAY: Trousdale - Growing Pains
A long-anticipated release for us at my other home, 88.5 The SoCal Sound, Growing Pains is a smashing success. Loud, proud, and polished but authentic, this record was already on my loudspeakers as soon as it dropped. One of the best parts about the campaign was not giving away the best songs for the singles. Easily among the strongest songs on this record, Lonely Night is an a-side gem saved for the grand reveal, complete with soaring harmonies and no punches pulled. Warm Shoulder, Cold Heart is a song I can see being easily overlooked by those just looking for “the bangers” but if you take music seriously in any capacity, you’ll likely come to the same conclusion that I have; it is easily one of the most expertly-crafted songs I’ve heard in years, and showcases just how gifted these young women are.
REPLAY: LIGHTS - A6
A niche callback for any fan of early 20-teens Canadian pop, LIGHTS returns with A6, a heavy-hitting collection of everything she’s learned and accomplished over the course of her career, but this time, taking shape through a darker visage.
My favorites have got to be DAMAGE, SURFACE TENSION, and THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR, as they are exemplary not only of her signature sound and style, but of her vocal capabilities, raw songwriting, and her explorative attitude. For me, this record feels like a beautiful homecoming to an artist I loved in my youth, and it will for sure be in my heavy rotation for months or even years to come.
REPLAY: SAULT - 10
As per usual, SAULT does not miss. Cloaked in almost complete anonymity, this group is a creative powerhouse. Ten albums in after releasing their debut, 5 only six years ago, (I know, a lot of numbers but bear with me, guys!) their latest is yet again, packed to the brim with only the vibiest of soundscapes.
This is a group that continues to push the boundaries and bend the rules in a genre that can so easily fall into monotony, or the unfortunate damnation of background noise. Instrumental is back, baby, and SAULT is leading the charge!
REPLAY: Jordan Firstman - Secrets
It’s rare when music becomes meta, but when it does, the artist can only hope to achieve a level of brilliance as Jordan Firstman has. In the aptly named opener, Six minute interlude, he introduces this concept album as a sequence of songs inspired by the secrets that random people revealed to him over Instagram direct message. Yes, you read that right.
The secrets range from slightly concerning, to incredibly embarrassing, or bordering on amoral, and the graduation of genre, song after song, from hyperpop, to jazz, to country, only further exhibits Firstman’s creative range and versatility. With something as unforgettable as I wanna see my friends dicks, he has no doubt solidified a place in my heart, and my mental archives forever!
Music Videos:
New category, who dis? In lieu of longer review lists for other categories, I’d like to introduce a new category to express appreciation for the visual aspect of musicianship. As a music video director myself, I feel that I may provide a more technically-based approach as well as an intimate understanding of the art of translating the sonic to the audiovisual. So as we ease ourselves into this new addition, I’m picking one music video that has exhibited nothing short of pure excellence.
REPLAY: Fiona Apple - Pretrial
A legacy artist that I am always ecstatic to find new works from, Fiona Apple graces our eyes and ears once again with a pertinent message. Pretrial encapsulates hundreds of identical stories she witnessed over two years as a court watcher. Every time, the falsely accused were still carted away and caged, for months, years, or for life. Why? For the crime of simply being too poor to avoid bail.
The song itself is powerful, but looking these people in the eyes, in photos with sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, small children, and elderly relatives who were just as helpless to save them is enough to make you bristle or clench your fists. Fiona Apple has done once again what she does best– using music, a historic means of escapism, to force you to contend with reality. It’s piercing, it’s biting, and it’s fucking real.
Written by Music Journalist Karissa A. Kelly
