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Showing posts from December, 2020

"Confirmation (SSBD)" - Westerman

Last post of 2020. Sorry for the prolonged absence; December wasn't my month. :D I would love to claim "the new year is gonna be my YEAR" but omg I do NOT want to set myself up for any disappointment like that. I have one thing I'm REALLY looking forward to this year, and that's as much as my expectations go.  This song I was recently introduced to from Ed Droste (of Grizzly Bear fame) via his Instagram stories. It reminds me of a far more upbeat. poppier Arthur Russell. Anyway, happy New Year :) hopefully the year ahead is far better. 

A Weird Love Letter to Gwen Stefani's Solo Career

I've had a very special spot in my heart for Gwen Stefani the majority of my life. She was definitely my big childhood love (I had the biggest crush on her as a kid) and as I got older, her music was very nostalgic and comfortable to me. I still listen to No Doubt pretty frequently, even though I tend to feel like I've outgrown them to a degree.  I can't say the exact same thing for Gwen's solo career. I still think she's one of the most formidable (and legendary) women in pop, but suffice to say, musically her ship has sailed for me. "This Is What the Truth Feels Like" (her last solo pop album, we do not speak of the Christmas album in these parts) had some really stellar moments, but overall was not on the same level as her debut, which is a pretty decent pop album. (Sans, of course, the weird fetishization of the Harajuku girls ... even high school me was like what is happening here?) "The Sweet Escape," too, was pretty muddied - but its stron

"No One But You" - Justin Nozuka & Mahalia

File this comeback track for Canadian singer-songwriter Justin Nozuka (featuring Jamaican-UK chanteuse Mahalia) under "easy like Sunday morning." Honestly, it's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a very pretty and smooth song to listen to. Nozuka's voice blends naturally with Mahalia's, and they complement each other well.  The song's essence is about being comfortable enough with another person you can completely let your guard down, which I think we all know is a very special rarity to experience in life. Really, to be simple, it's a sweet and genuine track - and the warmth it conveys reflects the intimacy of such real-life encounters. Nozuka's latest album is slated for release next year.

Laura Jinn releases debut EP "Sick!"

Photo c/o Tatum Gale "I'm sick, as in 'cool'" - Laura Jinn sings in the title track of her new EP, which has become the refrain of possibly my favorite chorus of this past year. But then, as she reveals in the next few lyrics, she's definitely sick-SICK, too. Which seems appropriate given that this was the year of, well, a pandemic.  Last week, Jinn released her debut EP, "Sick!"  The Brooklyn-based  Jinn clearly demonstrates on this EP that she's a talent worth watching. My introduction to her was the wonderfully weird "I'm Driving to Target," which sounds very gleeful about a trip to Target - but when you relisten to the track a few times, a more morose message slowly comes across.  Jinn's sound is described as "absurdist goth pop" and she's influenced by musicians like FKA Twigs and Grimes, but she most vividly reminds me of a more eccentric take on Riot Grrl. There's some '80s influence in there too - w