From the very first few seconds of Ramesh Srivastava (former lead singer of Voxtrot)'s long-awaited follow-up solo album "Eternal Spring," I was hooked. The production is immaculate and so clean! The album itself is permeated with sweet melancholia, but there's a sense of hope lingering around as well. In fact, it's not too far off to imagine this album as the soundtrack for some beautiful queer coming-of-age film. There's also a remarkable evolution in his sound I touched on in my previous post. The opening track "Redemption" has a sort of Arcade Fire-like epicness to it that sets the stage for what is a powerful album reflecting sounds of rock, pop (modern and classic alike), soul, electronica, and a dash of folk in places.
"Like everyone else on Earth, I know you're searching for the hidden face of God," he sings on the track "Revolution." This is something I have enjoyed about Ramesh's work for years - his whip-smart lyricism.
Although this album may slip under some people's radars, I would implore you to give it a listen. Even if the album is thematically centered around themes like sexuality and fame, there's so much universal material to relate to in these impressive 10 tracks. Self-discovery, self-empowerment, self-acceptance, and self-respect are also themes that emerge as you continue to listen to "Eternal Spring." And I'd like to add that Ramesh has the makings of a great pop singer-songwriter, which is evident in his previous work with musicians like Haim as well as his work with Voxtrot. I really loved Voxtrot when I was younger; is that obvious? So many of their songs meant the world to me when I was growing up (I'll drop one in later).
"Acid & Tender" is a bit of an anomalous oddball, but it's a grower. Still, it's the only track I was less than thrilled to hear at first - even if it did end up growing on me!
Overall, I'm excited for Ramesh to be back in the spotlight. He full-heartedly deserves all the attention he receives for "Eternal Spring" - and the hard work he clearly poured into this album. "Eternal Spring" is available to listen to and purchase as of yesterday.
Rating: 7.5/10, B+, 4/5 (whatever rating scale works for you!)
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
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.
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!
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