The Roof Dogs "Here You Are"
You’ve been testing out all your angles, your arms and legs are tangled up there in your room, the Roof Dogs sing on Starpower, the penultimate track from “Here You Are.” Written during 2020 lockdowns, the Roof Dogs’ first LP leans into repetition, drawn out musical passages, and lyrical themes of isolation and fatalism. Musically the album is less concise than previous releases. The songs are longer and are arranged around extended instrumental passages, with lyrics sometimes taking a backseat to the band’s playing. Keyboard instruments rise to new levels of importance, with almost every track including serious contribution from the synthesizer, organ, or piano. Despite these developments in style, characteristic Dogisms such as Maher’s syncopated and groove-heavy bass lines remain. The record was recorded over 2021 between Strange Magic and Jamdek recording studios in Chicago, as well as the band’s practice space and apartments with help of frequent collaborator Tristan Huygen.
Cory Hanson "Western Cum"
Western Cum (say it three times fast! Nope, doesn’t help) departs radically from the acoustic existentiell of Cory’s first two solo releases, torching their haunted dreamscapes by upping its heat to molten levels, six strings at a time. A darkly comic evisceration of the end of the American road; great tunes to modern dance along with, too.
Wye Oak "Every Day Like the Last"
From Pitchfork:
“Wye Oak spend as much time in gray areas as ever, cataloging moments of strife with restraint. The lyrics are personal and unspecific but mostly gesture towards wrestling with relationships, trying to locate acceptance in discomfort. A new song called “Repeat (If You Remind Me)” closes the album—a moment of relative peace in which Wasner resolves to find meaning in a fragile and fleeting existence. Wye Oak’s music has often been evocative for its malleability: Their songs could take place in spring or autumn, at rebirth or encroaching decay. As the duo navigates these in-between states—both in their personal lives and the trajectory of the band—Every Day Like the Last coheres into a short but resonant whole: a series of snapshots taken over a turbulent stretch of years.”
Cable Ties "All Her Plans"
The third album from Melbourne, Australia’s Cable Ties finds the trio of Jenny McKechnie, Shauna Boyle, and Nick Brown at their punchiest and most assured. The ferocious, kraut-influenced blend of post-punk and garage rock of Merge debut Far Enough remains, but McKechnie’s lyrics invite the listener closer than ever before.
The urgency and fury that have marked Cable Ties’ output thus far is more nuanced on All Her Plans. The unfettered rage of their calls to action remain—tackling subjects like broken mental healthcare systems and the burden of familial care that is largely placed on women—while holding space for gratitude, love, and acceptance.
All Her Plans is a breakthrough moment for Cable Ties. It is the sound of a group that is exhilarated to be making music together again, both a celebration of their resilience and a massive step forward into a future they can finally claim as their own.