Albums
The Arcs- Electrophonic Chronic (Easy Eye)
The Arcs first arrived in 2015 as a side-project of The Black Keys’ vocalist and guitarist, Dan Auerbach, that explored an adventurous and psychedelic realm of blues and garage rock. In the years that followed their debut, Yours Dreamily, sessions commenced for a second album, which saw its release plans stalled by the 2018 death of percussionist Richard Swift, until now. Auerbach and company have been forthright in acknowledgement that the long-awaited release of Electronic Chronic is purely intended as both a tribute to the late Swift, as well as the final record in the band’s discography, which requires the appreciation of this record to be done with all the more immediacy. Much like its predecessor, the record is a full-bodied and all-consuming trip through the essence of psychedelia, garage rock and the blues. However, it chooses far different approaches and corners of these arenas than what we’re accustomed to on a standard Black Keys album, which in turn allows us to explore different shades of Auerbach’s fascinating voice, ranging from the gnarly fog of “Eyez” to the stunningly soulful and emotive collision of soul and electronica that is “Heaven Is A Place”. Meanwhile, tracks like “Sunshine” creatively meld sunny piano pop with rapturously and ominously trippy soul, while “Behind The Eyes” is a thunderously show-stopping display of the guttural power that lives within the deepest, darkest corners of Auerbach’s range. It’s a damn shame that the shelf-life of this project will prove to be so short, as this second record further emphasizes how much more than a simple side-project The Arcs really had the potential to become. This is the sound of a uniquely talented rock group, with an expansive sound and POV that would’ve been capable of positioning themselves as one of the more entertaining and artistically vital bands of the time. All the more reason to cherish Electrophonic Chronic for the rare gem that it is.
Elle King- Come Get Your Wife (RCA)
Although Elle King’s breakthrough with the 2015 crossover smash “Ex’s & Oh’s” seemed to set her on a path toward the rarified space of solo female rock hitmakers, her journey in the years following proved to be not so linear. Despite the release of an excellent and underrated sophomore effort in 2018, King’s greatest follow up success proved to arrive in the form of collaborations in the country field. Which leads us to Come and Get Your Wife, King’s third studio effort and her first proper country record. The album should not be confused with the slew of awkward “gone country” releases by former pop hit-makers that flooded the charts back in the late 2000s. With her down-home humor and bluesy swamp-twang, King easily asserts herself as a natural country storyteller, and not one with a cross-over signifier attached to her name. Her humble, blue-collar narratives on tracks like “Ohio” and “Lucky”coupled with the redneck rave-up nature of cuts like “Blacked Out” and “Tulsa” recall Gretchen Wilson’s 2004 blockbuster Here for the Party, while she sounds right at home collaborating with country A-listers like Miranda Lambert (the banjo-pop on last year’s chart topper, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home) and Dierks Bentley (the sincere down-trodden romance of “Worth A Shot”). Rounding things out are dabbles in everything from the campy Southern Gospel of “Try Jesus” and the bluegrass tinge of “Crawlin’ Mood” and “Bonafide” to an excellently tender cover of alt-country hero Tyler Childers’ cult-favorite “Jesus Giant”, which may be the dark-horse highlight of the entire project. Only time will tell if Elle King’s artistic journey will continue its chameleonic ways, but the raw sincerity of Come Get Your Wife suggests that’s she only committed to this country turn, but to also pulling it off with as much skill as any act in Nashville today.
Margo Price- Strays (Loma Vista)
Over the course of her first three outstanding records, Margo Price has evolved from a 60s Loretta Lynn honky-tonk disciple to a country-rock maverick in the realm of 70s Emmylou Harris, all culminating in the release of Strays, which seems to find Price finally fulfilling her destiny as her generation’s answer to a roots-rock badass like Lucinda Williams, which tracks well given that Williams’ own lineage can be traced directly back through Harris and Lynn. But for as much as she pulls influence from each of those fabulous icons, Price’s biggest similarities to those artists lie in the fact that she is 100% honestly and authentically her own unique self. And as aggressively as her sound has morphed, so too has the raw and unflinching nature with which she sings and writes her songs (many of them co-written with husband and Americana favorite Jeremy Ivey). Nothing proclaims this more emphatically than opening track, “Been to the Mountain”, which launches the record with a deafening intensity that practically transforms into a full-on punk anthem by the second verse. It sets a tremendous tone for the rest of the LP, grabbing you by the collar and demanding your attention as Price prepares once again to lay all of her life trials and tribulations on naked display. She and her band set further fire to your speakers with this tantalizing sound through high-water marks like “Change of Heart”, the Stones/E-Street leaning Heartland of “Time Machine”, and superb collaborations with Sharon Van Etten (“Radio”), Lucius (“Anytime You Call”), and Mike Campbell (“Light Me Up”). But as much as Price uses this album to further prove that she can command a big rock presence, she thankfully remembers the power residing within the tender side of her twang, which she first blessed us with back on “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle)”. This gift is showcased as powerfully as its ever been on sensitive portraits like “Lydia” and “Landfill”, but never more glowingly than on the chilling “County Road”, a staggering elegy for her late drummer, Ben Eyestone. Strays is a gorgeously vibrant and complicated artistic statement from Margo Price, and another gripping entry in one of the most exciting musical catalogs today, not to mention the first surefire classic of 2023.
Sam Smith- Gloria (Capitol)
The fourth studio album from pop crooner Sam Smith very much starts out like that of a bait-and-switch. It launches with the kind of neo-soul power ballad that made their golden pipes a household presence, “Love Me More”, a stirring announcement of self-love and triumph over one’s inner-most demons and doubts. By the time the album concludes, the listener has experienced an aggressive artistic transformation on the part of Smith, who utilizes Gloria to ascend to the greatest heights of dance-pop dramatics. It’s as if the long-awaited confidence and self-affirmation celebrated on the opening cut finally gives the artist the kind of liberation and fearless creatively necessary to fully reinvent themselves into the kind of pop scientist they’d been dreaming of becoming. Along the way, Smith’s songs, “No God”, “Lose You” and “Perfect’ among them, serve as both personal excavations and bold statements against the kind of hypocrisy, prejudice and hate that has stymied both their own relationships and self-development, as well as those of all marginalized citizens, with members of the LGBTQ+ community chief among them. This evolution of course reaches an intense fever pitch when the smash Kim Petras duet, “Unholy”, a deliciously dastardly and danceable portrayal of a devout husband sneaking out on his wife to indulge in the pleasures of a homosexual encounter. While Smith doesn’t completely abandon the heart-tugging, bread-white balladry at this point (the album after all does still close with an Ed Sheeran duet), “Unholy” is one of those tracks that forever changes how you listen and experience the music of an artist from that point forward, with additional bangers “Gimme” and “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” cementing the fact that Smith has forever opened a transformative door that they don’t intend to shut ever again. Truthfully though, the most dramatic and deceptively pointed late-album statement on this record proves to be the brief, hymnal-based title track, a sure-fire protest against religious hypocrisy that says the most by saying very little at all. Overall, Gloria proves to be a bewildering and schizophrenic musical ride, which may tempt one to label it as uneven or misguided. However, that would be to suggest that such a fascinating lack of definition and adventurous diversity was unintentional on Smith’s part, rather than the clearly deliberate and complex metaphor that this overall album is meant to be. With this album, Sam Smith may have very well just emerged as one of the most topically convicted and entertainingly unpredictable pop curators of the next decade.
Singles
Miley Cyrus- “Flowers” (Columbia)
With this stripped but funky and synth-soaked mid-tempo, Miley Cyrus has quickly staked her claim to the first bona-fide pop smash of 2023, a refreshing turn-of-events given the fact that the pop-rock vixen, already an industry veteran at the age of 30, has been releasing the best work of her storied career for several albums now. “Flowers” is a fierce declaration of independence from an unaffectionate lover, highlighted by Cyrus’ rich rasp, a chorus that’s addictive as hell, and some surging soul backing vocals for good measure. A pop firecracker worthy of every bit of massive airplay that it’s already racked up.
Iris DeMent- “Going Down to Sing in Texas” (Flariella)
Iris DeMent has never once been known to mince any words with her music. In fact, it’s one of the reasons she’s regarded today as one of the greatest contemporary folk heroes of the last three decades. And do not let the welcoming parlor piano that backdrops this latest single to let you think she’s about to let go of that signature trait. “Texas” is a no-holds-barred, spitting protest anthem masquerading as a bouncy country-folk shuffle, and it’s precisely that salty dichotomy that transcends this song from an admirable airing of political grievances into an unabashedly entertaining and toe-tapping experience. Now, it’s also pointedly leftist so that sentiment is only going to be shared by one distinct side of the aisle in today’s ever-polarized national climate. But, hey at least DeMent is respectful of everyone’s time and uses the first verse as an undeniable warning sign of who should keep listening and who should tread lightly: “I’m going to down to sing in Texas, where anybody can carry a gun/But we will all be so much safer there, the biggest lie under the sun.” Political differences aside, nobody can deny that this track marks the return of a fearless artist and one of her generation’s most important cultural narrators.
Eddie 9V- “Yella Alligator” (Ruf)
This criminally overlooked blues revivalist previews his sophomore record with a blistering slice of muddy water blues and swampy soul, punctuated by his unapologetic moan and a crack arrangement of sensationally stinging guitar, silky smooth sax and a sweltering rhythm section. It’s January and there are sub-zero temps lurking outside my window, but I just turned on my A/C in response to the bayou heat this cut stirred up in my speakers.
Fall Out Boy- “Love From the Other Side” (Fueled by Ramen)
The lead single from the pop-punk squad’s eighth studio album, and first in five years, is a bit of a bait and switch. It starts out with a lush, orchestral musical intro before giving way to a wall of the band’s more formative and hyperactive brand of guitar-driven angst. Initially, that’s a bit of a let-down, but then they make a brief return to that tapestry on the bridge as well. And in all reality, the combination of these two disparate sonic arenas blend well to insert the band’s normal nervy tension with an elegant layer of additional drama. Which it totally appropriate given that the song’s story surrounds a romance that has survived the end of the world, or perhaps a worldwide pandemic, which is hopefully the closest thing to the apocalypse that any of us see in our lifetimes. In the end, “Love From the Other Side” dutifully satisfies the thirst of those clamoring for their classic sound, as well as those of us looking for a sign of newer, creative avenues to come.
Lukas Graham featuring Mickey Guyton- “Home Movies” (Warner Brothers)
A sweet pop duet that is loaded with sugary sweet sentiments but is refreshingly grounded by the acknowledgement of the struggles and strife that life has in store for all of us at certain points. Graham’s unique, soulful range proves to be a fantastic match for Guyton’s polished pipes that have already proven to be versatile outside her normal country fare. When their voices combine amidst the layered power-pop production of the chorus, it lands squarely in my pop sweet-spot, and with a bullseye too.
Nikki Lane- “Black Widow” (New West)
Nikki Lane’s seductively twisted and delirious delivery of this track perfectly mirrors the dangerously evil spirit of the consequences that await those that fall for the temptress she sings about throughout “Black Widow”. Which means that we’re treated to clapping, down-home country-rock romp that offers the kind of unforgiving sizzle and stick that you’d get from fresh tar on a 100 degree day. Lane is at her absolute best in scenarios like this.
Lizzo- “Special” (Atlantic)
One of today’s most vital pop voices further expands her growing list of classic empowerment anthems with the brassy and inspiring title track from her most recent album. In weaker hands, the lyrics and message of the chorus could come off extremely saccharine and rote. This is in the ever-powerful hands of Lizzo though, and this performance is bursting with her unique style, personality and perfected R&B-pop potion. It’s a message that’s as important today as it’s ever been, and there’s no artist today better suited than Lizzo to bring it to the masses.
Lucius- “The Man I’ll Never Find” (Mom+Pop)
I’ve heard this track countless times by now, because I spin its source album (our #1 record of 2022 BTW) endlessly. And it still stops me in my tracks. Every. Single. Time. The beautiful, aching devastation and sense of defeat that rings through their peerless, piercing harmonies is unlike any sound to be found on any other modern record. The pain that sends us reeling from a failed relationship is often-times indescribable. The emotions we feel while we’re still trapped in that relationship is just as raw and hopeless, especially when we’re forced to acknowledge that the entire romance was a futile attempt in the first place, and that our own impossible standards are to blame for it. A marvelous entry in the annals of all-time great break-up tunes.
Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness- “Lying on the Hood of Your Car” (Nettwerk)
Apparently this is the fifth song to see daylight from Andrew McMahon’s upcoming March album, and the entire project is just now getting on my radar. Life is challenging out here for the average music blogger, folks. Nevertheless, this is an excellent cut that pops out at you on the par of any true, classic lead single. Overproduction can be a problem for so many acts, but in the case of McMahon, it’s the heavily-produced arrangements that usually make the song for me. I just love the thick layers of cosmic mystery, drama, tension and romance that the record’s sound emits here, and per usual, McMahon’s vocals meet each of those critical benchmarks every time. This is already in heavy rotation on my singles playlist.
Metallica- “Screaming Suicide” (Blackened)
There’s a new Metallica record on the horizon, and therefore all is right in the hard rock world. Trash metal will never be my primary genre of choice, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate it or haven’t acquired a taste for it over the years. Like so many metal records, the sheer pace and dexterity of the guitar playing here is nothing short of virtuosic. I could listen to an instrumental version of this record on repeat all day. But there’s no denying that it’s the guttural screams of James Hetfield that make Metallica what it is. The fact that his voice isn’t ripped to absolute shreds by now has to be a modern miracle, not to mention as commanding as it is on this latest track. This is sure to be a new, thrilling favorite in the band’s live show.
The National- “Tropic Morning News” (4AD)
The lead single from The National’s ninth studio album plays like a gripping transcript of an anxious mind preparing to end a relationship. You go over it all with painstaking detail and emotions in your head in a futile attempt to perfect something that will never be perfect or easy to accomplish. As good as the record is, it’s nearly impossible to not feel stressed or anxious as a listener as you hear Aaron Dessner ramble and struggle through his feelings about it all. Thus, the sign of true, great art. Music isn’t always about making us feel comfortable. Its true power lies in its ability to masterfully capture all the aspects of the life experience. And as they’ve done dozens of times prior, The National accomplishes such a complex and impressive feat with startling realism and power on “Tropic Morning News”.
Dolly Parton- “Don’t Make Me Have to Come Down There” (Butterfly)
It’s a true testament to the greatness of Dolly Parton, that through all of the heartache she sings about as a classic country singer, she always managed to maintain such a level of positivity and perspective within her work and the way she lives her life. And is there any other artist who could sign from the perspective of God, and call us to task for all of our trivial pity parties with an honesty that is unrelentingly brutal but still maintains a sunny disposition. Any other vocalist spewing these messages would sound like a preachy, judgmental bitch. Instead, one listen to Dolly gleefully bouncing through this track finds you arriving at no other response then a genuine smile and a “Yes ma’am. I’ll be better.”
Post Malone featuring Gunna- “I Cannot Be (A Sadder Song)” (Republic)
There are relationships in our lives that lift us up and help us embrace the very best versions of ourselves. And unfortunately there are also the types of relationships that this is song is built around: those that suffocate, demean and emotionally abuse us. Against a gloomy wall of dance beats Post Malone bitterly and honestly draws a long-coming line in the sand here and calls his lover to task while declaring his overdue pursuit of self-love. The song doesn’t provide us with the exuberant sense of freedom that surely awaits after such a moment, which is all for the better. It just lets us sit and soak in the release of tension and personal suffering that is the true core of the song itself. An anthem for anyone building up the courage to leave a toxic relationship of any kind.
Margo Price featuring Sharon Van Etten- “Radio” (Loma Vista)
The vibrant blend of country, rock and pop that Margo Price masters on her most recent LP is given perhaps its best showcase on this latest single, a track that proves to be oh-so timely in today’s noisy and frenetically paced world. Today’s social-media driven and constantly connected world brings with it so many sources of distraction, division, exhaustion and self-doubt: “I think the whole world’s gone crazy, and it makes us look insane.” This is Price’s supreme battle cry against these cultural demons and celebration of the peace and self-development that disconnecting can bring. The sense of release and self-peace she finds on the chorus positively beams through her marvelous vocal delivery.
RuPaul- “Star Baby” (RuCo)
As has become tradition the past several years, the arrival of a New Year brings with it a new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race for us to devour, as well as accompanying new music from the the legendary ruler of the drag world. “Star Baby” is another evocative and smooth dance concoction in a long, long line of RP singles that form a continuous parade of catchy hits in our brain.
Sam Smith- “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” (Capitol)
This mesmerizing Calvin Harris production further cements Sam Smith’s transformation from a soulful pop balladeer to one of the most potent and intoxicating dance doctors in today’s pop world. Boasting a heavy helping of sparkling disco strings, an insatiable sing-along chorus, and a RuPaul sample as its intro, “Friends” is stacked to the brim with undeniable pop charms and hooks. At the core of it all is a frank profession from one dance-club regular to another that they’re only here for a physical connection, nothing more and nothing less. It’s that realism and honesty that strips the sentiment of any shallow tendencies and allows the listener to fully indulge in the sonic magic, and likely for many, the hook-up that stands to follow.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives- “Country Star” (Snakefarm)
A thrilling return from a man who may indeed be today’s greatest ambassador for classic country music, and his ridiculously aptly-titled band. Stuart’s voice is still as sturdy and engaging as it was during his brush with the 90s country hit-parade, and the musicianship that abounds between he and his supporting ensemble is of the highest order. This is the closest we’ll get these days to a record in the vein of peak-period Haggard and Jennings, while still sounding firmly present in the current day. The storyline of the track is the true highlight though, a fittingly hilarious and ill-fated account of a young musician chasing that old C&W dream: “Fell in love with a woman who was half-wildcat/Wore a big diamond, she stole from Lester Flatt/We were gonna get married but the law was on her trail/Instead of honeymooning, Kitty went to jail.”
Taylor Swift- “Lavender Haze” (Republic)
The second proper radio single from Midnights is the perfect mainstream release to broadly demonstrate the moody pop sounds that define the overall album, you know, for those three people on the planet that haven’t listened to it as of yet. It’s truly the superstar’s most deeply convincing and satisfying nod to full-blown R&B, and the glittery cloud of seductive romance that is created here serves as the perfect sonic expression of that all-encompassing feeling that truly paralyzes, for better and for worse, in the early stages of a romantic infatuation. She also balances those dizzying emotions while sharply lamenting the extremes of dating politics today: “The only kind of girl they see/Is a one-night or a wife.” It easily ranks among Swift’s smoothest and most confident vocals to date, and its as deceptively catchy as any other mid-tempo to be found in her vast catalog.
Shania Twain- “Giddy Up!” (Republic)
The country-pop legend kicks off the New Year by unveiling the latest preview of her sixth LP, a track firmly planted in her grand tradition of cross-genre earworms. “Giddy Up” is unapologetically buoyed by deliriously cheery, cotton-candy lyrics and a stomping chorus that is dangerous for both its breakneck pace and undeniable catchiness. It’s light as air and would be undeniably insipid in the hands of a lesser performer. But it’s in the hands of Shania Twain, an artist who has built a legacy by elevating the most fun and campy elements of both pop and country as well as any other performer in history. It blends the more acoustic vibes of classic anthems like “Up!” and “Any Man of Mine” with the dance-pop leanings of her recent material to formulate a country-dance jaunt specifically designed for smiles and toe-tapping- nothing more and nothing less. It will have you line-dancing like its 1995 all over again in no time.
Morgan Wallen- “Thought You Should Know” (Big Loud)
A humble and stripped-down letter of love and humility from Morgan Wallen to his mother is hands-down the best single yet of a career that’s been defined as much for its controversy as much as its staggering commercial acclaim. His doubters will attribute this high-water mark solely to the fact that its co-written with Miranda Lambert, and while that certainly doesn’t hurt, it’s an unfair and short-sighted dismissal of an artist who has plenty of merit regardless of how you view him personally. Moments like this, which shines both for its quieter and more traditional country trappings and the added weight provided to the lyrics by Wallen’s public mis-steps, are proof of that talent. I still don’t want him touching “Cover Me Up” with a ten-foot pole, but “Thought You Should Know” goes a long way in further convincing me of the range he is capable of achieving.
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