Wild Belle's Album "Isles": First Thoughts, Best Thoughts

use your Cheerios to spell "hipster"

I'm sitting with Smores trying to get a feel for the only album of 2013 (with the exception of Justin Timberlake's) I care about thus far. "Isles" dropped very recently and now it's on Spotify. Voila. So I'm streaming it. Pirating is for Somalis!

I have to say, so far so good. I was worried "Keep You" would be the only sustainable track. Not the case! There are a few goodies here. In fact, I'd say it's a solid debut with little to disappoint.

A Track-By-Track Breakdown:

1.) "Keep You"- unfortunately, this is by far the takeaway track. It's a winner, but it's so 2012 already! A

2.) "It's Too Late"- Just as addictive as the previous song. I like it a lot, it seems to me some 1960s-meets-1990 fusion going on. And there's some SASSITUDE. In my music, I like sassitude. A-

3.) "Shine"- Diamond Rings meets the Ting Tings? This track aggravates me. DISLIKE BUTTON PUSH. C

4.) "Twisted"- Instantly, I adored this goofy little song. I could see it being a good summer track. Sometimes Wild Belle's lyrics (does Natalie write them?) are a little...well they can leave something to be desired. B+

5.) "Backslider"- Is it weird I hear fragments of Stevie Nicks in her voice? This song plays up Wild Belle's formula, yeah, but it's a formula that works. Plus I like the slighly Asian-influenced percussion. A

6.) "Happy Home"- A bleak song that reminds me of desolate Lykke Li. "I don't wanna be here/that's why I'm acting out." Aw. :/ B+

7.) "Another Girl"- LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. LISTEN TO THIS. IT'S AMAZING. Again, I'm reminded of the 1960s. And oh gosh I'm so articulate. Natalie has a pretty soulful voice and she can kill with it. A+

8.) "Love Like This"- Kind of reggae-ish. At first, I thought it was going to be annoying, but it's actually not. Should they ever remake "50 First Dates," THIS track can go on the soundtrack. A

9.) "When It's Over"- Blah. Please don't let Elliot sing like this again. C

10.) "June"- The first time I heard this I wasn't a fan. It's not amazing, but not horrible. Kind of filler. B-

11.) "Take Me Away"- Take it or leave it. Part of me loves it for its impishness, the other part of me is like "TAKE ME AWAY." Wa wa. B

As you can see, I'm not a fan of the last three tracks. Although I think "Take Me Away" is a grower. Is the "50 First Dates" comparison a compliment? Who knows!

Overall Rating: 89/100

"Mon Soleil" - Ashley Park

If there's anything people take away from my piss-poor legacy, I hope it's what a huge, unabashed fan of "Emily in Paris" I am and will continue to be. People love "90 Day Fiancee," "The Bachelor," and other garbage - allow me "Emily," which is at least harmless, kind of goofy fluff (which does, unfortunately, lean into some stereotypes, as the country of Ukraine knows ). I have already watched Season 2 twice. And honestly my favorite part of this show (despite my crush on Camille Razart and Lily Collins channeling Audrey Hepburn hardcore ) is Ashley Park. This woman has superstar written all over her. She's a bona fide Broadway star, and "Emily in Paris" has served as her pivot into the zeitgeist. "Emily in Paris" is also showcasing her vocal prowess front and center this season, with her covering BTS, "All By Myself," "Sympathtique," and Marilyn Monroe. But the real standout performance is th

"Anchors" - AM Higgins

Here's a nice breezy, almost sensual song from AM Higgins (the solo project of musician Annie Toth) to start your Tuesday off right. Her debut album "Hymning" will be out November 5th on Victorialand Records. The album was mixed by Casey Foubert, a frequent collaborator of Sufjan Stevens. The album "captures the first years of moving from an American city to rural France." Sounds like "Hymning" will be a welcome escape from the world we live in right now, especially considering that Annie Toth counts poets Mary Oliver and Thomas Merton as influences.

Summer Playlist - 2022 Edition!

It's truly the little things in life that make a world of difference. And for me, that means my summer playlist! Behold, I have put together 2022's edition. It includes cuts from artists like: - Mitski - Uffie - Johnny Orlando - Kylie Minogue + Jessie Ware - Florence and the Machine (who put out a fantastic album this year after a long dry spell of kind of "meh" records. Her pairing with Jack Antonoff worked out quite well!) - Bilal - Harry Styles (he has some catchy music!) - KATE BUSH DUH - And of course, Lana. It's also available on Apple Music, but since I recognize a lot of folks use Spotify, here's that link. Enjoy!

The Useless Critic 2.0

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