4 to the Fore

September Gurls and Guys

I usually cram quite a few albums into these posts, but I thought I’d come back sooner and focus on the 4 that really captivated me in September.

Bad Moves/Wearing Out the Refrain - After checking my “Music 2020” doc, I see that I listened to Bad Moves’ 2020 album, Untenable, 5 times. I remember liking it, but other albums obviously came to the fore and pushed it out of my rotation. I am not making that same mistake with WOtR. This is power pop that doesn’t skimp on either the power or the pop. We get some new wave synths in the opening track, “A Drowning Confession,” along with some pummeling guitar and gang vocals. Those same elements are present in “Let the Rats Inherit the Earth,” except the guitar isn’t as pummeling and the song is even catchier. “Hallelujah” shows off the back-and-forth vocals of the male and female main singers (not sure which band members they are, as they all sing) and features some rat-a-tat drums, a chorus that sticks in your head, and a sharp guitar solo. “I Know I Know” is a pulse-pounding 1:50 with some chunky bass and a chiming guitar adding texture to call-and-response vocals. If you want to try one song as a taste, “Outta My Head” is the one to go with, because the chorus of “Can’t be the part where you fucked up/outta my head” will be one you can’t get out of your head…nor will you forget the surging power chords or the absolutely perfect guitar solo. It’s followed by “New Year’s Reprieve,” which has a jaunty bounce and reminds me of the band Martha (in fact, the algorithm spit out Martha after I finished listening to the album at one point); this is not a bad thing. Even though the calendar has turned to fall, we’re still getting some great weather and this album is perfect for cranking up while driving around with the windows down.

Tamar Berk/Good Times for a Change - This is Berk’s 4th album in 4 years and it’s another winner. She comes out of the gate with the new wavey “Good Impression” and the song makes just that, as you are compelled to keep listening. “That’s Not a Lie” starts out with some sludgy guitar, but quickly shifts to some chiming guitar and layers of Berk’s vocals in support of a catchy pop tune (which also includes a sharp guitar solo). “I Don’t Mind” starts with an ascending guitar line and ultimately feels like it could be an Aimee Mann song, something few artists could pull off.; it’s an album highlight. I like how “Sorrow Is Hunting” presents as a piano ballad, but quickly builds tension with some quiet yet insistent guitar underneath - that tension pays off with soaring vocals and a damn fine guitar solo. Berk adds some horns and handclaps to “Artful Dodger,” which also has an earworm of a chorus. The opening guitar of “Millennium Park” calls to mind the start of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm,” though the overall tone of the song is vastly different; I wonder each time if it was deliberate or just a coincidence (there are also chiming bells…). The album closes with “Comin’ Around to Me Again,” which is a pretty piano tune for 2:45 or so and then takes off into the stratosphere over the next 2 minutes plus. Berk has crafted some excellent power pop/pop/rock tunes here. If you aren’t familiar with her work, this is a good place to start; I have a feeling you will be working backwards through her catalog after you listen to this one a bunch of times.

MJ Lenderman/Manning Fireworks - Dad joke alert: I missed the boat on Lenderman’s 2022 album, Boat Songs. I had friends who loved it, but just never got around to listening for no reason in particular. I did correct that mistake last year and then I also got into his recent live album earlier this year. So, I was primed and ready for Manning Fireworks…or so I thought. As it turns out, my expectations were exceeded. Every song is a winner, but I’m going to try not to talk every single one. After the country-flavored title track, we get “Joker Lips,” in which every line is a killer (how about “Please don’t laugh/only have of what I said was a joke/Every Catholic knows he could have been pope” for one) and Lenderman’s laconic drawl sits so perfectly on top of the earwormy riff and some burbling organ. “Rudolph” was released as a single last year and also included on Live and Loose, which doesn’t lessen the joy of hearing it here - it has some sweet-ass guitar and the narrator hilariously proclaims “I wouldn’t be in the seminary/If I could be with you.” You can tell Lenderman grew up listening to Drive-By Truckers, as “Wristwatch” has their brand of a heavy riff while also incorporating space, as well as another great solo; the lyrics are wryly savage too, as he takes down dudes who may have a “houseboat docked at the Himbo Dome.” If there’s one song that will get stuck in your head (and really, there’s more than one), it may very well be “She’s Leaving You” and its chorus of “Falls apart/We all got work to do/It gets dark/We all got work to do” before the line that gives the song its title with Karly Hartzman from Wednesday (which Lenderman is also in) providing the harmonies; he provides some more fantastic guitar. The DBT flavor is back on “On My Knees,” which features some falsetto, more witty lines, and multiple guitar solos. This is clearly an album of the year contender, though it’s a tight field. Guess we’ll have to see in a couple months.

Nada Surf/Moon Mirror - As I type this, I am seeing Nada Surf for the first time ever in 4 days. I’m very excited, since the band is one of my favorites. Their 2020 album, Never Not Together, meant so much to me in that baffling year and beyond, and they’ve been on an incredible run since 2002’s Let Go, which is where I came to the band. Moon Mirror definitely keeps that streak going. It starts with “Second Skin,” which encapsulates everything that’s great about the band - steady drums with just the right amount of fills, rock solid bass, and a lovely melody that works perfectly with Matthew Caws’ yearning tenor. “In Front of Me Now” is song about being present in your life and after one listen, it will be present in your brain for days. Caws harmonizes with himself to great effect on “Losing,” with the melody gliding along easily and some insistent guitars to counterbalance. Speaking of songs that will get lodged in your head, “New Propeller” fits the bill and has the band working in their ballad mode with a gorgeous melody in the verses and addressing how there are those who want to make you afraid in the chorus - “Don’t be afraid/You won’t be replaced/Don’t be afraid/You won’t be erased.” Like all good power pop, sometimes it takes a number of listens before a song that was just part of the all-around quality of an album rises to the fore and “Open Seas” has done just that for me - it has a reference to Jimmy Webb and “Wichita Lineman” as well as crashing drums and power chords. The rhythm section is locked in on “X Is You,” which adds piano and slathers guitar all over the place; it’s a favorite. Remember what I said about songs coming to the fore after multiple listens? See also “Give Me the Sun.” The album ends with “Floater” and when it’s done, you really want to loop back around to the start. I can’t wait to hear these songs live and I hope you give it a try if you haven’t yet.