2023 Addendum
Just because the calendar turns, it doesn't mean the previous year is really over...
At the end of my Favorite Music 2023 post, I mentioned a few albums that could have made the list with a bit more time to listen to them. As it turns out, there are a few more that came out in November or December that could have made the list, as well as a couple that came out earlier in the year but I didn’t discover until December. So, here are some thoughts about them…
Bory/Who’s a Good Boy - I didn’t know anything about Bory until I saw the announcement for this album, which was produced by Mo Troper. It came out right at the beginning of December and I listened to it a couple times without it making too much of an impression. When I gave it a third listen earlier this month, it finally clicked. There’s a nice layer of fuzz overtop of many of these songs and the vocals aren’t necessarily prominent in the mix, but you can definitely make everything out. “Feel the Burn” a classic power pop tune, with an insistent beat and some arpeggiated guitars; “Five-Course Meal” brings the “ooh”s and handclaps at the end. If you wanted a song to try as an appetizer, I would go with “We Both Won,” which brings the full power pop and gets out in 1:56. And then if you leave the album playing from there, you get “Wreck,” which is fuzzy and crunchy with an airy melody and gets out in 2:20. He can stretch it out past 4 minutes, as well, like the lovely “Sidelined.” The album ends with just an acoustic guitar and plaintive lyrics, which works very well. Again, I don’t know why the first 2 listens didn’t communicate how good this album is, but sometimes those school morning listens can be distracted.
Peter Gabriel//i/o - I will be honest, I haven’t really listened to Gabriel’s music since Us, which came out in 1992. I was a big fan of So, of course, as any Top 40 loving high schooler in 1986 was, and also spent a lot of time with Shaking the Tree, his greatest hits collection. He released almost all (or was it all?) of the songs before the album came out, but I only heard a few and didn’t listen more than once which meant I was able to come to this fresh. Turns out I really like it. Opener “Panopticom” really feels like a table setter and “The Court” might be my least favorite, though I still find it enjoyable. For me, the album really gets cooking with “Playing For Time,” a ballad that grapples with aging and at almost 53 with parents in their 80s really speaks to me. The title track is also great with its idea of you taking in the world and sending out what you process. “Road to Joy” has that huge pop energy ala “Sledgehammer” or “Steam.” Gabriel has that certain kind of bounce to some of his music and “This Is Home” fits right in that mold without being derivative of earlier work. The album finishes with two songs over 7 minutes and neither outstays its welcome. I still have only listened to the “In-Side” mix, figuring I need to know the songs well enough before switching mixes. I’m at that point. Any suggestions as to which mix to listen to next?
Gonzalez Smith/Roll Up a Song - Jay Gonzalez joined Drive-By Truckers about 15 years ago, so I knew who he was. In 2012, he put out his first solo album, Mess of Happiness, which was absolutely great and made him someone to follow. For this album (released in December), he wrote the music and performed while the lyrics were written by Pete Smith, who has written on some Adult Swim shows. That combination works incredibly well. The music is quite varied, from the jaunty gallop of opener “Roll Up” to the more Brill Building pop of “Lexington Line” right into the power pop crunch of “She’s My Girl.” After those 3 are 14 more, but the whole album gets in and out in 38 minutes, so no song overstays its welcome and some you wish were a little longer. “Did We Make Love?” is a really funny song, so much so that Jay cracks up while singing it, set to a Cole Porter type piano tune. “Lindsey Buckingham” is all about wanting to sing like Buckingham and is underpinned by Buckinghamesque acoustic guitar licks. It’s a very charming album and my friend Steven Routledge named it as his favorite of the year, so don’t just take my word for it.
Juliana Hatfield/Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO - I like ELO, especially when I hear them on the radio or in a TV how. That’s not to say their albums aren’t to my liking, but I don’t often press play on them. Hatfield, on the other hand, is someone I’m fascinated with. She’s done so many different things in her career (and I recently discovered she was in a group called Some Girls - that first album is good, haven’t listened to the second) and everything I’ve heard is quality. Her Police covers album from 2019 was quality and this, which came out mid-November) is no exception. ELO is known for the bombast and layered production; here, Hatfield strips it down but still finds the essence of the songs. Your pull quote could be “I Can’t Get Hatfield’s version of ‘I Can’t Get It Out of My Head’ Out of My Head.” I could listen to her harmonize with herself all day, as she does on “Strange Magic” and “Telephone Line.” She also introduced me to “Secret Messages” the title track of an album I’ve never heard; her version feels vital, carried along by a drive that’s not so much present in the beat, but an undercurrent to the song. I’d also never heard “Bluebird Is Dead,” which she makes a case for being a mistake. By the time you get to the end and “Ordinary Dream,” you just want to go back to the beginning. A delightful record.
The Small Square/Ours & Others - I first heard of this band back in July, when their first album was remastered and reissued (not sure when it first came out). How a band that is a project of Paul Chastain (from Velvet Crush) slipped by me in the first place, I’m not sure. And then the fact this album was released at the end of October slipped by me until December. Here we are now, at least. The first song, “Twenty-Third” will give you an idea of whether you want to keep going; it’s a bit melancholy and moves from piano into more of a power pop crunch and back out again with some space it the middle for psychedelic section ala the Beatles. “Found Object” builds up and finishes strong. “Open Up (Closer)” is more classic power pop, coming in a 2 1/2 minutes with some cool guitar licks. “Tilt” has that the jangle mixed in with the power pop and if you know anything about me, that’s my kryptonite. This is a really good album and if you like Velvet Crush or Matthew Sweet (and how could you not?), I think you will find something to like here.
Somerdale/Let’s Get Started - This album came out in October, but I finally got it sound unheard for December’s Bandcamp Friday. The title track comes out blasting with the Who-like chord changes and to be honest, the second song, “Come Enjoy” has a Whoish feel as well. “Crooked Roads” is a song I posted to the website formerly known as Twitter with the instructions to turn it up and I stand by that. Other highlights include “Time Speeds,” which has some Zep influence and “Long Way to Go,” which closes the album with some piano and a more of that great guitar and harmony. The band does a good job putting the power into their brand of power pop, but also does well with the slower songs. Nothing ground-breaking, but rock solid.
Erik Voeks & The Ghosters/It Means Nothing Now - Two months ago, I had no idea who Erik Voeks was. I’m not sure which power pop writer or site made mention of this album, but it happened right before December Bandcamp Friday (which is when it came out) and I took a chance. Wow, am I glad I did. An album that gives you 4 songs that immediately get stuck in your head on first listen is an album to give many listens to. This one comes right out of the gate with the title track, which is jangly and soaring (oh, those stacked harmonies) and even has a key change; it reminds me of Teenage Fanclub’s “Start Again” in the best possible way. “The Most Confusing Part” rides a nice little guitar lick and prominent bass and layers in a compelling melody and interesting lyrics. “Suck It Up, Buttercup” would make the list just for these lines: ‘Suck it up, buttercup/Yeah, our shit’s fucked up/And I can see any way to fuck it down.’ I mean, come on. Luckily, it’s a compelling rocker complete with a strong guitar solo and stacked ahs in the chorus. The album closes with “The Last Notes of the Song,” which stretches to almost 6 minutes. It’s more contemplative and moody but retains the charm of album as a whole. The songs beyond those 4 are all good too, no filler to my ears. If I had to come up with my 2023 list again, this would definitely be on it and maybe even in the top 10.
Thanks Justin. Except for the Peter Gabriel and the Juliana Hatfield releases, I wasn't familiar with these. Dipped into these today and liked what I heard. Especially liked the Peter Gabriel songs, “Playing For Time” and "This Is Home" ... however it turns out I was listening to the Bright-Side mixes. I suppose you get a handle of them in one mix and then give one of the other ones a try.