The Useless Critic 2.0

A quick glimpse into some of my favorite more mainstream songs of 2023 so far! The National's new album "First Two Pages of Frankenstein" dropped this past Friday, and features guest spots from the likes of Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers. Although I haven't really been into the last few National albums (I enjoyed "Sleep Well Beast" but could take or leave "I Am Easy to Find") I'm relieved to hear that "First Two Pages" is a return to form, and the collabs work wonderfully. "Alcott" with Taylor Swift is my favorite track off the album by far. I am almost surprised by how well Matt and Taylor's voices mesh well together. The National is touring this summer, and you KNOW Taylor Swift is currently on tour. Listen below: And I really haven't written much about the overall album "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard" by Lana Del Rey, but it's another stunning achievement by one of th...

That's quite the title, isn't it? But much truth to it - and definitely a very pertinent, urgent topic that is top of mind for a lot of Americans right now. This is a short and to-the-point acoustic song from Nashville-based singer-songwriter Benjamin Stranger, a new discovery for me personally. His music has a stripped-down indie feel to it, and calls to mind to me the work of Nick Cave, a little Josh Ritter, and maybe a hint of Tom Waits, too. You can listen to the track below and take a moment to reflect on this increasingly disturbing facet of the culture wars our country is enveloped in.  Here's another more Waits-esque song from Benjamin Stranger, appropriately titled "Strange Things."