Albums
The Black Keys- Delta Kream (Easy Eye Sound)
The Keys’ tenth long-player finds the duo returning to their gritty and primitive blues roots, unearthing a collection of formative hill-country blues standards from the likes of Junior Kimbrough, John Lee Hooker, R.L. Burnside, Big Joe Williams, and other notables from the music’s earliest eras. The set opens with the ferocious “Crawling Kingsnake” and immediately fulfills what we knew would be a reverent and vintage roots exploration, while also invoking the project with tasteful, modern production standards. Longtime Keys die-hards will rejoice in this record, which connects Dan Auerbach’s soulful vocals and Patrick Carney’s commanding guitar grooves back to the roots of their earliest albums. The entire record’s a highlight, but pay particular attention to the sensational heights of “Going Down South” and the humid, haunting allure of “Come and Go With Me”.
Alan Jackson- Where Have You Gone (EMI)
The Hall of Fame poet and one of country music’s modern, living legends ends the longest silence of his three-decade career with his twenty first studio set, and his first since 2015. Those years have done nothing to rob the icon of his sturdy twang or the honky tonk grace of his prose. Where Have You Gone abounds with the tried and true Jackson hallmarks of the past: potent drinking tunes (“Way Down In My Whiskey”, “Wishful Drinking”), sincere familial sentiment (“You’ll Always Be My Baby”, “Where Her Heart Has Always Been”, and sage life reflections (“The Older I Get”, “So Late So Soon”). And of course, with thriving country arrangements of fiddle and steel supporting him, he proudly reasserts himself as a traditionalist gatekeeper with commentaries on the current state of the country genre, whether it be the mournful title track, or the jaunty “Back”. If anything prevents this 21-track album from being a flawless entry in his canon, it’s the combination of its length and lack of tempo. Nevertheless, an Alan Jackson release is always a welcome occasion and overall, this one more than makes up for lost time.
Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall- The Marfa Tapes (RCA)
Miranda Lambert further upholds her restlessly artistic reputation by joining fellow Texans and frequent lyrical collaborators, Ingram and Randall, for this delightful left-field and all-acoustic side project, smack dab in the midst of her recent renaissance on mainstream radio. Devotees of the Texas country scene will fall head over heels; it offers an impressive Flatlanders spirit coupled with a minimalist, unpolished production, complete with the intimate background noise of idle chit-chat and campfire flames. It’s soulful, warm and cozy. And, as a true songwriter’s album, it’s chalk-full of tremendous tunes including former Lambert tracks “Tin Man” and “Tequila Does”, as well as other highlights like “Anchor”, “In His Arms”, “Am I Right Or Amarillo”, and “Amazing Grace (West Texas)”. Hell, the entire track list is stacked from top to bottom. The Marfa Tapes is sure to be a dark-horse favorite of 2021.
St. Vincent- Daddy’s Home (Loma Vista)
The most dazzling and dizzying female force to hit the alt-rock scene since Florence Welch unleashes the follow-up to her 2017 breakthrough, Masseducation, and while it finds her once again reuniting with sonic scientist Jack Antonoff, Daddy’s Home is indeed another reinvention for this artistic chameleon. It finds Annie Clark and her alter-ego excavating retro-funk and soul sounds while also reconciling deep, personal matters such as her father’s recent release from a 10-year prison stint, which frames the brilliantly bizarre title track, and ultimately the entire record as a whole. It makes for an album that is both a sonic, and emotional, roller-coaster. Still reeling from the weird, guttural impact of Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters? Tracks like “Daddy’s Home”, “Pay Your Way In Pain”, “The Melting of the Sun”, and the like will prove to be excellent chasers. Meanwhile, “Live the Dream” is a flat-out masterclass in modern psychedelia, and cuts “Down and Out Downtown” and “Candy Darling” form a pair of gorgeously painful portraits of New York City, with vocal heights that recall the best powerhouse moments of women like Sinead O’Connor and Annie Lennox.
Travis Tritt- Set In Stone (Big Noise)
Alan Jackson’s “Class of ’89” peer likewise returns after a long absence from the studio; Set In Stone marks Travis Tritt’s first full-length record since 2007. Recent years have proven that the rebellious Southern Rocker is even more outspoken as a country elder-statesmen than he was as a hell-raising superstar in the mid-90s. And while you may not necessarily agree with all that Tritt has to say these days, you certainly can’t argue with the greatness at which he still sings. The Georgia native’s twangy rasp remains as bluesy and soulfully dimensional as it ever has, and new producing partner Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton) unsurprisingly finds the very best framing for Tritt’s classic voice at this stage in his career and life. With roots leaning as much toward The Allman Brothers Band as they did Waylon Jennings, Tritt’s sweet spot remains that middle ground between Southern Rock and Outlaw country, as evidenced by rave ups like “Stand Your Ground”, legacy clinchers like “Set In Stone”, and sweet reflective moments like “Leave This World”.
Twenty One Pilots- Scaled and Icy (Elektra)
2021 has been positively stacked with great albums from rock’s biggest bands thus far. And you just knew that the highly anticipated sixth set from Twenty One Pilots was going to stake serious claim for the distinction as the best. Scaled and Icy certainly didn’t disappoint. Like its preceding albums, it finds idiosyncratic partners-in-crime Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun pulling from a vast well of influences, both sonically (hip-hop, classic rock, alternative, dance and pop) and topically (anxiety, self-worth and discovery, the loss of both time and people). The range of character to be found in Joseph’s vocal range remains truly impressive. He continues to convey the same kind of nervy tension of past smashes on new ones like “Shy Away” and “Choker”, while also sounding outright gleeful and brightly optimistic on boppers like “Good Day” and “Saturday”, which both of course offer plenty of dark undertones hidden beneath the surface, but they’re still as infectious as anything they’ve ever released. It’s the devastating “Redecorate” however that is the artistic cornerstone statement of the record; raw and chilling to the bone.
Weezer- Van Weezer (Atlantic)
When The Black Keys return to their roots, they’re rediscovering century-old hill country blues. When Weezer returns to theirs, it’s by resurrecting the amped up guitar sound of late 70s and 80s hair metal. Two vastly different universes, but each entertaining in their own way. Van Weezer was originally to see release in 2020, but was delayed due to COVID’s shuttering of touring. Instead, we were treated to the superb orchestral record, OK Human earlier this year, and now with the return of live music very much on the horizon, this album becomes primed for its own limelight. And Van Weezer is without question, a record tailor made for a loud, amplified arena tour. It also proves that Weezer remains as skilled in heavy rock theatrics as they ever have. Rivers Cuomo is on fire vocally, and kick-ass anthems like “The End of the Game” and “Hero” have earned every second of airplay they’ve achieved, and the same can be said for recent singles “I Need Some of That” and “All the Good Ones”. The AC/DC, Metallica, and KISS influences are obvious but not cliche, and truthfully, many of these licks owe as much to The Killers and the pop-punk era that Weezer themselves helped build in the first place.
Singles
Ryan Adams- “Do Not Disturb” (Pax)
The indie-rock veteran continues his reemergence from his controversial isolation in 2019 by previewing the second entry in the trilogy of albums that has been gestating in his vault for sometime. Drenched in somber synth and soft piano melodies, “Do Not Disturb” is the kind of moody rocker that Adams does best. Like the hotel room he’s commiserating in, his heart and mind are both closed for business. They can’t deal with the noise of the outside world for one second longer.
Gary Allan- “Temptation” (EMI)
The latest release from the California-country favorite’s first LP in eight years is a pulsating, passionate display that proves Allan’s gifts for stellar singing and melodic emotion are still going strong a full 25 years after his debut. “Temptation” is bursting with the nervy yet addictive anticipatory pleasures one feels as they prepare to throw will-power aside and indulge, for better or worse, in the unavoidable attraction staring them square in the eye.
Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney- “Half of My Hometown” (Black River)
It’s performances like “Half of My Hometown” that illustrate just how far Kelsea Ballerini has come since her 2014 launch. Tastefully stripped and simple in production, the record allows Ballerini to deliver a passionate yet restrained vocal that perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet combination of pride and conflict one can feel toward their hometown. Fellow Knoxville, Tennessean Chesney’s backing vocals prove to add a sweet, subtle dimension to the track, and they prove to have a natural chemistry together.
Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon- “Peaches” (Def Jam)
Bieber’s most infectious single in quite some time is a seamless blend of his best pop, R&B, and trap inclinations. It rides a mid-tempo groove throughout that grows slyly more hypnotic with each repeat listen, and the featured vocal turns from Caesar and Giveon illustrate a breezy chemistry with the superstar. If you haven’t yet gotten used to hearing this one, it’s about time you settle in and do so.
Jade Bird- “Open Up the Heavens” (Glassnote)
Totally digging Bird’s biting, gloriously spitting, edgy side. The pulsating production perfectly backdrops all of the pent-up frustration she’s unloading on her old flame, particularly when it all comes to a thunderous crescendo at the end of each chorus. I can’t help but feel like this is what it would sound like if Alison Krauss ever applied her angelic voice to a full-on rock album.
Coldplay- “Higher Power” (Parlophone)
The lead single from the Brit-rock heavyweights’ forthcoming ninth LP effortlessly confirms that there are still few sounds in today’s music world as deeply hypnotic as Chris Martin’s pipes, especially when he and his squad indulge in bouncy, synth-pop beats. This should be one of the definitive songs of the summer of ’21.
Anderson East- “Madelyn” (Elektra)
A new album release from Anderson East later this summer is certainly a welcome bit of news, and this scorching lead single suggests that his latest batch of songs will be just as intensely emotional and dynamic as we last left him on 2018’s outstanding Encore. East is a truly singular vocal talent in today’s music scene, and his brand of Southern soul is all its glory on this longingly haunting and sensual performance.
Billie Eilish- “Your Power” (Interscope)
This narrator’s ghostly warning to the ex who devastated her is chilling in the fact that it could at once be interpreted as a vulnerable plea, but also a foreboding threat. Those emotional dichotomies are of course well-established trademarks by now in the arsenal of the dark pop princess. The track is nothing but Eilish’s hushed, piercing vocals and folk-tinged, acoustic guitar strums, and it’s all the more powerful as a result.
Fretland- “Too Much” (Fretland)
This Washington-state based band’s arrival on the Americana scene is one of the more notable of 2021 thus far. This single is overflowing with all of the adjectives that make up a great record: sharp, literate, tuneful, and it’s further bolstered by a solid helping of folk-rock jangle and the brimming clarity of lead vocalist Hillary Fretland’s shimmering pipes. I’ll take a second helping, please.
Girl In Red- “You Stupid Bitch” (World In Red)
Look, the point of view and strategies for navigating relationships of rising alt-star and queer icon, Marie Ulven Ringheim may be just a tad demented and on the nose, but I’m all for it. We spend so much time beating around the bush in approaching even the most important people in our lives, and the Girl in Red just cuts right to the chase, and we could all learn a bit from it. The fact that she wraps it up in a crashing banger of a rock tune makes it all the more persuasive and convincing.
Hiss Golden Messenger- “If It Comes In the Morning” (Merge)
An uplifting folk-rock hymn of perseverance, redemption, and gratitude for whatever blessings or challenges life throws at us. MC Taylor’s vocal renderings and the warm, resonant Laurel Canyon-tinged arrangements that surround it play like a warm blanket of inspiration. You can’t help but feel further connected with the overall life experience after this song plays.
Keb’ Mo featuring Old Crow Medicine Show- “The Medicine Man” (Concord)
A stirring fusion of sound that dutifully utilizes the two acts’ strongest suits, marrying blues-rock and modern bluegrass to deliver a commentary on the past year’s biggest national challenges that is both on-point, and simultaneously hopeful and jubilant in its anticipation for the light waiting at the end of the tunnel.
Amythyst Kiah- “Wild Turkey” (Rounder)
The latest single from Kiah’s forthcoming solo debut is a force to reckon with, from the haunting roots production to her wildly expansive vocal range. But nothing is more awe-inspiring than the tragically raw and naked lyrics which grapple with the emotions surrounding the death of her mother. An absolutely visceral, soul-shaking performance from one of the music world’s most promising young voices.
Lone Bellow- “Dried Up River” (Dualtone)
One-part gospel, the other jangly folk-rock, the latest single from this Americana outfit is the definition of sweet, musical solace. Their music has always carried a cleansing, therapeutic sense of comfort, and this standout performance is no different.
Trixie Mattel featuring Orville Peck- “Jackson” (ATO)
A sublimely shuffling and endlessly charming reinvention of the Johnny & June classic that Mattel & Peck overload with all of the twangy spitfire and saucy flirtation that the duet standard calls for.
Reba McEntire- “Somehow You Do” (Big Machine)
There’s still not a single vocalist on the planet who can emote quite like Reba McEntire. This soundtrack contribution certainly doesn’t rank up there with her most iconic ballads. But that’s a high bar to clear, and any day’s a victory when it provides a new chance to hear the legend apply her singular gifts for passionate & emotional music melodrama. Five-plus decades on the charts and the road have done nothing to rob Reba’s voice of a single ounce of its magic.
Ashley Monroe- “Til It Breaks” (Mountainrose Sparrow)
A powerfully emotional peak on the country songbird’s recent foray into dreamy alt-pop, “Til It Breaks” is framed around one of those equally frustrating but rewarding truths about life’s experience: that things need to get really bad before they ever get better. Her voice is as haunting as ever on the hair-raising chorus, and her pen is as bitterly honest as well on lines like “And to get through to the dawn, you’ve gotta cry through the night.”
Kip Moore- “Good Life” (MCA)
The country stud leans 100% into his considerable rock roots with this colorful follow-up to 2020’s stellar Wild World, and it comes as natural as anything he’s recorded in his decade-long catalog. Punchy, crackling guitar riffs and cool, rollicking vocals make this a perfect summer tune to roll your windows down to. Play it loud!
Pink- “All I Know So Far” (RCA)
Pink’s been such a reliable hit-maker for so long, that she’s reached the point where it’s easy to take her for granted. The woman’s been charting smash records for over two decades, virtually uninterrupted, and seems to receive very little fanfare for it. There’s no reason “All I Know So Far” shouldn’t keep that hit streak rolling, offering all of her trademarks: big and emotional hooks, empowering lyrics, and that passionately dynamic voice.
Margo Price- “Long Live the King” (Lona Vista)
Over the past five years, Margo Price has been hailed as everything from a descendant to Loretta Lynn’s literate honky tonk throne to a reincarnation of 70s era Emmylou Harris, and all deservedly so. With this new standalone single however, it’s rapturously evident that above all else, she is today’s pinnacle of country-soul. A three-part song that reflects on both the legendary contributions and tragic downfalls of Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King, and John Lennon, “Love Live the King” may be Price’s most awe-inspiring cut to date.
Prince- “Welcome 2 America” (Legacy)
This spell-binding preview of the late legend’s forthcoming posthumous album is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek melting pot, both in terms of the maddening cultural hypocrisies that haunt our nation, as well as Prince’s ever-expansive stylistic choices in presenting both his music and world-view. The pop icon’s voice lives on, and we’d be well-served to heed the social commentaries he laces this track with.
Sam Smith- “Time After Time- Live” (Capitol)
Culled from last fall’s livestream performance, the Cyndi Lauper classic unsurprisingly proves to be a natural fit for the pure, chilling emotion that defines Smith’s golden voice. The song remains one of the most beautifully written pop ballads of the last half-century, and this soulful performance is another reminder as to why.
Garrison Starr- “The Devil In Me” (Starr)
An impressive return from one of the most incisive yet under-appreciated singer-songwriters of the past thirty years. Her lyrical magic still cuts with the sharpest blades: “I thought I’d built up my skin, but standing here I’m paper thin….When I face myself in the mirror, I see the years….I lost my youth, fighting the devil in me.” Plenty of valuable wisdom to be found here. Most importantly: don’t wait so long to love and appreciate yourself.
Aaron Lee Tasjan- “Don’t Overthink It” (New West)
There are few songwriters working today that can match the enticing nature of Aaron Lee Tasjan’s song craft: “Don’t fall to pieces, see you in hell before it freezes, save me a seat right next to Jesus, don’t fall to pieces.” From there, he wraps it all up in a snappy, trippy package with a dizzying chorus that combines the best of pop hooks and psychedelic atmospherics. The dude simply kicks ass, and he’s currently at the top of his game.
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande- “Save Your Tears Remix” (Republic)
Yes, I know this track has already appeared on the Digest this year, however sprinkling in Miss Grande’s fantastic vocals via this remix has only further bolstered the infectiously somber track’s mass appeal and chart power. And it’s easy to understand why; these two make a naturally dynamic vocal pair, and the added “Mister Sandman” touch prior to the final chorus hits all the right sweet spots.
Album Tracks
AJR- “3 O’Clock Things” (BMG)
AJR is far more than just the latest in a line of quirky electro-pop groups. Underneath all of their frenetic, trapping beats and irresistible vocal effects is a group with true depth framing their musical narrative. The vibrantly horn-soaked “3 O’Clock Things” is the meatiest illustration of these traits thus far, pulling no punches in tackling political corruption, sexual mind games, and systemic racism. This is pop music with a pulse.
The Chicks- “Tights On My Boat” (Columbia)
It’s been out nearly a year and I’m still reeling from the gripping emotional arc and musical brilliance of Gaslighter. Pure and simple, it’s a modern masterpiece. The breezy “Tights On My Boat” proved to be one of the project’s most ambiguously impressive moments in the fact that it finds Natalie Maines and company managing to lace wry humor into the story of her divorce, without ever sacrificing any of its profound pain and grit. It sort of presents the sassy spirit of the “Goodbye Earl” era, only all-grown up, and still just as entertaining and powerful all the same.
Alan Jackson- “Way Down In My Whiskey” (EMI)
It should come as no surprise that Alan Jackson’s latest LP further solidifies him as the ultimate modern flag-bearer for the art of country drinking tunes. Where Have You Gone offers a fair share of exercises in this realm, but for me, this one proves to be the one with the most durable hangover. Simply put, the combination of Jackson’s warm twang, weepy steel guitar, and booze-soaked country lyrics remain one of the finest sounds to behold in American music.
Olivia Rodrigo- “Brutal” (Geffen)
So does all of the buzz surrounding Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album possess any legit legs underneath it? Yes it does, but you’re going to have to block out your memories of all that insufferable “Driver’s License” airplay and open your mind up a bit. Exhibit A: this track is a whiplashing detour into grungy, alt-rock of all things. And guess what? She pulls it off with badass authenticity. It may be a bit premature to proclaim Rodrigo as the successor to Taylor Swift’s pop kingdom. However, she captures the angst of teenage discovery and romance with a level of adult pathos not seen since Swift. And truthfully, this track perhaps has an even better crack at alternative airplay than anything released off of even Folklore itself.
Twenty One Pilots- “Good Day” (Elektra)
With its bubbly rhythm and bright 70s rock trappings, the opening cut to T1P’s new album is as carefree and effervescent as perhaps they’ve ever sounded. Of course, this is all in the face of self-deprecating, down-on-your-luck lyrics, which in turn makes the proceedings all the more amusingly euphoric. Is this the narrative of a chap using his positivity to persevere through life’s challenges, or merely the sound of desperate denial? Regardless of the answer, it’s a fun and entertaining outing all around.
Flashback Tracks
Dierks Bentley- “Trying to Stop Your Leaving”, 2008
It was Bentley’s third album, Long Trip Alone, that officially sold me to the fact that his young voice would be an important one long term. This, its criminally forgotten final single and a top five hit, was my favorite of the batch. A pulsating and tastefully produced combination of the trademark gravel in his voice, rippling electric riffs, and full-bodied steel.
The Everly Brothers- “So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)”, 1960
Brothers Phil and Don recorded so many standards on their way to completely epitomizing sibling harmonies in popular music that it’s difficult to pinpoint their definitive example of such magic. But this one surely must rank near the top. Not to mention it’s one of the most gorgeously devastating and yet romantic tales of heartbreak ever written. A timeless gem.
Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland- “Promiscuous”, 2006
One of the definitive ear worms of the mid-2000s, and one that will still get your body moving a decade and a half later. Furtado and Timbaland’s chemistry proved to be a dynamic dance/hip-hop recipe that, for a moment, seemed to transform Furtado into dance-pop’s “it” girl.
The Kinks- “Lola”, 1970
A sing-along standard in the annals of classic rock, so much so that the groundbreaking subject matter is probably still lost on a great majority of those singing along, which in turn really only magnifies the multi-dimensional legacy that Lola’s character has carved out in popular music. Not only is she the source of a wildly entertaining sonic experience, but also one of the first prominent explorations of queer identity in a mainstream hit. The fact that such subject matter is still scarce a half-century later speaks to both its daring nature for 1970, but also to the amount of progress still left to be made in 2021.
The Strokes- “Last Nite”, 2001
The Big Apple band’s sophomore single and breakthrough hit sounds just as fresh, sharp and effortlessly cool as it ever has; it’s mind-blowing to realize it’s two decades old. The record perfectly encapsulates all the uniquely passionate and off-beat colors of Julian Casablancas’ peerless voice, and the crackling sound of the band as a whole. One of the true rock highlights of the early Y2K era.
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