Liner Notes- 12.Jan.2023
Record reviews, notes from the world of music, and the madness that is #musictwitter
Good morning!
As many of you know, I joined a challenge to listen to/review 100 new (to me) records last year. Part of that was because I'm good at making bad decisions always up for a fun challenge. But along with that, I wanted to keep my pandemic habit of actively listening to music—like sitting down (ideally with my dog & some coffee) and spinning something new.
I’ve enjoyed rediscovering the lost art of things like poring over liner notes- or at least a Bandcamp blurb—and scribbling down notes of stuff to look up later instead of reflexively looking it up. Google might be my friend, but we're not that close.
But why?
Mainly to answer the 1-2 punch most music nerds ask or get asked the most: What've you been listening to? Anything good?
That's certainly not a question to be taken lightly. Lord knows we are already spoon-fed enough via algorithm.
Mostly, I want to keep sharing the music I come across—you know, the way we used to do it back when the word "stream" still referred to a body of water.
I also wanted to push up against the corners of my listening habits. If pressed, I could probably gin up 100 different reviews of New Order records (and I might!), but that wouldn't be any new ground for me- and I doubt it'd be a whole lot of fun to read, either (my inbox is open if you feel otherwise, though).
All of that is to say that I'll be doing the same thing again this year, and the first batch is waiting for you on the other side of this blurb.
For newer readers, the rules are the same as last year:
These usually come out on Thursday.
Some are deep dives; some are more standard "record review" fare.
Many of these will be behind the paywall again- if you have some strong opinions on that, I'm genuinely interested in them.
Have something you and/or a friend made? If you’d like me to hear it, let me know, and I’ll share how to get it to me.
Is there a record you'd like me to review? Let me know either in the comments or via email. Some of the best-received pieces last year were reader-driven, so if you've got one, hit me up!
Especially if it's a New Order record.
Record Reviews
Beachheads- Beachheads II
For a band with a background in metal, this sure doesn't sound like it. Instead, the band consisting of former members of Kvelertak deliver a compact 30 minutes of pure power pop. Their sophomore record has far more in common with Teenage Fanclub & R.E.M. than anything else.
Old habits die hard (check out the lyric sheet for some dark/anxious moments), and closer "Oh Joy" kicks off with "Heaven Knows I'm miserable now," but by and large jangly pop, catchy hooks, and sunny rhythms overshadow those. This record is a reminder that despite everything around us, there's still some good happening. Morrissey should take note.
For your playlist: Jupiter, Down South
En Attendant Ana- Juillet
Juillet wastes no time getting to the point. The first words we hear from Margaux Bouchadon (who somehow reminds me of Deborah Harry) on the opening track "Down The Hill" are "Take a step out for real/ And leave the place where you've always been,"
That theme is a throughline for the band's 2020 release. Throughout the record's ten tracks are calls to escape, leave, or shut out a world awash in white noise.
Like Beachheads, these themes are riding on a blanket of up-tempo riffs, peppy beats, and the occasional brass.
En Attendant Ana is what Alvvays would sound like if they'd grown up in Paris, not the Atlantic Provinces.
For Your Playlist: In/Out, The Light That Slept Inside
Smut-How The Light Felt
You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a band by its name. Let's just say this was not what I expected going in. For a band named "Smut," they sure don't sound like it.
A lot can happen in five years, and a band can make a lot of changes too. How The Light Felt is Smut's 2022 follow-up to 2017's End of Sam-soon, and the differences are stark.
How the Light Felt sees the band fully bought into a sound, similar to the Sundays, Belly, or (insert your favorite 90's brit pop band here).
That's often a recipe for songs to blur together, but the band does well to let each track stand alone while still adhering to an overall theme. Much of that is down to the band's current lineup: guitarist Andrew Min, bassist, synthesist Bell Cenower, guitarist/synthesist Sam Ruschman, and drummer Aidan O'Connor.
Standing on their shoulders, lead singer Tay Roebuck grapples with uncertainty & angst.
From opener "Soft engine":
I’ll break the stars against you, you’ve won
Fragmented, and dangerous, I’m outdone
When words are worn down and the sounds that I need are visceral
You see now, I’m miserable
For all the words of self—doubt, she sounds resilient. Even while singing about an ex that called her by another woman's name, she still tells us she's "feeling rebellious and gigantic." That attitude- and the record's sound are infectious.
I don't know how the light felt, but it's shining bright.
For your playlist: After Silver Leaves, Supersolar
Thoughts on any of these? Any records you think I should review?
What Was On
Below is the list of records I listened to over the last week. It doesn’t count the ones I reviewed, playlists, stuff in the car, etc. There’s rarely any rhyme or reason to it.
Working Men’s Club- Fear, Fear
The Tisburys- Exile On Main Street
Throwing Muses- The Real Ramona
Yo La Tengo-And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
New Order- Low Life
Wire- The Scottish Play: 2004
Dot Dash- Madman in the Rain
Manchester Orchestra- The Million Masks of God
Jawbreaker- 24-Hour Revenge Therapy
Hibou-S/T
The Go-Betweens- 16 Lovers Lane
Martha-Please Don’t Take Me Back
The Pointer Sisters- Break Out
Men At Work- Business As Usual
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever- Endless Rooms
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers- Damn The Torpedoes
Graham Parker- Squeezing Out Sparks
Joywave-Cleanse
Say She She- Prism
Blondie-Plastic Letters
The Be Positives- Everything About…
Hazel English- Just Give Up/Never Going Home
Cheap Trick-In Color
Squeeze- Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti
Momma- Household Name
Superchunk- Wild Loneliness
What have you been listening to?
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B-Sides
The story of The Beach Boys’ discography takes a lot of twists and turns. Not every record was well received. I don’t know if this review of their “Holland” album is a spicy take, but it was interesting.
because…I really don’t think the rest of the album is very good. Nothing else on the album is nearly so focused and compelling. There are parts of the much-ballyhooed “California Saga” that are striking – the first song in the cycle, “Big Sur” is surprisingly good considering that it was the first song that talentless chump Mike Love ever wrote all by himself. It’s got a friendly, ambling feel to it, and I kind of like it in spite of myself. But never fear, it was a total fluke, he’d never come up with something that listenable all by his lonesome ever again. No doubt though, it does have a catchy melody, and certainly doesn’t collapse under its own pretensions the way “The Beaks of Eagles” does.
Lots of music obits lately. Too many, really. Here are a few:
Anita Pointer
Jeff Beck
Jeremiah Green
Thom Bell
Martin Duffy
A Look back at Portishead’s Dummy.
A quick read on a record that some people loved and others weren’t quite sure what to do with.
Dummy, Portishead’s first masterpiece, accidentally cast such a wide net, that it transfixed all different types of unassuming vinyl enthusiasts, leaving them unable to shake it off. Geoff Barrow and Beth Gibbons, who formed the band after meeting at an Enterprise Allowance course in February 1991 at the dole office during a coffee break—and Adrian Utley later—made an album that projected an unadulterated love for wax. From sampling folk music that held cursed unearthly snippets of eroded dreams, cooking up instrumental hip-hop breakbeats, juggling the blues, dub and jazz aesthetics.
Every Yo La Tengo album, ranked from worst to first.
At this point, I’m fairly convinced that Consequence wants to see the world burn.
That said, I am interested in hearing your thoughts on their list. What’d they get right? What’d they miss the mark on?
A good tweet:
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
About Beachhead's lyric, "Heaven knows I'm miserable now." That's the title of a Smiths song! Homage.
I don’t identify as a “music nerd,” but I’m here for a few reasons:
1) I enjoy music and like discovering obscure artists I wouldn’t otherwise.
2) Music is my 24-year-old son’s love language. I got him a new record player and a “mixtape” vinyl subscription for Christmas.
3) I want to purchase a record player and get lost in music at least a few nights a month and search for albums at thrift shops.
4) Jeff Beck?! I have been living under a rock this week and had no idea!
Thanks for your consistent reviews, your dedication to sharing, and for keeping me informed. Maybe I’ll be a music nerd one day!
(Also, January has kicked my ass and I’m catching up reading posts. On Repeat is my first ‘stack to visit!)