Yumi Zouma "Truth Or Consequences (Polyvinyl)"
Oh man, if you like your pop records nearly perfect, covered in an ‘80s-esque early-digital sheen but also complete with modern turns, and filled to the brim with jangly, bouncy, art-pop then you are gonna LOVE the new LP from Yumi Zouma. Truth Or Consequences may be their third release, but its the first one for Polyvinyl which makes it number one in our hearts! (Can you tell I’m writing this blurb the week of Valentine’s Day?) Whether it’s the bouncy (uh oh, a second use of bouncy) “Cool For A Second” or the jangly (AAGH! SECOND JANGLY) balladeering of “Truer Than Ever” there isn’t a bad place to start here. So start already!
Snarls "Burst"
Ohio-based band Snarls spent 2019 growing. Releasing a few singles that landed on Stereogum’s Top 100. Garnering a fervent fan base. Well here it is 2020 and their full-length debut Burst is ready to, uh, burst onto the scene (sorry). Jangly indie rock, candy-coated melodies, a high sing-a-long-able quotient. There is a reason the band calls themselves “glitter emo alt rock.” Its because thats exactly what they are. It’s why MTV called them “the best of emo and shoegaze.” So check out the positively catchy jammer “Walk In The Woods” or the head swaying self-reflection of “Better Off.”
The Mastersons "No Time For Love Songs (RTP)"
From the official PR:
No Time for Love Songs explores the emotional challenges of a morally compromised era, and reflects the experiences that the pair has accumulated in their travels. Those experiences helped to inspire the big-hearted songcraft of such compelling new tunes as “Spellbound,” “Circle the Sun,” “Eyes Open Wide,” “The Silver Line,” “There Is A Song to Sing,” and the album’s poignant title track, and showcase the Mastersons’ organic harmonies, stirring melodies and insightful lyrics, which consistently offer clear-eyed optimism in the face of loss and discouragement.
Check out the title track!
Biznaga "Gran Pantalla (Slovenly)"
From Slovenly Records:
Madrid’s BIZNAGA are back with their 3rd long player, but what the band itself considers in a way to be their first album, in that they’ve broken from the way they normally put together a record (as a collection of songs that work independently from one another). For “Gran Pantalla”, they’ve written an album knowing that in 2k20, our every move & inquiry will continue to be recorded for eventual (or perhaps immediate) observation by someone on the other side of a Big Screen, after being processed by The Algorithm. Whatever we search for will later find us. The screen has captured us — so sit back, relax, and enjoy it.
“Gran Pantalla” is twelve tracks recorded & mixed by Raúl Peréz in Sevilla, mastered in Berlin by Tim Warren (Crypt Records). Performing entirely in Castellano (with heavily deep lyrics), and even working some flamenco handclaps into the mix, BIZNAGA is Spanish as fuck. If Joe Strummmer were actually from Granada, The Clash would have sounded something like this.
Check out “RK20”.