The 706 Digest: October 2021

Albums

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga- Love For Sale (Columbia)

The level of a collaboration’s true success is measured by the ability of each performer to bring out the very best of the other. Bennett and Gaga far exceeded that benchmark on their first outing together, 2014’s Cheek to Cheek, and they more than repeat that feat with this sequel, a charming and beautiful tour through the classic catalog of Cole Porter. Two generation gaps cannot deny their natural chemistry, nor their natural ability to put a golden shine on these noble jazz standards, including “I Get A Kick Out of You”, the title track, “It’s De-Lovely”, “Night and Day”, and many others. The musicianship accompanying them throughout is nothing short of superb and is given ample room to shine through. The true highlight of the record however is the evident admiration glowing between the two singers. Bennett clearly finds exuberant joy when singing with the pop icon; while her obvious love and admiration for Bennett radiates from her performances; with an added special element of bittersweet magic given the fact that this stands as Bennett’s final bow in an incomparably staggering career. For those reasons and many more, Love For Sale will live on as a cherished jazz gem.

Brandi Carlile- In These Silent Days (Elektra)

In 2018, Brandi Carlile’s riveting By the Way I Forgive You finally transformed the Americana trailblazer into the household name she should have been from the start, shining light on the stirring, era-defining catalog she’d been building for over a decade prior. As she follows that project up with the long-awaited In These Silent Days, she finds her cultural profile higher than ever, widely regarded as one of today’s most important voices, in spite of the fact that she’s still never scored a mainstream radio hit. In These Silent Days may not change that, and it damn sure doesn’t matter. This album is another masterful release from a powerful singer-songwriter thriving in her prime. Carlile’s immense vocal depth and soulful songwriting are once again astounding, while sonically she expands her roots palate to incorporate colorful shades of classic rock; first single “Right On Time” is an epic showstopper, with its accompanying music video and the album’s cover boasting all sorts of David Bowie influences. She carries that rock experimentation through on other highlights like “Broken Horses”, “When You’re Wrong”, and “Sinners, Saints and Fools”, but the record remains grounded in Carlile’s folk, country and Americana roots as well, with tear-worthy tracks like “This Time Tomorrow”, “You and Me On the Rock”, “Letter to the Past”, and “Throwing Good After Bad” capable of ripping your heart to shreds like “That Wasn’t Me” and “The Joke” before it. The past decade-plus has played witness to a glorious revival of folk-rock, and In These Silent Days instantly joins the ranks of countless classic albums in that vein that have made that musical renaissance possible.

Coldplay- Music of the Spheres (Parlophone)

Exploring a similar vein to their 2005 landmark album X&Y, the ninth LP from Coldplay finds the band returning to the realm of a space-themed concept album. Set in a fictional galaxy known as “The Spheres”, the record is drowning in synthesizers, intergalactic sound effects, and heavily produced interludes. Chris Martin’s unique voice has always sounded truly captivating in these soundscapes, and that fact remains unchanged here. Unlike X&Y, this record doesn’t offer a landmark moment like “Fix You”, but it does offer loads more of grandiose pop moments to latch onto, including lead hit “Higher Power”, and box office collabs with young pop tarts like Selena Gomez and BTS. Long-time Coldplay elitists will of course roll their eyes at such associations, but there’s no denying the appeal of hearing Martin & co. dabbling in such territory. The Gomez duet, “Let Somebody Go” is authentic and tender, while “My Universe” with the inescapable K-pop boy band is criminally catchy. Meanwhile, the album’s space-odyssey resembling finale, “Coloratura” is nothing short of a grandiose, orchestral affair, spanning over ten minutes, and providing us with one of the band’s truly definitive moments. It extolls all of the cinematic wonders that have always been at the heart of Coldplay’s potent rock powers.

Lana Del Rey- Blue Banisters (Interscope)

If you’re eager to be spoiled this year with heaping helpings of tragically beautiful and gloomy music, Lana Del Rey is your gal. Arriving just seven months after the release of the excellent Chemtrails Over the Country Club, the queen of dark pop returns with her eighth studio release. Truthfully, this album would’ve likely benefited with further distance from Chemtrails, as proximity will unavoidably result in unfair comparisons, and the reality is that Banisters lacks the sonic and thematic variety, concise length, and emotional weight that made its predecessor such a well-rounded wonder. Nevertheless, Del Rey’s singing is always gorgeously wrenching (the title track’s vocals, as well as those on “Nectar of the Gods” are particularly wondrous), and her songwriting raw and rife with stunning honesty. That’s also not to say the artist doesn’t carve herself out of the dreary realm she’s so masterful at; “Interlude: The Trio” proves to be a bizarre and misplaced, if not fascinating, interruption and the carnal intensity of “Dealer” is a deliciously demonic detour worth seeking out.

Jackson-Sellers- Breaking Point (Anti)

A grungy, gratifying combination of the ramshackle garage-honky hybrids that both Jade Jackson and Aubrie Sellers have been deftly crafting in their solo careers for the past several years. Their equally ethereal pipes seamlessly coalesce into one breathtakingly angelic sound, backdropped against a hellaciously raucous wall of unpolished sonic grease. After all, that tantalizing dichotomy is essentially the core of both country and rock music, and it serves these ladies splendidly as the essence of Breaking Point. The album rarely slows or quiets down, clipping away at a sweaty tempo on should-be smashes like the title track, Julie Miller’s “The Devil is An Angel”, the angst-ridden “Wound Up”, and the dirty blues number “Wild One”. But when the duo does pare things back on moments like “As You Run” or “Hush”, the results are truly gripping. Breaking Point is far more than a little side-project from two underground songbirds; this is one of the year’s best rock records from two badasses full of confident swagger and impressive, emotional depth.

Natalie Hemby- Pins and Needles (Concord)

Natalie Hemby’s song craft is likely more familiar to you than you realize, with a resume that includes credentials such as membership in The Highwomen, and writing credits on mainstream hits by the likes of Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, and Kacey Musgraves. On this, her sophomore solo album, she once again demonstrates a singer-songwriter style that has one foot in the Laurel Canyon era of the early 70s, and one in the 90s country female movement. Her lyrics overflow with sharp intellect, riveting reflection, and candid confessionals. Lead single “Heroes” tackles the iconic falsehoods we bestow upon the celebrities we idolize, while “Hardest Part of Business” indicts the scandalous and betraying nature of the corporate world in hilarious, cutting fashion. “New Madrid” comes to vibrant life by way of layers of illuminating guitar-driven tension, of both the acoustic and steel variety. “Banshee” is a twisted updated take on the themes of “Jolene”, with a particularly stalkeresque atmosphere that is both spooky and wildly entertaining. She saves the most guttural moment for last, with “Last Resort”, a stirring profession of unconditional love and support during one’s darkest life moments.

Ed Sheeran- = (Asylum)

One of the year’s most anticipated pop returns, the first proper studio release from Ed Sheeran in four and a half years (a duets record bridged the gap in 2019), provides plenty of evidence that he remains both a vital and creative songwriter as well as a skilled pop noisemaker. Smash singles “Bad Habits” and “Shivers” shamelessly pivot to the 80s tinged dance noir that The Weeknd has brought to further prominence in the past two years, and both are executed flawlessly. Overall however, = is designed as a time capsule of a prominent period in Sheeran’s life, with tracks like “Tides”, “First Times”, and “Sandman” examining personal and professional landmarks from marriage and fatherhood to fame and celebrity. He’s a unique talent in the fact that he can indulge in so much sentimentality and rarely come off as indulgent or overly sappy. No greater feat defines this album in that regard than the absolutely heart-wrenching “Visiting Hours”, a gracefully poignant and genuinely moving expression of grief, loss and love.

Zac Brown Band- The Comeback (Warner)

As the title implies, the seventh long-player from Zac Brown and his troops is being touted as a return-to-roots effort, after a series of ill-received segues into heavier sounds of pop, rock and electronica on releases like 2015’s Jekyll + Hyde and 2019’s The Owl. Yes, there was 2017’s more organic Welcome Home, and there were always plenty of other roots-oriented moments sprinkled throughout the band’s more recent work. But there’s no denying that The Comeback feels like a full-blown reconnection to their first (and best) three albums. It’s just a flat-out reality that an acoustic based platform highlights the signature warmth of Brown’s voice and the group’s harmonies, musicianship and lyrics far more effectively than the more sterile environments of its immediate predecessor, even if a chunk of this material is admittedly retread. It’s all wholly enjoyable nonetheless. “Fun Having Fun” is a true standout, reviving the act’s jam band qualities while nodding back to a perennial debut favorite, “It’s Not OK”. Meanwhile, the Marcus King duet, “Stubborn Pride”, is a the album’s true cornerstone, a divine display of King’s soulful vocal magic as well as the rich depths of Brown’s range. All in all, The Comeback truly feels like a reunion with an old friend, and will certainly encourage many to dust off reliable classics like The Foundation, You Get What You Give, and Uncaged, which all remain among the very best musical moments of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Another run like that would be more than welcome from ZBB. Here’s hoping this is the start of such a run.

Singles

ABBA- “Just A Notion” (Polar)

In what may be the longest gap between records in pop music history, the Swedish pop legends returned this fall with their first LP since the dawn of the Reagan Administration. Though the band does sound impressively vibrant all these decades later, it’s especially the case on “Just A Notion”, because it well, retains vocals from an abandoned 1978 session coupled with updated production. Which makes this single more of a vault cut than a new recording, but it nonetheless reconnects the present to the bopping, gleeful cheese of the quartet’s heyday. And let’s face it, that’s exactly what anybody remotely interested in a new ABBA album wants: nothing but flat out nostalgia. No new ground is covered on this track, nor is it necessary.

Adele- “Easy On Me” (Columbia)

Is it undeniably predictable at this point to see pop icon, Adele awaken from another long slumber with an emotional power ballad to launch her latest comeback? Of course, it is. Is “Easy On Me” a breathtakingly beautiful and satisfying performance? Of course, it is. With a simple piano backdrop, the song unfolds as a raw, confessional letter of apology and request for grace from her young child in the wake of the divorce from their father. The heights of her vocals are hair-raising as always, but there’s a vulnerable humility anchoring this performance unlike anything she’s released before. “Easy On Me” is at once soaring, and remarkably tender and vulnerable.

Bastille- “Thelma & Louise” (Virgin)

Another fetching electro-pop romp from a band that continues to establish themselves as one of the leading forces in the world of beats and synths. Yes, the borderline sample of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” initially opens the door, but Bastille closes the deal based on their now-trademark combination of alluring vocals and swirling hooks.

Jason Boland & The Stragglers- “Restless Spirits” (Proud Souls)

Warm, rustic vocals. Crisp, clean country instrumentation. Simple, substantive storytelling. The latest from Boland and his gang represents the best, definitive qualities of the Red Dirt subgenre. In other words, just another day in the studio for one of the most overlooked and reliable country bands of the past quarter century.

Brandi Carlile- “Broken Horses” (Elektra)

The aforementioned Americana superstar leans full-throttle into her classic rock and California country tendencies on this roaring anthem of fierce, fiery independence. The sound magnificently recalls the AOR radio spirit of the 70s, framing Carlile’s ferocious vocal showcase–arguably the most thrilling and blistering of her marvelous career to date–with a mystifying, cinematic arrangement of haunting acoustics and thunderous guitar rock riffs. This performance is both a haunting and euphoric experience.

Hayes Carll featuring Brandy Clark- “In the Mean Time” (Dualtone)

As pure a country duet as you’ll find in 2021, “In the Mean Time” is a gritty acknowledgement of the low points that exist in even the happiest, most secure marriages. There’s a real beauty in finding the soul mate who you can be your unfiltered self with at all times. But it can also lead to moments where that person becomes the victim of your weakest tendencies, and that aspect is examined with precisely the amount of realism and authenticity you’d expect from these two revered country-folk poets. The fact that both have them could have easily turned such a subject matter into a Prine-worthy novelty, but didn’t this go-around, makes it all the more sincere and bitterly rewarding.

Coldplay featuring BTS- “My Universe” (Parlophone)

To all the mainstream-hating snobs bitching about this union being a sell-out, low point moment for Coldplay, untwist your panties and allow yourself to indulge in the dreamy, synth goodness of this undeniably intoxicating performance. Besides, the band has always worn as many pop sensibilities on their sleeve as they have of the alt-rock variety. This is one of the most accessible and durable jams currently bidding for airplay.

David Crosby featuring Michael McDonald- “River Rise” (Three Blind Mice)

This duet from the folk-rock and soul legends envelopes the listener like a warm, comforting blanket. Neither artist may be able to reach the rapturous vocal heights that they were able to half a century ago, but the sincerity, power and poetry remains as vital as they ever were. The vocal blend created has a unique sweetness to it, and the record quietly builds at the perfect emotional pace.

Ariana Grande- “POV” (Republic)

This refreshingly restrained R&B stunner seems poised to become one of the under-appreciated, dark horse gems of Grande’s career long term. Sweeping in melody and maturely balanced in terms of perspective and vocals, “POV” represents a high-water mark for the pop favorite, and recalls Mariah Carey at her peak.

Natalie Hemby- “Pins and Needles” (Concord)

The title track from Hemby’s aforementioned excellent sophomore album is a stirring delight that’s packed with hypnotically methodical piano strokes and humid lyrics that form a splendid display for the smokiest depths of her range. She sort of sounds like a swampy Sara Bareilles, and it’s captivating numbers like this that echo why Natalie Hemby should be a household name herself.

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit and Brittany Spencer- “Midnight Train to Georgia” (Southeastern)

Another excellent moment off Jason Isbell’s recent Georgia-themed project, this burning cover of the classic Gladys Knight & The Pips standard deserves to be a true coming-out party fo the ultra-talented Brittany Spencer, who is quietly but surely proving that modern-day country soul can indeed be a thing, and not one solely monopolized by Yola either.

Jeremy Ivey featuring Margo Price- “All Kinds of Blue” (Anti)

We already know just how much Margo Price kicks ass. The catalog of her husband, Jeremy Ivey is just as worthwhile in seeking out, and there’s no better place to start than with this delicious, rumbling duet that bubbles over with searing chemistry, muddy harmony goodness, and a pensive country-rock intensity.

Manchester Orchestra- “Bed Head” (Loma Vista)

One of the year’s purest alt-rock moments, these gloomy Atlanta troubadours have crafted an eery anthem that steals a bit of your soul with each listen. “Arguing with the dead, I’m not alone but it sure feels like someone left.” If that opening line doesn’t leave you in a cold, clammy sweat then the ominously hazy heights of the performance that follows it surely will.

Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton- “Does He Love You” (MCA)

This reincarnation of McEntire’s 1993 smash duet with Linda Davis strips away all the soapy camp of the original and replaces it with an intimate setting that allows all of the betrayal, ache and crippling doubt of the song’s story to deliciously simmer on the surface. The fact that it represents the first ever duet from two of the most important female country icons ever immediately makes it an important moment. Similar to last month’s “Wasted Days” from Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, would we have preferred that such an occasion had occurred in say, 1985, when the two acts intersected at the pinnacle of chart stardom? Duh. Nonetheless, “Does He Love You” proves to be a satisfying bucket-list moment anyway.

My Morning Jacket- “Regularly Scheduled Programming” (ATO)

The lead single from My Morning Jacket’s new LP illustriously demonstrates that the beauty of psychedelic rock is most certainly not trapped in the past. This track is an instant musical acid trip, with thunderous riffs and rhythms gloriously crashing down upon you as you become lost in the expressive mystery of Jim James’ ubiquitous voice and the band’s equally enticingly mind-fucking lyrics.

Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde- “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” (Big Machine)

An excellent single choice from Carly Pearce’s superb new album unites her with another one of Nashville’s bright spots in duet partner, Ashley McBryde. Together, they completely reshape the storyline of the above mentioned “Does He Love You” with gracefully humble aplomb. Instead of descending into cheesy catfighting or vengeful retaliation, the two women sift through all of the devastating shame, shock and heartbreak, and do so through the use of pure country vocals, lyrics and instrumentation.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats- “Love Don’t” (Stax)

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are at their absolute best when they throw themselves without unadulterated abandon into the jamming rock & soul swelter that resides at the very core of their identity as a band. This thrilling finale to their upcoming album is one of those moments and it’s a sensational experience brimming with joy, passion and musical excellence. One of 2021’s most celebratory moments in music.

Randy Rogers Band- “Picture Frames” (Tommy Jackson)

This troop of Texas honky tonkers remains one of today’s most underrated bands. Randy Rogers possesses one of those rare voices that’s so packed solid with layered emotion, rich character and expressive personality. That voice, and the stellar country musicianship of his comrades, have paired themselves here with a song that astutely puts those elements to gratifying use. A tribute to life’s most cherished moments and the swirling daily experiences that define us in between each of them.

Ed Sheeran- “Shivers” (Asylum)

As one of pop music’s most unassuming purveyors, Ed Sheeran also becomes one of the genre’s most potent. First impressions would never suggest that the singer-songwriter had the ability to unleash such a viscous dance-pop banger like “Shivers”, and it’s that element of surprise that makes it all the more infectious. This one positively sizzles and leaves you begging for more.

Amanda Shires- “You Don’t Get To Go” (Silver Knife)

It’s difficult to accurately declare what is the most beautifully piercing aspect of Amanda Shires’ music. Is it her angelic voice, chilling fiddle or unflinching lyrics? They’re all doing overtime on “You Don’t Get To Go”, and the bare-boned arrangement gives the listener no place to hide from the bitter truths that they bestow.

Sting- “If It’s Love” (A&M)

Sting remains in possession of one of music’s most uniquely expansive vocal registers and he applies it marvelously on this lush nugget, blending both old and new elements of traditional pop and imbuing a glowing sense of humanity and kindness. It’s smooth as silk, uplifting but never pandering, and effortlessly easy on the ears.

Walk the Moon featuring Johnny & Jesse Cleggs- “Fire In Your House” (RCA)

The latest WTM release is a classic pop music bait & switch, initially suggesting a stripped down metropolitan outing, before zig-zagging into the kind of quirky, alt-rock hypnosis that has become one of the band’s many impressive calling cards. The song’s story effectively portrays the burning attraction that the narrator is so desperately trying to fight, and failing to do so. The exotic touches provided by South African musicians, the Cleggs, adds yet another dynamic component to the band’s ever expanding resume of sounds.

Jack White- “Taking Me Back” (Third Man)

One of modern day rock’s most creative forces returns and instantly reminds us all that the music world is a far more thrilling and captivating place when Jack White is gracing us with another one of his garage rock epics. “Taking Me Back” is a venomous reemergence and ranks among the most blistering moments in any of his catalogs; solo or otherwise. His impending fourth LP immediately takes its place as one of the major musical milestones on the 2022 calendar.

Sam Williams with Keith Urban- “Kids” (Mercury)

Upcoming Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Hank Williams Jr. certainly succeeded in raising a trio of diverse musicians to carry on his family’s fabled musical legacy. While Hank Williams III went the honky tonk punk route, and Holly Williams earned a reputation as an Americana songbird, their half-brother Sam unveils an evocative folk-pop style with his debut record. “Kids” thoughtfully explores the awkward transition from youth to adulthood, with Keith Urban’s instantly recognizable guitar work supplying an additional layer of resonant color.