Sound Advice: 15. Jan. 2025

The flood of great records continues! Today we're taking a quick look at the latest from Franz Ferdinand, A Flock of Seagulls, 20/20, Ethel Cain, and more!

Jan 15, 2025

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 Ethel Cain, 20/20, Franz Ferdinand, A Flock of Seagulls, Felt Rite, and a synthwave comp.

Every year, I celebrate all the great music we’ve been gifted while worrying that next year will see the other shoe drop. I first did that in December 2020 and have been proven wrong every month since. Not only are there a ton of releases steadily coming out, but it also transcends genre, or any other artificial guardrail we try and put up—

In other words, there’s a ton of good stuff coming out, and there’s something for everyone. It’s almost overwhelming— but in all the best ways. Below are another batch that caught my attention recently.

Let’s get into it!

20/20- Back To California

Is it power pop?

Asking that it is a time-honored tradition/ fun game for music nerds to play. The boundaries and qualifiers are as infinite as there are players. But there is no question about what side of the line 20/20 lands on. The band's 1979 debut set the bar for the genre and has only grown with time. Follow-ups Look Out! and Sex Trap are both underrated, but neither could quite escape the long shadow of their debut.

Back to California, the band's first record in over twenty years sees them back doing what they do best—there are plenty of hooks and enough jangle for everyone. But fear not: this isn't a 20/20 redux—they're older and wiser now, and the sounds and lyrics reflect that perspective that can only come with time.

For those longing for a trip back to the brand's roots, Springtime Love Song will get you where you need to go—in fact, one could be excused for mistaking it for a track from that first classic record.

The title makes it apparent, but the entire record is a love letter to the Golden State. "I loved living in California," Ron (Flint) says. "There is an undeniable romance on the streets of Hollywood and a feeling in the air that anything is possible." Indeed, much of the sound will evoke not only the stereotypical sun-kissed beaches but also gorgeous sunsets and the sounds Laurel Canyon offers.

But California is more than geographic lines and boundaries that mark where license plates change— it's a state of mind.

With the seasoned songwriting and muscular sound, back to California is just what we needed.

Ethel Cain-Pervert

In her follow-up to Preacher's Daughter, Cain is our tour guide on a field trip through trauma, abuse, and dark energy. The haunting title track sets the stage early; sometimes, the scariest horror movies leverage what you can't see. Here, Cain pulls the same thing off with spaces between sounds. The descent into madness only speeds up from there.

Housofpsychoticwomn has samples that sound like an ultrasound of a heart—fitting since the dark atmosphere made mine quicken before transitioning to the less specific swirl of white noise. This track evokes images of abandoned psych wards where the still peeling paint reveals the madness that occurred within its walls. Etienne's spare piano deludes the listener into thinking it's safe to come up for air. It's sweet relief, but it doesn't last. Thatorchia gets us back on (off?) track with discordant sounds, and what if you squint and lean in *might* be considered a melody.

Often ethereal, occasionally demented, Perverts is alienating and arresting in equal measures. I recently saw it described as the soundtrack to sleep paralysis, and I'm not sure I can describe it any better.

Franz Ferdinand- The Human Fear

A coworker turned me on to Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out a lifetime ago. One of our daily tasks at work is to fuel ground equipment, which involves repeated trips back and forth to gas pumps at the other end of the airfield. If this sounds boring, trust your gut. Now imagine doing it in the small hours; the song was his way of countering it. With its urgent energy, it was just what we needed-- like a Red Bull for our ears. That was a lifetime ago. Long enough that he left, went through a couple of career changes, went to school, got a nursing degree, and is now firmly established in that field.

Like him, the band has been through a few lifetimes of its own (in and out of favor, multiple lineup changes, etc.) in the 2 decades since that was released. FWIW, I am writing this on the 21st anniversary of the single's release.

New year, new band? Yeah, kinda. The Human Fear comes 7 years after their last record (2018's Always Ascending), and if not totally new, then at least refreshed and updated. Alex Kapranos' baritone sound is the same as it ever was, and it would've been easy to hit autopilot and mail in a papered-over version of what they were doing all those years ago. The Human Fear isn't a full teardown but a complete remodel. They're still playing to their strengths here. The result is energetic, electric, and, most of all, affirming.

Tracks like Build it Up feel purpose-built to be earworms and will stick with the listener. Give it a week or so, and Cats will be on a lot of people's running/biking playlists. They might be older, but if they've lost a step, it sure doesn't show here. Sounding like yourself while avoiding sounding stale is a rare feat.

Various Artists- Out Run the Sun

It’s always nice to see communities banding together for a good cause. This massive (58 track!) comp is a benefit record for synthwave artist Out Runner to help with his recovery/medical bills after all fall. Whatever ‘wave you like, it’s here: Synthwave, Darkwave, Chillwave…and of course everyone’s favorite, Vaporwave.

In an ideal world, medical bills would never be a thing, but that’s a rant for another day. In the meantime, check out this comp, and gorge yourself on some fantastic sounds while helping someone out.

A Flock of Seagulls- Some Dreams

Speaking of synth pop, there’s a new Flock of Seagulls record for the first time, in like, forever. New line up, same sound you know & love. Mike Score’s the only left, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a solid outing. I ran to listen to it (heh) and was not disappointed. (h/t to

Jim Ruland

for getting this on my radar!)

Felt Rite- A Medley of Sentiment

Short version: A good dose of folk rock from (checks notes) Bethlehem, Pa.

Speaking via email, frontman From Leo Motolese shared that “Our project is a culmination of years of friendship and shared musical passion. Felt Rite was born from the songwriting of me (Leo Motolese) and Wyatt Davidick, who've been collaborating for a decade…influenced by the raw energy of early Bon Iver, the indie rock sensibilities of The Districts and Big Thief, the folk-inspired sounds of Volcano Choir and Little Tybee, and the experimental edge of Radiohead, we seem to craft music that is both familiar and avant-garde.”

Okay, then!

As maybe the only person on the planet who doesn't listen to Bon Iver (I know! I know!), I'll leave it to the reader to decide if that influence is reflected here. I'll also say that I wasn't hearing anything avant-garde per se. I will say that I came away from this record feeling much more relaxed than I was when I cued it up. The record is meditative but not bland. The band has been together in one form or another for a decade, and it shows. These guys can play. Even the sequencing feels right. The lyrics have interesting stories to tell, and the melodies have a way of pulling you in. They evoke a lot of pastoral imagery of places like... Bon Iver's home in western Wisconsin.

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

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