Sound Advice- 07. Nov. 2024

The flood of great 2024 releases continues! Today we're taking a quick look at several long players.

Nov 07, 2024

Longtime readers may recall that I reviewed 100 new (to me) records last year. Because ~~I’m a glutton for punishment~~ love music, I’m doing it again this year. This is the latest in the series.

Good morning!

Today we’re taking a look at the latest from Susanna Hoffs, Lone Justice, Wussy, and more!

Every year, I celebrate all the great music we’ve been gifted while worrying that next year will see the other shoe drop. I did that last December and have been proven wrong every month since. Not only are there a ton of releases steadily coming out, but there’s also been a ton of great stuff, no matter your tastes. It’s almost overwhelming— but in all the best ways. Below are a few of the releases that have caught my attention recently.

Let’s get into it!

Susanna Hoffs- The Lost Record

Susanna Hoffs’ work has always had a retro feel to it. Whether with The Bangles in the 80s or her solo records, her bright poppy vocals/stylings have all harkened back to different decades. This latest record was recorded in the late 90s (in her garage) and flits between her more familiar Beatles-esque sound and something echoing out of Laurel Canyon in the 70s. Hoffs was a new mother at the time of recording (part of why the material was recorded at home). The lyrics to “I Will Take Care of You” will resonate with anyone who ever answered to “mom” or dad.”

“Living Alone” Without You” deals with her husband Jay Roach’s career and how his success led to them being, as Hoffs described it, “like ships crossing in the night.” At the time, Hoffs was in what she describes as “this sort of identity crisis. I was a mom and married to a filmmaker and living this so-called grownup-life and finding myself at a crossroads, like, ‘How do I juggle all this stuff?’ and trying to figure out how to ‘Do it all.'”

The uptempo tracks will remind listeners of The Bangles, and the mellower, stripped-down ballads do well to elevate Hoffs’s voice. And she had plenty of help here, with everyone from Jim Keltner to David Baerwald stopping by. Go-Go’s members Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin co-wrote “Life on the Inside.” The record closes with a cover of Shawn Colvin’s “I Don’t Know Why.” It all makes for a fantastic effort & polished sound. The Lost Record may have been made in a garage, but you’d never know it.

Pixies- The Night the Zombies Came

Hearing someone say, “I only like their old stuff,” is usually an excuse to point and laugh. Is there anything that symbolizes the stereotypical hipster music more than those six words? And yet, it's something I’ve found myself saying about Pixies more than any other band.

The line is drawn right down the middle, with their first five records ranging from fantastic to mind-blowing and the next four ranging from not bad to almost unlistenable. Part of that is undoubtedly due to the high bar set with records like Doolittle. There is a novelty and a fire in both of those absent from their recent work.

So, would this be the record that breaks that streak? I’ll say this: It took a lot of intention not to constantly put this next to, say, Surfer Rosa while listening. Part of why I found those latter four records disappointing was that the first five were too good. And to be fair, Paz Lenchantin is an incredible bassist, but she just wasn’t Kim Deal, you know?

At any rate, Paz is now out of the band as well, and Emma Richardson is in. One of the first things I noticed was the vocal interplay between Richardson and Black Francis. It's nowhere near as evident as when he and Deal shared the mic, but it’s there, especially on “Jane (The Night the Zombies Came).”

“You’re So Impatient” echoes that same could-explode-at-any-minute style from their earlier records. “Motoroller” is another ripper, and I listened to both more than once in a row.

Outside of those three tracks, the record is…okay. To my ear, it’s arguably the best of the last 5. I’d listen to it again. If I assigned letter grades to records, it’s a solid B or B-, but it won't replace the likes of Come on Pilgrim or Trompe Le Monde in my rotation anytime soon.

Lone Justice- Viva Lone Justice

Dance, Pop, Alt-country, Rockabilly, Cowpunk… Over the years, people have tried applying all those labels to Lone Justice. And before most of us knew who they were, they were a cover band. Soon after, they had a brief time in the sun, added Critic’s Darling to their list of descriptors, and…then split up. Now, for the first time in 38 years, we’re hearing a new record from them.

Is calling an album of covers a “new” record accurate? Maybe, maybe not. But I’ll take it. And to be fair, new parts and overdubs have been added to all but one of the songs here. Most of the material came from two-track demo recordings in the early 90s, recently dusted off by bassist Marvin Etzioni. And on the slight chance you've forgotten just how good Maria Mckee’s voice is, she only needs a few seconds on the opener, “You Possess Me,” to remind you.

Other tracks here include “Jenny Jenkins,” which whetted everyone’s appetite when released as a single earlier this year, and their crack at The Undertones classic “Teenage Kicks”( the latter being this reviewer’s favorite on the record), and a live version of “Nothing Can Stop My Loving You,” which might set your stereo on fire if you’re not careful.

Not everything sticks the landing here—did we really need another version of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You?”-- but that’s a minor point on an otherwise incredible outing by the band

Wussy-Cincinnati, Ohio

I don't know what it is about this band, but man, they strike a chord in me that few other bands can hit. Readers may recall that their 2005 Funeral Dress record recently made my 100 Best Albums list, clocking in at #52. It was—and is—a sublime record.

And 19 years later, so too is the Cincy band’s latest release, the aptly titled Cincinnati, Ohio (pre-orders have been shipped; the LP will be fully released along with EPs The Great Divide and Cellar Door on the 15th). This is the band’s first record in 6 years and the first since the death of guitarist John Erhardt.

Wussy records are gem after gem, just waiting to be discovered. There is a dogged determination, and sometimes there is desolation. There are always good melodies and painting of vivid pictures. In this record’s case, the opening track, “The Great Divide,” kicks things off in a cinematic fashion, pulling listeners in immediately. Its counterpart on the B-side is “Inhaler,” a 6-minute belter. Both are highlights on a record stocked with top-notch tracks.

On paper, this band shouldn’t work; Lisa Walker and Chuck Cleaver’s voices couldn't be any different, but together, they shine. The driving rhythm section of Joe Klug and Mark Messerly combines well with jangly and/or acoustic guitars running across the top. It’s Americana one minute, shoegaze the next. But everything’s here in just the right amount, and it all makes for a vivid snapshot of the very real people leading very real lives in middle America….and for an incredible album.

Look for this record to be on a lot of AOTY lists. It’s already locked up a spot on mine. In the meantime, go buy this record.

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Also out:

Sunshine Convention- S/T (2023 release): Sunshine Convention is Jake Whitener’s project. The record is lo-fi pop, packed with infectious hooks and distortion. Think GBV at their poppiest.

Office Dog-Doggerland (EP): As noted a few weeks ago, at first blush, I discounted this band. Opening for Nada Surf, they just sounded “off.” The reality is that my perception was off. Doggerland is intense, nuanced rock. It elevates one minute and threatens to collapse under its own weight the next. There are subtle shifts in their sound that I probably never would pick up in the club that night. It's noise rock. It’s tectonic. It’s well worth your time.

David Potts - Run (EP): Potts is a member of Peter Hook and the Light and a former Monaco member (one of Hook’s post-New Order side projects). Potts recorded this during a touring break, and the EP is four tracks of driving pop, some synths, and just enough new wave to make for some serious earworms. If you liked Monaco, you’ll love this.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on any (or all) of these records! Did I get it right, or am I way off the mark?

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