August New Music

Only a couple weeks late...

I’m part of the Rockin’ the Suburbs community. What is Rockin’ the Suburbs? It’s a music podcast that comes out 5 days a week that’s hosted by Jim Lenahan and Patrick Foster. It’s a wide-ranging podcast that has some regular features. One of those is “new music,” where people call in about their favorite music that comes out each month. Last year, I finally started participating, but this year I’ve haven’t quite managed to do it in a timely manner. So, I thought I would write about some of the albums I could have mentioned if I’d called in for August (you only get two choices there…I’m going beyond).

Tamar Berk/tiny injuries - I became aware of Berk last year, when she put out Start at the End. The first song to catch my ear was “Your Permission,” which melded smart lyrics with a power pop vibe. I ended up really liking the album as well, which meant I was anticipating the new one. It does not disappoint. Opening track (and lead single) “if u know, you know” hits the pleasure centers with some quiet/loud dynamics, a catchy melody, and a great guitar solo. “sunday driving” is more of a rocker and does that thing I love where the guitars drop out and it’s just the drums and bass for a bit before the guitars kick back in; it also has a Rolling Stones reference. You get some horns on “permanent vacation,” some more driving songs with “drop in the bucket” and “walking hurricane,” and some atmospherics in “1997” along with more great guitar. The closing track, “if I could fix one thing,” has some deeper lyrics over mostly piano before layering in other instruments into a more intense section with spoken lyrics on top; it leaves the album on an interesting note. tiny injuries has plenty of catchy songs to pull you in and enough variety to keep you engaged.

Diners/DOMINO - I’ve been on a pretty big power pop kick this year, especially this summer. I had never heard of Diners until now, but this album got some press in Stereogum because power pop stalwart Mo Troper produced it. That was enough to get me to listen…and then I kept on listening. DOMINO has 10 songs in 24 minutes and they are all super catchy. You have the plaintive “Working on My Dreams” followed by the more typical power pop crunch of the title track. I think the pinnacle is the three song run in the middle - “Someday I’ll Go Surfing,” “The Power,” and “Painted Pictures.” “The Power,” in particular, is a classic pop song with a strong melody, perfect harmonies, and a bass line that sticks. Of course, I’m listening along as I write this and have to mention a bit more about “Painted Pictures,” with its loping drumbeat and intertwining guitars. It’s not like things get worse after those three songs either, but I think writing about every song won’t do them justice. When you finish the album, it’s very tempting to just go right back to the beginning. If you’re reading this far, please please please give this album a listen. You won’t be sorry.

Chris Farren/Doom Singer - I learned about Farren when I discovered he was in a band with Jeff Rosenstock (Antarctigo Vespucci) and found his work enjoyable when I dove in. This new album might just be his best. It kicks off with “Bluish,” a driving song that may remind you of his former (and maybe future?) bandmate; the lyric “I don’t belong anywhere/without you on my arm” just speaks to me. What follows is a collection of strong songs that give you different flavors of rock. The title track is a jaunty tune about potential ends of the world, that perfect combo of hiding dark lyrics inside a sunny song. “First Place” rides a disco beat and has horns in a prominent role. “Cosmic Leash” is soaring and urgent and probably my favorite; if you want to take a taste, this would be the one. Doom Singer ends on a moody note with “Statue Song,” which builds off of a pulsing drumbeat and features some bass that reminds me of Peter Gabriel in the 80s. I find that I really enjoy shorter albums more than I used to and this clocks in at 33 minutes over its 10 tracks. Plenty here to dig into.

Hurry/Don’t Look Back - Matt Scottoline name the new Hurry album after a song from Teenage Fanclub, which gives a good indication of what you can expect - extremely tuneful power pop. You like jangle? Horns? Muscular guitar solos that perfectly fit a song? I present “Parallel Haunting.” How about something that stretches out to 5 minutes without losing any appeal? Check out “Little Brain.” Are you the type of person who digs a guitar tone that surprises you the first time you hear it and becomes an anticipated part in subsequent listens? “For Us To Find Love” fits that bill perfectly. The other 7 songs have plenty to recommend as well, of course, and I will give them all many more spins the rest of this year and in years to come.

Ratboys/The Window - I was a fan of their last album, Printer’s Devil, which came out in early 2020…early enough that I used it as a running album on the track at the Y a couple times before that stopped being an option. Early indications for The Window were that it was a step up, so much so that it would be an album of the year contender. I listened to each of the songs that came out before release and thought the hype probably had a basis in reality; I also resisted listening to those songs more than once so that I could take in the album as a whole. I’m glad I did, because it’s great. Opener “Making Noise for the Ones You Love” does indeed make a great rock noise and it’s followed by “Morning Zoo,” which has more of an indie rock flavor. “Crossed That Line” is short and kinda punky; I dig it. “No Way” is a standout, starting with a loping beat and a singsong melody before hitting with power then moving into an extended outro with the repetitive line “There’s no way you’ll control me again” that melds all the music together in an extremely satisfying way. The next song is the title track and it’s also a powerhouse, as title tracks should be (a powerhouse in the course of an album and not necessarily musically). “Black Earth, WI” is the show stopper and when it was a pre-release single, everyone sat forward. It unfurls at an unhurried pace, driven by sticky, bouncy bass line, before blossoming out into a minutes-long guitar solo that never loses your attention (and still has that ever-present bass underneath). It runs over 8 minutes, but you feel like you could easily listen to it for at least another 8. The songs on The Window all have legs - you can find new things to love the more you listen and new songs will become favorites. Watch those year-end lists; it’ll be there. Good chance it will be on mine too.