Drinks "Drinks (Drag City)"
In 2015 at least one of my dreams came true (maybe more, but who can remember that far back at this point?). The second coming of Captain Beefheart (according to me at least) Cate Le Bon teamed up with psych-folk auteur Tim Presley to form Drinks. I love both of their catalogs separately, and I adored the sound of them teaming up on Hermits on Holiday. Now I… I mean we, have the sounds of Hippo Lite (Drag City) to bring me… I mean us, joy. The patented skronk-y Cate Le Bon guitar sound mixed with Tim’s pastoral folk sounds are such a perfect match, you’d think they were chocolate and peanut butter. They locked themselves in a house in the South of France with no internet and no entertainment save copies of Jurassic Park 1-3 on DVD (not a joke, direct from the press for this album.) My only disappointment is that there aren’t more dino references on this LP, but I think I’ll survive. For evidence of this perfect pairing, check out the shimmering “Real Outside.”
Josh T. Pearson "The Straight Hits! (Mute)"
Though distinguished southern gentleman Josh T. Pearson has been making music and writing songs for over 30 years now, The Straight Hits (Mute) is only his second solo album. Like a lot of us, 2016 affected Josh immensely, and it was then that he decided to “burn his idols.” As Josh tells it “In the last years I learned to dance, take drugs, make love… choose life.” He decided on that fateful election day that people were going to need joy and that he was going to be just the man to spread it. The Straight Hits is a rollicking, colorful honky tonk-ing good time. Like the Stones at their most country-obsessed mixed with the more straight-rock sounds of Pavement on their last two albums and occasional hints of new wave masters The Cars, Josh is having the time of his life on this album. You’ll have a pretty great time listening to it too, so check out the Ocasek-y banger “Straight At Me.”
Wrekmeister Harmonies "The Alone Rush (Thrill Jockey)"
If ever you find yourself listening to Nick Cave and think to yourself “nah, not dark enough for me” then do I have an album for YOU. The new album from Wrekmeister Harmonies, The Alone Rush (Thrill Jockey), is one gloomy, scary album. Filled with passages of beauty, but also filled with people screaming their heads off, the whole thing feels like a performance piece, gorgeous long songs that also sometimes sound like if you’re playing the greatest hits of Morphine at a slower speed. For an even better sense of the album, check out the aptly named “Covered In Blood From Invisible Wounds.”
Juliana Hatfield "Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (American Laundromat)"
Occasionally a record is nigh impossible to describe in one of these here blurbs. Other times, a record essentially sells itself via it’s title. Thankfully for my writing skills, this one is one of the latter. Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John is exactly what it sounds like it would be via it’s title. Also, it sounds exactly like you would want such a record to sound. JH covering ONJ. Boom! Record sells itself! Julianna covers every song you’d want her to on here. It’s glorious as is evidenced by the cover of “Physical.”