Replays + Rejects: Issue #1
Replays + Rejects is a column I’ve been writing on-and-off for a couple years now. Much to my dismay, it has lived more as a nomad, hopping from publication to publication in search of its permanent home– at least until now. Of all places that my dear reviews could live, I have found The Wavy’s to be the most apt environment for real music journalism.
My work in the radio industry places a great amount of music in front of me on the day-to-day. Major-label artists, independent musicians, records, CDs, Soundcloud links and WAV files all flock to get my attention. Now, since I can’t listen to everything as much as I might wish I could, I have developed the very important skill of discernment. As we continue on our way to part the seas of wheat and chaff, I’ll preface my reviews with my general guidelines and as you read through future issues, I hope that you’ll come to get a sense of my personality and tastes. While my horizons are broad, and as I do my due diligence to give everything a fair shake, you are under no obligation to agree with me. Art is, first and foremost, subjective.
I grade based on believability, authenticity, creativity, and substance. Technique is another piece of the puzzle, but not of the utmost importance, to me. I also think the personality of the individual has little to do with the merit of their work, so that won’t be of any great concern to me or my reviews. However, as fate would have it, I am reanimating Replays and Rejects during Women’s History Month, and so I thought it most appropriate to focus primarily on releases from female artists, and female-fronted groups. Let’s dive in!
REPLAY: Trousdale - Over and Over
The title track, Over and Over, is the harmonically gifted trio Trousdale’s power anthem for the brokenhearted. Speaking to the deep dark feeling that those parting ways would never be caught dead admitting to: the burning anger of seeing the other person has moved on and is actually thriving without us. But as Trousdale so harmoniously reminds us, it’s okay to tell them that flaunting their progress only makes yours harder, and setting boundaries is a more than adequate response.
A ballad for the lovergirl in denial, Want Me Back meets us in the midst of losing what we’ve always known was temporary. As we claw and cling onto the sweetness of that relationship, just for a moment, we tell ourselves it’s okay to stay in blissful ignorance. Heartbreak isn’t for the faint of heart, but to be brave sometimes requires some time behind the rose-colored glasses.
The bookend to Over and Over, Growing Pains recognizes the personal work that must be done in times like these and appreciates what it took to get here. But here’s the catch- growth isn’t linear, nor is there a finish line. Trousdale has done it again, putting the complexities of the human experience, in life, love, and personal growth into melodies that are nothing short of a sonic masterpiece and a shoulder to lean on for the soul. Well done, girls!
REPLAY: HAIM - Relationships
While somewhat embarrassing to admit that this track is my introduction to this group, I say it’s better late than never. HAIM is the upbeat but sassy girl group I’ve been searching for, and Relationships is an excellent primer for what these talented, unabashed women have in store for listeners. Relationships is the ultimate hot-girl-walk soundtrack for when you’re just so over it. Love, love, love, ugh, does anyone think about anything else? Well, the ladies of HAIM do, and they’ll tell you like a best friend would, that it’s a-okay if you want something more for yourself.
REPLAY: Rachel Louise - I’m busy, how are you?
I’m busy, how are you? is the friend and confidant to the nervous romantic, professional procrastinator, and chronic overthinker in all of us. Louise’s opener, Your Family, wraps the listener up into a warm blanket of understanding. You can love your person more than anything and love them through everything, but still find it too hard to meet their family; you might not be able to hold your tongue around the people that hurt who you love the most.
Busy catalogues the daily grind of unfulfilled plans, from painting your nails to empty-calorie productivity. Louise longs for living in the moment instead of the ever-lengthening to-do lists, filled up planners, and time-blocked calenders that our lives have become. Because whatever happened to the sun and staring at her for a while? The last few tracks of this EP almost seem to collectively spiral into wistfulness for a less complicated existence; where we don’t have to search for the Perfect Mother or hold ourselves to such high standards that are just Too Much Too Much. This collection of songs is, on its own, wonderfully crafted from start to finish so I can’t wait to hear the full length album.
REPLAY: Kit Sebastian - Dehliz
March seems to be a month of fantastic releases, and Kit Sebastian has not only followed suit, but continues to push their already firmly established standard of excellence. Having been placed upon a pedestal of my musical radar since their release of New Internationale last August, Kit Sebastion has done it again, as Dehliz is a hypnotizing sonic landscape that lures you further and further into their spell.
Expertly crafted medlies of analog and new-fangled recording techniques spanning great distance of genre and geographic location, the Turkish-French 1960’s-esque duo never fails to produce songs that are a feast for the ears that transcend cultural or language barriers. I will call it now; Kit Sebastian is truly one of the greats of our time.
REJECT: Sunset Blvd - Selena Gomez + Benny Blanco
Seeing as how so many tracks on this list are Replays, I think it’s safe to say that my standards really aren’t unachievably high. That said, I don’t hate Sunset Blvd, but I don’t like it either. Simply put, it utilizes an inappropriate reliance on autotuning Selena Gomez’s perfectly acceptable voice over a damningly boring soundscape. I appreciate texture and creativity, and this song really only manages to be halfway clever, lyrically. I suppose if you don’t listen too closely, it might be a good driving soundtrack but any accolade higher than that would just be disingenuous.
REPLAY: Sarah - Vertige
So far, this is the second single to date from Vertige, and it gives me great satisfaction to introduce them to the Wavy’s catalog. Since their residency at Good Times at Davey Wayne’s here in Los Angeles back in late 2023, I have been a die-hard fan ever since. I can describe Vertige best as a dynamic rock group that combines Heart’s belting melodies with the string-masterpieces of Blue Öyster Cult; but they are also something else entirely.
Sarah is an excellent showcasing of the never-before-seen recording talents of this group, but I promise you that as magical as they sound in stereo, nothing can compare to the energy of seeing this group on stage.
REPLAY: Tamara + The Dreams - Successful Bisexual
Making another acquaintence this month, Successful Bisexual is my meet-and-greet with this Australia-based artist and I’m not at all disappointed! Tamara + The Dreams puts a pop of color into this lineup, turning what is actually an incredibly nuanced conversation about an identity that lives on the margins of the marginalized into an upbeat jump for bisexual joy. Tamara + the Dreams rings with a familiarity of Brit-punk group Delta 5, operating in the frequency of new wave rebellion, just without the disease of nostalgia festering in between each line which is absolutely refreshing. I expect great things from this artist, and hope to see a return to the ‘Replays.’
Albums:
REJECT: Fake Dad - Holly Wholesome and the Slut Machine
At risk of starting the ‘Albums’ section on a low note, I do just have to say that this record is disappointing. I’m sad to report lackluster substance for what has excellent art direction and production quality, otherwise. I love the aesthetic choices but the music itself isn’t actually.. “there.”
The songs all sound the same though, no doubt they are prolific and well-written. Crybaby is probably my favorite, and So Simple! Is about as good as it gets, but for such a strong start, everything else here sounds too much like it for me to want to listen to this again anytime soon, or ever. The composition of the music just needs work and I need something more exciting or original than just indie-whispering over indie tropes I hear a thousand times in a day’s work. With all the love and respect I can send to Fake Dad, you’re more than halfway there. Keep working.
REPLAY: SASAMI - Blood on the Silver Screen
This is perhaps my favorite, and most-replayed selection for this installment. After just a few years of releasing music, SASAMI has managed to not only find her sound, but has found her way. Another Los Angeles-based artist after my own heart, Blood on the Silver Screen has gained the attention and accolades it so deserves, no doubt the culmination of lessons learned from her first two albums.
Blood on the Silver Screen sounds like a midnight drive on slick roads, wet from fresh rainfall as neon lights whisk past your window leaving their faint halogen glow in your mind’s eye. This record tells the story of love gained, love lost, friendzones, flings, fights and figuring it all out. This is the record for your early 20’s, whether they’re leaping through your windsheild or if they’re in the rearview. SASAMI writes to you from a place of hurt, healing, and humanity. You just don’t see a talent like this every day.
REPLAY: Lady Gaga - MAYHEM
In case you’ve missed the last ten-ish years of Lady Gaga’s work, you might be shocked to find that this incredibly accomplished musical titan has been under popular scrutiny for the very thing I am about to praise her for: her musical migration.
With the release of Joanne in 2016, we witnessed a seemingly sudden shift from the hyper-pop landscape of her 2013 Artpop record towards a much more stripped down version of Gaga, clad in her iconic pink western hat, glittering white fringe and a guitar. While it was a far cry from the meat dresses or blood-stained erraticism of her iconic Paparazzi performance, the Joanne and A Star is Born era, in addition to a string of motion picture soundtracks, is just as much “Gaga” as the rest of it, including her return to tradition with Chromatica in 2020, and the reprisal of her endearing friendship with Tony Bennet with Love for Sale.
Lady Gaga is anything and everything I look for in an artist: she is versatile, she is never held down by expectations or genre, she is authentically herself, and she is committed to her craft. She spends hours a day training her voice, mind, body and spirit to perform the way she does, delivering the stuff of legends every. damn. time. To think of her newer releases as anything short of a triumph is absolute blasphemy in my book. Her latest installment, MAYHEM, is a reflection of her relentlessly creative spirit. To me, this record sounds like she thought, you know what? At this point, I’d be crazy not to just do whatever I want. So let’s make a record. From the mystical trances of Abracadabra and Garden of Eden, pulling from industrial sensibilities and Biblical references, to the headscratcher of Killah (ft. Gesaffelstein) that puts this whole album in perspective as the creative loosey-goosey that it is, MAYHEM is aptly named. It’s fun, it’s whimsical, and it is so unapologetically Gaga.
REJECT: Circuit des Yeux - Halo on the Inside
Before you get out your pitchforks, once again I’d like to preface by saying that I don’t hate this record. I don’t even think it’s bad. In fact, I think the art direction is incredibly visionary and enticing. However, I believe Halo on the Inside yet another victim of musical ‘same face syndome’ on Side A, at least. What I mean is, I do really like how this record sounds but not for active listening, though it’s rather nice to listen to while working on something else. Perhaps this is even what the artist intended, in which case this is a job well done.
My only real gripe about this album is that it seems thaat the tracks with the greatest substance were all saved for the second act. Once again, if this is the artists’ intention I really can’t argue with their logic for saving the best for last as a reward to those who listened that far. Cathexis and Organ Bed in particular echo inspirations of Kate Bush’s Under Ice, or Wake the Witch. I even hear a little Men at Work in there, too. However, Circuit des Yeux is something new and refreshing and I certainly can’t take off points for that. I say, give this record its due process, and decide for yourself if it’s for you, because some things aren’t for everyone.
REPLAY: Stela Cole - I Die Where You Begin
With just her second studio album, Stela Cole has done what takes most artists years to even a decade to accomplish, as she has not only solidified her visual and auditory aesthetics, but has produced a pop-rock album that doesn’t dip, lose cohesion or stumble into monotony. I Die Where You Begin opens with Blue Moon, making it clear that what we’re about to hear is no ordinary pop-rock record, but one that pays homage to the rhythm and blues that paved the way for works like this. Between the opener and Stereoqueen, this record becomes seamless. Each song intertwines in faithful succession, but still paints with different colors, and sculpts with various edges. I Die Where You Begin is exceptional, and perhaps amongst the best that this installment of Replays + Rejects has to offer.
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