This is fine.
It’s that time of the week, when all the tracks come together on albums and drop for our enjoyment. I’ve already thrown some love behind the new Nightshift, but it’s so great we can talk about it twice! Plus, we’ve really loved the stuff from Julia Sophie’s LP, not to mention that great single that led us to love Manners Manners. So, here we are with a list of good things to jam out to today, and we hope you enjoy!
There’s so many great tunes coming out left and right today, that you’re best served if you dive into this one right now. For some reason, this feels like something that would have come around during the heyday of Grandaddy or the Glands. That said, there’s this underlying element of noisiness that pervades, giving the song more of current status, bridging saccharine indie rock vibes with more modern flourishes that elevate the tune beyond mere nods to the past. You’ll find that you won’t be able to escape the innate sunshine built right into this song. If you’re loving it, be sure to keep an eye on Public Health going forward.
Trying out something new, as I’ve got about a week and a half before I get back to maybe reviewing some albums, like Nightshift‘s Homosapien. The record is out today via the generous folks at Trouble in Mind Records. Instead of doing some long form review, I’m going go after the track by track breakdown format. It’s also a reminder to me, and others that records are sometimes best enjoyed as a whole. Obviously if I’m writing about it, it’s good, so it has my seal of approval.
Stream it as you read all about it!
Even though we’re drawing near the end of the Summer, or maybe that’s wishful thinking, we’ve still got room for this Summer Jam from Sassyhiya. Seriously, if the infectious delivery and stuttering dance from the percussion aren’t enough to get you grooving, then maybe you’ll have to turn to the chorus. They open the tune up there, offering a nice melodic glide with some classic cymbal work filling in the background space. Personally, the employment of multiple layers of vocals throughout the tune is a nice little 1-2 punch for me, laying me out on the floor so I can play the track on repeat. This song will appear on a limited 7″ via Skep Wax, and we can only hope there’s more exciting pop of this sort coming our way.
If you’re coming to our site, you generally jam a certain style of music, and with that, we want to make sure you’ve got Casual Technicians on your radar. They only released their debut LP a few months ago, and they’re already pushing forward with a fresh batch of tunes for us. When diving into this sea, you’ll be greeted by a nice little bob atop the waters, offering up a nice vibe, though nothing strikingly new. But, at the 25 second mark there’s a plot twist, offering up a different vocal that seems more earnest, and slightly Aussie influenced. They switch it up back and forth, always employing a snapping beat that kicks your feet up, and still pandering to those of us who think of Flying Nun as the Holy Grail. Deeply Unworthy is out November 1st via Repeating Cloud.
After teasing us all week with hints of new music, Sumos did drop their darling new ditty, doing what they do best by executing perfect pop tunes. Everything functions on the steady strum and beat, almost operating as the musical metronome for your toes to keep the beat. And, once you’ve matched your internal rhythm, you can rest while the vocals offer up one of the brightest pop performances you’re going to get into today. When you hear the utterance of “one of these days,” you’ll hear the soaring of angels, rising to the highest stretched note, albeit with a charming sharpness that perfects the tune. Can’t wait to hear a new record from this lot.
When press first came out concerning the new Blood album, it promised to have Tim O’Brien really stretching himself, vocally. There was a little bit on the earlier singles, but “Holy Family” has this dark majesty that fulfills all the promise of Tim exploring his voice. At the beginning, it’s quite fragile, almost beautifully pained, tip-toeing around a light strum and bending nuanced notes. Pronounced percussion comes to rescue, punching through the mix momentarily, but it only seems to make O’Brien withdraw further, hiding behind the textured density the group have built up here. Of all the power the the band possess, they seem to kind of control that chaos, making magic in the process. Loving You Backwards is out next Friday via Ramp Local.
After last year’s Migration Magic, you can say that expectations are extremely high over at the ATH offices for this forthcoming LP from Feeling Figures. This new single definitely ramps up the energy, delivering an exciting bit of ramshackle pop, packed with as much as one band can cram into 1:43. Kay’s vocals just rip through the song, working with a bit of sharp playfulness, which delivers a bounce that snaps in step with joyous rhythmic push. Then as the song feels settled they cut right through with this little soloing guitar wiggle that just crushes your soul and makes you sink right into the glory of this pop number. Everything Around You is out on September 27th via K Records/Perennial Death.
Starting off our morning slowly today, crawling out of bed to find this delightful new track from Austin’s Hallo. The group are finishing up the final touches on their debut album, and deliver this powerhouse of a tune, drawn to the fire of Tiana Stuart’s powerful voice. Those vocals operate between a Texas twang and a more angelic push, while the band behind her forcefully punches down; I love the burning guitar distortion that fills the chorus moments. It sets up for a great breakdown in the track’s latter half, dropping hints at the fiery indie rock they’ll bring to the table when they wrap up that debut!
With the new album from Icarus Phoenix on the horizon, Drew Danburry and company have offered up one last peek beneath the covers of what’s in store. What you’ll notice on this single, as with those that came before, is that this go round, there’s a bit more focus on the melody and the voice, taking the outsider folk stylings of the project’s early work and making it more accessible. Everything on this track feels light, and that gentle approach create this sentiment that you and the song are one, drawing you into the narrative Danburry has crafted. I Should Have Known the Things You Never Said is out on August 15th.
