Nomadic Firs was hard at work on another project when he decided to change course with the onset of the pandemic. That new project became his album, Memory Weeks, a glimpse of hope amongst all the hopelessness. “Captain Hammock” starts out with a simple guitar and lyrics about longing for something better. About halfway through, the guitar fades away as a sort of electronic interlude takes its place, perhaps as a transition to this better place. Moving on to “William”, we hear less melody and more of a narrative about seeking security and safety in turbulent times. It has sentiments of thankfulness for the ability to take a pause from life and just breathe, a departure from the previous track.
The electrifying “Planes in the Dark” sets a new tone for the album, offering listeners a chance to question their own perceptions. The seemingly endless synthesizers effectively suck you right into the world of the song. As the record carries on, the tones shift, including with “Ok Sleep In”, which brings you to a dreamland, perhaps one you would find when getting that needed extra rest. The final track, “DJ Preesh”, is a far contrast from the earlier tracks. Bringing the album and all of its pieces full circle, it takes us to the “something better” that we were longing for in the opener. Now, we are set free.
On Introspects of a Psycho, Massachusetts-born artist, 30, successfully combines rap and hip-hop with pop to tell stories about being human amidst the societal constructs we face. When it begins, we hear “Your Skin Crawls”, a sort of pick-me-up that serves to reassure his person of their beauty. As the guitar soothes, the melody moves. “Lost in Colorado” feels like a diary entry of a cross country road trip stretching from Ohio to Colorado. It seems to be a goodbye of sorts, though he continues to describe the sights he sees to the person who may be bidding goodbye to. The groove picks up with “I Kinda Like How Your Father’s Fist Feels on My Face”, a track that features an electric guitar and creates the perfect late-night vibe, dimmed lights and all. The final track, “Ms. Uncomfortable (Stripped)”, slows everything back down again, bringing everything full circle, which tells the story of a girl who seems unsure of herself, a call-back to the first track on the album.
The Introspects of a Psycho feels emotional and vulnerable, every track exceeding the next. It supplies a song to satisfy any mood one could be in, and tells a compelling narrative along the way.
Back in 2017, Algiers released “Cleveland”, in which lead singer Franklin James Fisher takes an opportunity to list the names of black people who were either killed by police or who had suspicious circumstances surrounding their death. Now, they have released a new, reimagined version titled “Cleveland 20/20”. Much like the earlier version of the song, it includes the names of black people killed by police violence, adding 232 names of victims that have been murdered since the original release. It begins with intense music, made this way by rattling percussion and a pulsating base. Fisher uses these moments to describe the violence exacted upon black people by police officers, creating a very poignant message. While it calls back to the uprisings of June, it makes the clear message that police violence against black people is no new issue.
The full reimagined version of this song lasts about an hour, making it not just a song, but an experience. It’s an experience that seeks to do more than just remember those who have been murdered, but also call attention to a real problem of injustice that, despite what some may think, has not gone away.
The band will once again take over Adult Swim’s Instagram account on Tuesday, November 10th at 2pm ET.
Wesley Schultz isn’t just the co-founder The Lumineers. He is a brilliant performer with the ability to bring songs to life in his own way. He proves this on his debut solo album, Vignettes. It may be shocking to find out that his first full length solo release is actually an album full of covers.
We first get to hear him take on Bruce Springsteen’s “My City of Ruins”. A more stripped-down version than the original, Schultz brings his acoustic style to the song and makes it feel like his own. His rendition of Coldplay’s “Green Eyes” bears some extra resemblance to the original apart from the lyrics, including the acoustic style that, when sung by Schultz, breathes a new life into the song. Perhaps the most breathtaking track is “Mrs. Potters Lullaby”, originally by Counting Crows. Complete with a slowed down piano and background violin, it is a far departure from the original. Another piano-heavy track is “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)”, originally by Jim Croce and featuring a prominent guitar.
A cover album may be a gamble as a debut album, but Wesley Schultz made each track his own every step of the way. By creating a record composed of his greatest musical influences, listeners get an inside look Schultz as not only a musician, but as a person. Schultz says of the purpose of the album:
I was introduced to a lot of music through other artists, listening to their covers and then going backward. So part of this record is the joy of exposing something that you know is beautiful, while trying to make it your own so that they both can stand on their own two feet. It’s almost like you’re showing people your personal playlist, your inspiration.
Pour yourself a glass of wine and get ready to hit play on Eliyya Lane’s hypnotizing new single, “Drippin’”. You will feel a rush of calm energy come over you as you indulge in this soothing ballad. It is almost as if it was created for the specific purpose of listening to it with lights down low on a cozy fall evening. Perhaps this feeling comes from the lyrics themselves, which seem to point towards Lane being in a euphoric state due to the warmness she feels being around the person she loves. That warmness translates from the speakers well, leaving you feeling wrapped up in the very same elatedness that overcomes her. This calm feeling could also come from the sonic world created within the track. This world includes haunting percussion and synthesizers that gradually intensify as they pull you further into Lane’s world throughout the duration of the song.
Lane has worked to craft a song that is perfect for a couple things. It is a great song to turn on when you are filled with happiness, especially if the source of the happiness is love. It is also just simply a much-appreciated relaxation tune. If you are looking to sit back and turn the world off for just a few minutes, Eliyya Lane has you covered.
Rainy car rides in the fall could use more songs like Irene Skylakaki’s “Sutherland Avenue”. Complete with emotional lyrics and a gentle sway-like melody, it makes you want to embark on a journey of self-discovery of sorts, searching for all the answers as to how you ended up here. Maybe by the end, you will find what you are looking for, as suggested by how the track accelerates into a completely new world after the two-minute mark. It is a story of perplexity, maybe even frustration, about something you love ending and feeling like you have no understanding of how it happened. In her search for her own moment of clarity, she actually provides us with clarity as we are able to work to fully understand not her emotions that inspired the song, but our own emotions that become comprehensible after listening to it.
Irene says of her hope for the track:
I would prefer it if anyone who listens to ‘Sutherland Avenue’ connects with it through their own experiences. The lyrics to the song are quite self-explanatory and raw and after various tries, I insisted on keeping them as they are unsophisticated and honest.
As winter nears,Miloe wanted to shine a light on his brisk state of Minnesota with his new EP, Greenhouse. He wastes no time working up the sunshine, either. The opening track, “Winona” is a bright and optimistic tune that relies on youthfulness to give the illusion of summertime warmth. The opening riff of the title track is a perfectly ear-catching novelty that immediately draws you into the heaviness of life struggles. The driving rhythm makes for a soothing ride. With “Change Your Mind”, he sings about wanting to be with someone and is willing to sit around and wait in case they change their mind for him. It works as a sort of ditty, one whose melody alone brings a smile to your face.
The most beaming song is “Marna”, a musical love letter to somebody who seems to be the light of his life. The simple guitar strums once again bring out the brightness of Miloe’s craft. The final track is “Everything (That Should Go)”, the perfect outro that reveals his vulnerability to not only the person he is singing to, but also you and I.Greenhouse is a sonically bright album that does indeed shine a warm light on even the coldest of states. Beyond the brightness is a raw, real body of work about finding and understanding love, along with the many other complications that come with life.
As Jenny March gears up to release her EP, she steers right down the lane of 90s pop for her electrifying single, “All In”. This aesthetic comes from her growing up as a 90s kid, bringing to the table all of the music and style from the decade and allowing them to define her with this track, complete with the correlating visuals. Strengthened by the electronic music of the times, “All In” could very well be mistaken for the exact time period she’s aiming for, while also being strikingly analogous to current music trends. You get the feeling that you can conquer everything with the one you love, which is exactly what she wants her lover to know.
The use of a stomping beat and direct lyrics help get her message across that she is willing to go as far as she is expected to go. It is no doubt that March is capable of creating the power anthems we all know and love. From the ear-catching melodies to the fetching musical layers, there’s no reason this shouldn’t be on everybody’s next dance playlist.
R&B singer-songwriter Emanuel has released the visual for his chilling song, “Black Woman”. This visual proves to be both thought-provoking and chilling. Singing the praises of black women, it was created to celebrate and honor what they contribute to this world. It does so by showcasing the beauty of many different black women living their lives. This makes for an incredibly captivating and beautiful video that tells the stories of these different women simply through visuals. As the lyrics send shivers down your spine, each part of the visual manages to capture the feeling that the song strives to instill in each viewer. He is telling the world that black women should be admired and are worthy of more respect than they receive. In a way, it is almost like an apology that they are not treated with more respect. Emanuel notes:
Black Woman’ is about reconciliation and also a celebration—celebrating how strong our women are and how they hold us up. People might think this song was written as a response to the moment right now but it’s saying the exact same thing it was saying when it was written a year ago—‘I see you, I recognize you, I appreciate you and I love you.
