It took a couple weeks, but the 2024 music year is…well, see the title of this post. We’ve had a lot of album announcements and first and second “singles” that have me excited as well. But for now, I will focus on 8 (yes, 8 already!) albums that I have been digging…
Ducks Ltd./Harm’s Way - This is the most recent album of the group (it came out on Feb. 9), but at 28 minutes it has been easy to spend time with. Their debut album, Modern Fiction, came out in early October 2021 and quickly became a favorite, because it’s hard to resist jangly good tunes. Album opener, “Hollowed Out,” drops us right back into that sound with a droning synth underneath and a sturdy chorus. “Cathedral City” is a bit more surging, thought the pace doesn’t really pick up…maybe it’s how the notes rise up as the song comes to a close. The pace truly does pick up with “The Main Thing,” where we have some rat-a-tat drums and urgency in the lead guitar line before it all comes to a head at the finish. That’s the first third of the album. The rest of the songs are of a piece with those first three, just as jangly and interesting. The title track is the penultimate one and is another favorite, in large part for the prominent bouncing bass. The album closes with “Heavy Bag,” which has an acoustic bent with some strings and more atmosphere than their usual; it works very well.
Liquid Mike/Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot - I fell pretty hard for Liquid Mike’s S/T last year and had it as 16th on my list of favorite albums, though there’s not much separation between that and, say, 5th. In any event, I was very excited that they were already back with a new one, which clocks in at 25 minutes as opposed to the 18 minutes of S/T. “Drinking and Driving” starts things off with a bang, all power chords and insistent drums with a perfect lead line. Honestly, that sets the template for the whole album…Liquid Mike puts the power in power pop, but doesn’t skimp on the catchy choruses. My current favorite song, not just of this album but of the year, is “Mouse Trap.” Why? It has that perfect guitar crunch and killer lines like “Given what you know/The American Dream is a Michigan hoax” and “Time’s moving fast but my brain’s moving slow,” while also making time for a cool breakdown all in 2:37. Play it again! “Pacer” sounds like it should be on the radio right after “Buddy Holly” and “Basket Case” back in ‘94. The longest song is “American Caveman” at 2:46 and it’s another album highlight, taking time to build into a fuzzy crunch with walloping drums. The title track closes everything out on a strong note and leaves you waiting for your next listen of the whole album. I turned a friend onto this album and he made the joke that the band should be called “Solid” Mike. after cranking it on a drive. So, if you don’t want to listen to me, listen to him.
J Mascis/What Do We Do Now - Dinosaur Jr. has put out 5 albums since they reformed and all have been really good to great. Meanwhile, Mascis has also put out solo albums along the way, starting with Several Shades of Why in 2011. His solo work has been more acoustic-based and I like that different flavor of his music. What Do We Do Now is his 4th solo album and it’s the best one yet. It’s full of acoustic guitar and piano and each song is fully realized before you get to yet another amazing guitar solo. Yes, that guitar is what J is famous for, along with his laconic way of singing, but he should also be known for melody because the man can write a song. I typically start talking about early songs on albums and while those songs are really strong, I want to jump to the fifth track, “I Can’t Find You.” The piano is prominent here along with a semi-syncopated beat and plaintive lyrics that leads to a blistering guitar solo that punctuates the whole song. “It’s True” is a more stately piano-led quasi-ballad, but the guitar comes in much earlier than on the rest of album. It’s followed by the shambolic lope of “Set Me Down” with its repeated motif of “Come on and…” and a guitar solo that might be my favorite of the album…except that might actually occur in “Hangin Out,” in part because it’s just so unexpected with what’s come before. This is an album that feels bound for my top ten of the year and if it falls below that, we have a heck of a year in front of us.
The Maureens/Everyone Smiles - One of my joys the past couple years has been finding new power pop music thanks to being much more plugged into that online community. Case in point is this album from a group from The Netherlands. As can often happen with power pop, it takes a couple listens for it to really click, but once it clicks it CLICKS. If you want a taste, try “Lost & Found,” as it’ll give you the harmonies and the driving rhythm you may be looking for. You could also try “Sunday Driver,” which turns up the volume and slows down the tempo while also getting slightly psychedelic with some of the harmonies and chord changes. Or even “Fell in Love,” where those harmonies really take off into the stratosphere. It’s an album destined to serve up new favorites the more you listen; in fact, on this particular listen “Rainy Day” is really climbing the ranks. “Motherless Bird” feels like it could make that leap next time…I dig the subtle bass and the crisp acoustic guitar along with the harmonies. I have a feeling this will be an album I play a couple times a month for the rest of the year and at 13 songs over 35 minutes that won’t be a problem.
The Paranoid Style/The Interrogator - I first came across The Paranoid Style back in 2022 with their album For Executive Meeting. Lead singer/songwriter Elizabeth Nelson writes more than just songs and has plentiful bylines for pop culture and sports stories (she’s also a good hang on Twitter). Unsurprisingly, the band marries rock and roll with erudite lyrics that seem to spill out. All of this is on display in “I Love the Sound of Structured Class,” which is a stomper and breaks out into a great guitar solo. Oh, is here where I mention that Peter Holsapple of The DB’s fame is in the band this time around, slathering guitar all over the place? Yeah, I think here. “Last Night in Chickentown” is a rollicking number that you could imagine playing over the opening of a movie about some small-time crooks who are looking to make a big score. “Client States” is insistently propulsive and Holsapple provides a stinging guitar solo. You’ve probably noticed Nelson’s penchant for song titles and here are some more to admire - “Are You Loathsome Tonight?” and “Bad Day for the Group Chat” - with the good news being the songs deliver on the promise. I love the clamor of the discordant piano and Holsapple’s guitar in “The Formal” and the quick and quick-witted character studies of “Print the Legend.” The previous album was quite good, but this one levels up. Give it a listen or three.
The Roseline/Keystone of the Heart - I discovered The Roseline thanks to my mind-meld musical brother Steven Routledge’s recommendation in early 2021. I quickly grabbed GOOD/GRIEF from 2020 and was happy they put out Constancy later in ‘21. This album is their first since then and they haven’t lost a step. They just craft reliably sturdy songs of the indie rock/Americana variety; I don’t say that to be reductive, but to give you a sense of what they sound like. At the midpoint of the 9 songs, “In My Way” unspools patiently, with piano, bass, electric guitar, and some brushes on the drums creating mood. “Hang ‘Em High” follows and picks the pace back up and has a bridge where most of the instruments drop out, which is a move I love. My current favorite is “Dimed” which takes it back to mid-tempo, but has a lovely organ underneath everything else and a melody that sticks. What may seem simple on first listen to the album actually has more depth the more you listen and that’s just the music - there are lots of ideas and great words in the lyrics. An album and a band well worth your time if you’ve never heard them.
Sleater-Kinney/Little Rope - It’s been a bit of a rocky road for the band over the past 5 years. They had a strong comeback with No Cities to Love in 2015 after being away for 10 years following the great The Woods. However, news broke that Janet Weiss was leaving the band when The Center Won’t Hold came out in 2019 and some fans didn’t care much for that album or Path of Wellness two years later. I will be honest and say while I didn’t dislike either album, I also didn’t listen to them that much. The good news is that the new one is quite strong. Things kick of with the moody “Hell,” which also brings that guitar thrill you want from the band. “Say It Like You Mean It” is dark and broody, with Corin Tucker soaring over the top with her powerful vocals. Carrie Brownstein takes the lead on “Make It Right,” which makes great use of her more sing-song vocals and her guitar shredder side. If you want some of that classic cacophonous S-K sound, give “Six Mistakes” a try. I am very happy that Little Rope is so strong and it makes me want to go back and reevaluate the previous two records.
The Smile/Wall of Eyes - Man, how do you write about a band that is Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead along with drummer Tom Skinner who was not in Radiohead. Yes, this band is its own thing, but it’s also kinda Radiohead too. The album, already their second after A Light for Attracting Attention from 2022, is full of gorgeous sounds and warped sounds and rock sounds and ambient sounds, but they aren’t just soundscapes either. There are 8 songs that set a mood and deepen and evolve and remain endlessly fascinating while you get to know them. Plus, you get Yorke’s voice all over, from that ethereal wail to more classic melodies. Okay, am I getting lost in the weeds here? Maybe so. Let me try to boil it down. Do you like Radiohead’s syncopated piano ballads? “Friend of a Friend” will give you that thrill without feeling like a copy or echo. How about an 8 minute unfolding epic that brings the rock noise by the end? I highly recommend “Bending Hectic.” Really, this is an album that rewards listening closely on headphone and then listening again and again to pick up all the nuances. I know I’m not even close to accomplishing that yet, but I look forward to giving it a go.
The good news is I already have albums I’ve listened to once or twice that I know will get more and there are 3 more coming out this week that have potential as well. Should be a another great year for music!
I see I've got my homework to do. I've listened through The Paranoid Style album several times and like that one a lot. Have also heard songs from Ducks Ltd., J Mascis and Sleater-Kinney, which I've enjoyed. The rest are brand new to me and will definitely be checking them out.
Nice write-up Justin! Digging that Sleater-Kinney record, will have to investigate The Roseline