theeverlastingshade

[theeverlastingshade]

Blue Lips- Schoolboy Q

No matter how old I get, or who I’m talking about, I still can’t help but particularly admire great new records from artists who were once releasing great work but had fallen off somewhat since their last notable work. Beyond the surface level “comeback” narrative, there’s something inspiring and ultimately very human about creative peaks and pitfalls that refreshingly sidesteps the black and white binary conducive to pop culture which champions the notion of a short shelf life and a definitive expiration date. The story is far from set in stone while an artist is still engaged with their craft, and it’s a fool’s errand to outright dismiss the future work of an artist due to a perceived misfire at any point after they released something that you connected with. It’s been 5 years since Schoolboy Q’s dull, cruise-control rendered yawn of a record, CrasH Talk, which unfortunately capped off what was previously nearly a decade of good to great records that helped largely define the sound of west coast hip-hop throughout the 2010s. Q’s recently released LP 6th Blue Lips, which features more than its fair share of his best music to date, is not only among the most satisfying course corrections of the decade so far (up there with Animal Collective’s Time Skiffs and Yo La Tengo’s This Stupid World), but it’s also among the year’s biggest highlights so far. But don’t call BL a comeback; this is a recalibration of the highest order.

Q’s music has always swung wildly from the giddy exuberance of party anthems to bone-chilling street missives with a rich, multifaceted perspective in the eye of the storm as the connective tissue, but BL sidesteps this dichotomy altogether by embracing a rejuvenated, ambitious spirit. BL spans 18 songs in 53 minutes, opening with a sunny sampledelic interlude devoid of bars, and closes with an r&b slow jam; it’s an excessive and occasionally messy affair, but the indulgence is the point, and throughout this dense web of sonics is a rapper in complete control of his craft continuing to push against his limitations. These songs unfold with unpredictable angles and are often propelled by predominantly jazz-heavy samples that work to demolish any lingering perception of Q as a one-dimensional weed-rapper. The single “Yearn 101” is catnip for any MC worth their salt and Q tears it to shreds, rapping in an urgent double time flow like his life depended on it. On the other side of the spectrum are subdued cruisers like “Blueslides” and “Nunu”, which are imbued with great melodies and plenty of negative space to luxuriate in between the blistering verses on either side. And the Freddie Gibbs assisted “oHio” is a prog rap epic that moves through 3 disparate movements with finesse and precision, and not only does it not collapse under the weight of its ambition, but Q coasts through the off-kilter arrangements with the ease of a flawless Super Mario Bros speed run. Not everything on BL works, but the highs are sublime and the misfires are far and few between.

While Q brings his A game to BL, he’s also assisted by a plethora of collaborators that elevate his vision at nearly every turn. “Pop”, the 2nd track (and first actual song) is basically just Q teeing up Rico Nasty for an characteristically visceral verse, while “Foux” reunites Q with Ab-Soul who finds his groove again within the midst of the busy, percussion-heavy instrumental. Childish Major sustain the sinister allure of the prickly, penultimate “Pig Feet”, while Gibbs, a rapper known for consistently excellent features, outdoes himself on the obtuse, aforementioned “oHio” with a gleefully dexterous verse. The beats, courtesy of an all-star team of producers that include the likes of The Alchemist, Beat Butcha, Cardo, DJ Kahlil and many others, range from psychedelic to soulful to funky to nasty with a zealous, crate digging acumen that narrowly avoids exuding an overwhelming sense of disjointed whiplash throughout its eclectic sonic sprawl. BL unfolds closer to a grab bag compilation that showcases how adeptly Q can navigate a plethora of different beats and moods than a tight front to back listening experience, and what he sacrifices in terms of lean cohesion he more than makes up for in satisfying risks that pay off far more often than not. Q has been a great rapper for well over a decade now, but he’s never showcased his ability to rap over anything thrown his way quite like he showcases throughout BL.

Throughout the bulk of BL Q preoccupies himself with surveying how he got to where he is, and contends with the pervasive fear that everything that he’s worked for could dissipate in the blink of an eye. On “Blueslides”, Q succinctly lays out the anxiety at the record’s core right in the first verse “Better climb out that hole before you fuck up your blessings/’Fore you realize that it’s over and start to get desperate/Keep your mind, body on pressure, give your time when it’s needed/Know a man gon’ be a man, if he don’t work, he ain’t eatin’” which is juxtaposed superbly against the song’s lush veneer. On “Cooties” Q’s gaze turns outwards toward societal decay and the concerns of trying to raise a child in our late-stage capitalist hellscape “Mass shootings, when will they stop it? Hmm/’Nother child gone for unlimited profits/Rather keep my kid home before you fuck up the process” over another richly-rendered beat, while “Time killers” and “Pig feet” are chilling calls to arms against snitches and cops that serve as stark reminders of Q’s tumultuous past. BL slowly reveals itself as Q’s most personal and introspective project to date in addition to being his most ambitious, and it’s a testament to his tenacity that he was able to make a record this accomplished this late into his career. BL probably won’t achieve the sort of cultural cachet that Habits and Contradictions did, nor the sort of old head cred that something like Blank Face LP inspires, but through its knotty, unorthodox presentation it reveals itself as Q’s best work yet.

Essentials: “oHio” ft. Freddie Gibbs, “Yeern 101”, “Pig Feet” ft. Childish Major

[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago avant-garde legend John Cale released a new single called "How We See the Light", and it's the first song that he's shared from his upcoming 18th solo LP, POPtical Illusion. We're barely a year removed from Cale's superb 2023 record, Mercy (which was his first new LP in a decade), and he's already back with a new batch of songs written around the same time as the Mercy songs. While PI doesn't appear to feature a stacked cast of art rock collaborators like Mercy, it's another record co-produced by both Cale and Nita Stott, which comes as no surprise given that the sound of this first single sounds more or less cut from the same cloth as the prior record.

On "How We See the Light" Cale forgoes the claustrophobic ambiance of Mercy for a brighter tone that still retains the dense, industrial-esque sound of Mercy. The chiming piano chords and Cale's weathered voice serve as controls of sorts while a mechanical snare rhythm and industrial synths shade in the margins with a peculiar glow. Although we only have this single to go off of right now, I can't help but already project a comparison between these albums and Low's late career masterpieces (Double Negative and Hey What, respectively) in a two sides of the same sonic coin type of presentation. It remains a remarkable feat that, at 82 years old, Cale continues to push his artistry forward in such an inspired way.

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A few weeks ago Crumb released a new single called "ANAMA", alongside the announcement of their upcoming third LP of the same name. At first listen "AMAMA" is more or less what you'd expect from a Crumb song with its queasy keyboards, disorienting, effects-laden guitars, and wispy, trance inducing vocals of frontwoman Lila Romani, but like the band's 2023 offerings that will also end up on AMAMA (those being "Dust Bunny" and "Crushxd") "AMAMA" feels both more propulsive and expansive that anything they've done prior. The album was produced by Crumb, Jonathan Rado, and Johnscott Sanford, and Rado's crisp touch can be felt in the sharp drum tone, lush bass tone, and the overall heightened sheen of the music.

But in addition to the improved fidelity and attention to detail, "AMAMA" also strikes a particularly personal chord in its influence and subject matter. According to Lila, "AMAMA" is a tribute to her grandmother, and alongside the samples of her voice wafting throughout the mix the lyrics could very well be speaking to some of her grandmother's formative experiences "From a place that is never dead/Born four months apart in the same bed/Split in half in the earlier days/One mile apart, feel a similar way". "AMAMA" is a succinct but sublime distillation of Crumb's strengths, and while their upcoming record may not dramatically alter their approach or anyone's idea of what they can do, it's nonetheless shaping up to be their most satisfying work to date.

[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago They Are Gutting a Body of Water returned with a new song called "krillin" featuring Greg Mendez and SUN ORGAN, and it's the first new song that they've shared since last year's excellent audiovisual Expansion Pak EP. On "krillin", TAGABOW deliver another succinct yet sublime blown-out shoegaze cut with guitars that flip from jangly leads to distortion heavy eruptions with pitch-shifted vocals that reaffirm Alex G’s stock isn't dipping anytime soon. What begins with simple electric guitar strums and crestfallen but intelligible vocals quickly morphs into the sort of strange electronic strain of shoegaze that they've been perfecting for the last several years.

The warbling, heavily-affected vocal melody is one of their sharpest to date, and while I wish they would've utilized it a little longer it nevertheless provides the perfect bridge from one effects-laden verse to the next. True to form, the lyrics have an evocative, surreal bent that hints at romantic turmoil but sidesteps anything concrete "I'm in heaven/Angels laughing at me/Swollen tongue in my cheek/Mom comes home so you sneak/Out the door", befitting the arrangement. While there's no concrete information on LP4, TAGABOW have teased that a new full-length will be dropping sometime this year, and "krillin" is another extremely promising offering from one of the most compelling bands active.

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[theeverlastingshade]

I Got Heaven- Mannequin Pussy

The arc of musicians who started making music that could reasonably be described as challenging for any number of reasons before gradually softening their edges with a more populist sensibility is one of the most tried and true that I can think of, but few have pulled it off in the past decade as superbly as Mannequin Pussy. From their searing self-titled 2014 debut to their pristine third LP, Patience, in 2019, the Philly 4 piece progressed from hardcore to noise pop-rock over the course of 3 increasingly assured and singular sounding records thanks in large part to the dynamic singing and songwriting of frontwoman Marisa Dabice. While many artists tend to lose their idiosyncrasies to make room for a more palatable sound, MP have only become stranger, and harder to pin down with each increasingly accessible subsequent record. MP’s recently released 4th LP, I Got Heaven, is the latest record within this progression, and to the surprise of no one who’s been paying attention, it’s the band’s most adventurous and well-realized record to date.

IGH isn’t a dramatic stylistic leap for MP, but it’s easily the most potent and refined their music has ever sounded, particularly on the album’s four singles.  “I Got Heaven” and “Sometimes” are masterclasses in building /sustaining tension and balancing abrasion with immediacy, with the former gathering steam towards a coda seething with catharsis, and the latter simmering along a groove that flips from sugar to shrapnel on a dime. 2nd single and highlight “I Don’t Know You” transitions from understated bubble-gum pop to their definitive shoegaze anthem with seamless precision, while the trip-hop informed final single, “Nothing Like”, is their purest pop moment to date, and the sort of propulsive juggernaut that would’ve absolutely dominated MTV back when they championed guitar-based music. And while the singles showcase the most significant growth, “Softly” and closer “Split Me Open” are just as tuneful as anything else here. There are songs from past releases like “Drunk II” and “Perfect” where they’ve superbly distilled their pop instincts, but none of their past work is quite this ambitious. The scope of these songs and the performances on each are consistently striking, and they represent the pinnacle of MP’s dynamic songwriting to date.

While most of the songs on IGH suggest that MP have completed their metamorphosis by shedding their hardcore identity, there are still a few hardcore songs scattered throughout the back half that prove that MP aren't interested in completely forsaking their roots just yet. “OK? OK! OK? OK!” barrels along a propulsive rhythm perpetually in a state of flux, giving it an uneasy, unpredictable allure as Marisa brandishes some particularly nasty snarls, and it’s the best of the bunch. “Of Her” features some nimble drumming and a sublime guitar tone on its 2nd half, while “Aching” is another tight showcase of Marisa’s snarls, but neither feel essential. The hardcore offerings are good, but they aren’t anywhere near as compelling as the songs on side a, and 1 or 2 of them could’ve been cut without really disrupting the flow or force of IGH on the whole. It’s not so much the overall impact of the hardcore songs in general as it is the sequencing of the record that particularly suffers from their inclusion. The first half rides one glorious peak to the next while some of the momentum on side b falters when the last few hardcore cuts begin to bleed into each other before closer “Split Me Open” swoops in to end the record on a satisfying resolution. But even these minor gripes don’t diminish how strong the vast majority of this music is.

Marisa’s writing has always struck a visceral, politically charged chord, and while IGH is no exception in this regard it features more than its fair share of her sharpest lyrics yet with a heightened focus on love and lust. Opening song and title track “I Got Heaven” lays it all out with the already iconic “And what if we stopped spinning/And what if we’re just flat/And what if Jesus himself ate my fucking snatch” within the context of a rallying cry against the institution of weaponized Christianity, and the rest of the songs on IGH sustain the impassioned tenor conjured here. While there are songs like the title track that find Marisa baring her fangs, on the other side of the spectrum lies “Nothing Like”, which exudes the ecstasy of new love with an almost overwhelming, delirious desire “Nothing like the taste of you/I whisper into words I won’t admit”. The magic of IGH reveals itself in the multifaceted range of Marisa’s songwriting, which delivers volatile blow after blow even in moments of relatively quiet reprieve. On “Split Me Open”, Marisa seems to seek an intimate connection but only if it adheres to her terms and nothing less, with each incessant “Nothing’s going to change” landing like an increasingly fatal body blow amidst the bright, wordless harmonies and infectious guitar riffs surrounding it. After a decade of being a great punk band, it’s extremely satisfying to hear MP continue their evolution into something far bolder, but just as compelling.

Essentials: “I Don’t Know You”, “I Got Heaven”, “Sometimes”

[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago Kamasi Washington released a new single called "Prologue", which is the first single that he's released since "The Garden Path" in 2022, alongside the announcement of his upcoming LP, Fearless Movement. "Prologue" is the sort of snappy, propulsive jazz that Kamasi has made his signature since the release of his grand, aptly titled 2015 debut LP, The Epic, with its rollicking grooves and lush melody that seem to be in conversation with funk, r&b, and hip-hop in addition to the spiritual jazz that his work generally seems to be in the lineage of. Kamasi's lane is colorful, chaotic maximalism, and he's still thriving in it.

His saxophone playing is still extremely impressive but it's far from flashy. Aside from the occasional solo, he folds his saxophone into the framework of the composition like any other element, and the music is better served for it. The production here is simply immaculate, with rich sonic flourishes accentuating the synth arpeggios and the motorik polyrhythms, that sound just as informed by the work of bands like Tortoise and The Sea and Cake as it does the formative jazz greats that he's so often compared to. "Prologue" is both an excellent entry point and expansion of Kamasi's sound, and it gives plenty of reason to believe that FM will have been well worth the 6 year wait since Kamasi's last full-length, Heaven and Earth.

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[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago This Is Lorelei (the side project of Nate Amos, who is also 1/2 of Water From Your Eyes) released a new single called "Dancing in the Club", which is the first taste of his upcoming LP, Box For Buddy, Box For Star. "Dancing in the Club" is more immediate than anything that WFYE have released, but it retains that band's playful penchant for unpredictability even as Nate's auto-tune saturated vocals lead to a hook swelling with euphoria. Some may find the pervasive auto-tune grating, but to my ears it's a tasteful choice that complements the rest of the sonics on display. The real draw here is the infectious keyboard melody that ties everything together, whether it's the lone element in the mix or joined by the synthetic strings or vocals.

The pathos of heartbreak "I lost your love today/In a lonely summer breeze/I was dreaming all my dreams/Yeah, I'm my own worst enemy" is matched by a tongue in cheek riff on card suites "And I know it's only cards/But I feel your love in spades/While you were dancing in the club/I gave all my diamonds away", resulting in the same irresistible blend of irreverence and sincerity that Nate helped perfect on last year's excellent WFYE album, Everyone's Crushed. Given that this is one of Nate's projects, "Dancing in the Club" could be a feign for completely different sounding record, but if it's a fair indicator of the quality of BFB, BFS than we're in for something special.

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[theeverlastingshade]

Favorite Releases of February 2024

Compassion- Vijay Iyer, Linda May Han Oh, & Tyshawn Sorey

Essentials: “Overjoyed”, “Tempest”, “Ghostrumental”

Rooting for Love- Laetitia Sadier

Essentials: “Proteiformunite”, “Don’t Forget You’re Mine”, “The Inner Smile”

What Now- Brittany Howard

Essentials: “Every Color in Blue”, “What Now”, “Prove It To You”

Where we’ve been, Where we go from here- Friko

Essentials: “Get Numb To It!”, “Chemical”, “Statues”

PHASOR- Helado Negro

Essentials: “I Just Want To Wake Up With You”, “Best For You and Me”, “Wish You Could Be Here”

[theeverlastingshade]

PHASOR- Helado Negro

There are very few artists who I’m aware of that have cultivated such a perpetually chill sensibility that they’ve managed to make fresh and wholly their own over the course of multiple records aside from Helado Negro. Since 2009, the Brooklyn to Asheville-based, Spanish-American singer-songwriter/producer has carved out a striking lane for himself by juxtaposing Latin-folk, pop, and experimental electronic music into an evocative, enveloping sound. His music has become increasingly electronic (and well-realized) over the years, culminating in his 2019 opus, This Is How You Smile, which was essentially a collection of auto-biographical vignettes wrapped in warm synth-pop. TIHYS was a true breakthrough, the sort of wildly ambitious statement of purpose that he had been building towards since the beginning, and the sort of record that you can’t help but dream of your favorite artists making. His 2021 follow-up, Far In, had a nearly impossible task laid out before it, and while it’s a very good record, the magic that Negro had been channeling throughout TIHYS was somewhat lost in its eclectic sprawl. Helado’s recently released 8th LP, PHASOR, rekindles the delicate, dreamy magic of TIHYS while conjuring its own highly specific appeal. It’s easily one of Helado’s best records to date, and one of the best records that I’ve heard this year so far.

The 9 songs on PHASOR unfurl with a patient, unassuming disposition, but they’re among his most focused and direct music to date. Negative space plays a prominent role in these songs, and the amount of breathing room these instruments are given is extremely impressive when considering just how much detail is packed into these songs. PHASOR is 35 minutes long, and its 9 songs flow together with such sharp peaks and valleys, varied dynamics, and tight sequencing that it’s best experienced as 1 continuous suite of music despite the natural inclination to cherry pick for playlist fodder. The music is some of Helado’s boldest, and best-realized to date, whether we’re talking about the penultimate drum & bass highlight “Wish You Could Be Here”, the psychedelic rock opening cut “LFO (Lupe Finds Oliveros)”, or the springy bossanova workout “Out There”, and the same can be said of his vocal melodies. Aside from career highlight “Running”, nothing in his discography reaches the tender, expressive heights of “What’s Best for You and Me” or the dreamy, psychedelic-tinged euphoria of “I Just Want To Wake Up With You”. The sonic ingenuity on display here impresses at every turn, but it’s never at the expense of the pure pleasures of pop, and Helado has become incredibly adept at writing dynamic pop music that doesn’t sound like the work of any other artist.

While there are a few particularly revelatory songs that take Helado’s music to new heights, the music is still immensely arresting in its quieter moments. The mid-tempo marimba march of “Colores Del Mar” begins like an understated transitory piece as a comedown from “Best For You and Me” and then it develops into a satisfying, subtly funky piece with some of the best drumming on the entire album, while the following song, “Echo Tricks Me”, would flow like an ambient dirge if not for the double time cymbals that imbue a sense of urgency into the drowsy cocktail of chimes, lumbering bass, and soft, multi-tracked incantations. “Flores” achieves pure ambiance through loops of gentle guitar strums, bright synths, and Helado’s echo-laden vocal harmonies that, when eventually accompanied by a colossal, half-time snare, radiate a transcendent glow, while closer “Es Una Fantasia” begins with a minute of nothing but sparse acoustic guitar strums and Helado’s voice before congealing into a serene but springy jaunt propelled by nimble drumming and Helado’s impossibly tender vocal melodies. While Helado is a widely celebrated artist, I still don’t think he’s given enough credit for his production, which, on PHASOR, is so consistently immaculately-rendered that he should be regularly producing the music of other musicians.

The sentiments expressed in these songs (musings on family, community, identity, self-realization, etc) are themes that Helado has touched on many times throughout the years, but it’s still disarming to hear something as vulnerable and sympathetic as "Best For You and Me", a piano-led reverie centered around his parents' divorce. Its placement is particularly jarring following suit immediately after "I Just Want To Wake Up With You", which is one of the breeziest and blissful sounding celebrations of the habitual joys of a romantic relationship that I've ever heard. When taken together these songs form record's tonal extremes, with everything that follows suit flitting between these poles. The mesmerizing ambiance of "Echo Tricks Me" unfolds like Helaldo's approximation of a bad trip as feelings of paranoia creep into the frame, while the weightless electro-acoustic daydream "Flores" belies its lumbering arrangement with an urgent desire for physical embrace. PHASOR quickly reveals itself to be a record about connections, mostly missed or fraught ones, and the desire to either mend or move on. The penultimate "Wish You Could Be Here" succinctly sums the record's thematic thrust up in 4 lines "I'll be asking you, my friend/Where to Lay It Down Again/Trees begin to hold us still/Living wounds won't heal themselves" with tight but tender precision befitting the ingenuity of the arrangement. The emotional and sonic generosity of PHASOR feels boundless, like an audio balm steeped in hard fought wisdom and an omnivorous musical appetite alike. It's one of the most satisfying statements yet from an artist who, at this moment, feels completely in a lane of his own.

Essentials: “I Just Want To Wake Up With You”, “Best For You and Me”, “With You Could Be Here”

[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago Charli XCX released a new song called "Von Dutch", which is the first single from her upcoming 6th LP, Brat. "Von Dutch" is the sort of undeniable electro-clash heater that Charli seemed like she was moving away from on her more recent releases, but is nonetheless exactly the sort of thing that her voice sounds best over. The jittery kick/snare rhythm ignites almost immediately, the warped synths follow suit shortly afterwards, and 30 seconds later Charli's delivering one of the best hooks of her career to date.

While the nasty production on display courtesy of Easyfun is the most immediate draw, Charli's infectious vocal melody amplifies the potency of the arrangements, cementing the song's assertive allure. The less said about the lyrics the better, but not even several clunkers derail the high-octane momentum that "Von Dutch" sustains with ease. "Von Dutch" is the easiest contender for song of the summer that I've heard so far this year, and it's hopefully indicative of what we can expect more of on Brat.

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A few weeks ago Bully shared a new song called "Atom Bomb", that was recorded during the sessions for their 2023 opus, Lucky For You. "Atom Bomb" is a refreshing change of pace for Bully, as it swaps out Alicia Bognanno's trad rock band setup for piano and strings. But rather than feel like some kind of cheap, phoned in or forced gimmick, "Atom Bomb" simply reaffirms what has always been evident about Bully, but became increasingly clear on LFY; as strong as Alicia's guitar playing is, her voice is her most expressive and immediately appealing instrument, and she could probably wield it to compelling effect over a much wider plethora of instrumentation than we're used to hearing from her music as Bully. 

And while the arrangements here aren't quite as dynamic as Alicia's guitar playing, her voice, which quakes, quivers, and absolutely soars within this song's modest sub 3 minute runtime, is in excellent form throughout. There's still a raw quality to Alicia's delivery, but her melodies have never sounded sharper, and the dynamics at play here really showcase how much she's developed as a vocalist since her first few records. While I don't think an entire record of songs in this mode would necessarily play to her strengths, a song like "Atom Bomb" is a welcome cap to a great album that thankfully retains so much of what made that record so striking.

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A few weeks ago Hovvdy released a new song called "Meant", which is the 5th single from their upcoming self-titled double LP. "Meant" is a little stranger and less straightforward than the prior 4 singles by virtue of its arpeggio synth chimes that are in perpetual flux in the background, but it's still imbued with the same melodic warmth that you can increasingly depend on this group for. The song progresses at a near crawl with its codeine-tinged boom-bap beat, and there isn't that much more happening in the mix aside from the drums, synths, and vocals, but the synths are so enveloping that they give the illusion of a much more maximalist sonic palette.

The synths eventually drop out save for a low-pitched droning synth set against the drums and vocals for a tastefully sparse second verse before the synths swoop back in for the subsequent hook. Right on the heels of that 2nd hook there's a gorgeous 30 second instrumental fade out that emerges to close things out. Like the preceding singles, "Meant" isn't likely to surprise anyone who's been paying attention to Hovvdy's progression, but it's yet another potent encapsulation of their strengths that amplifies the sense that their on the cusp of an artistic breakthrough with this upcoming LP.

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A few weeks ago Mdou Moctar shared a new single called "Funeral for Justice", which is the first single from and title track of their upcoming 7th LP. "Funeral for Justice" is the sort of frenetic, desert blues jam propelled by dazzling guitar lines that MM have specialized in, but there's a heightened level of urgency on display befitting the song/album title. Mdou's vocal phrasing here is particularly nimble, with lines that dart around the mix with a sly agility, and infectious, double-tracked lines that lend the music the feeling of an elongated, communal call and response.

The rhythm in particular is a real highlight, with drums and bass flowing in a jerky, start and stop sort of motion in perfect lockstep with one another that superbly complements Moctar's voice. Like the best MM music, "Funeral for Justice" is a thrilling surge of adrenaline that manages to sidestep any sense of hollow virtuosity by virtue of their incredibly expressive, adventurous performances. "Funeral for Justice" is a rousing yet succinct powerhouse of a single, and it bodes very well for MM's upcoming LP.

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A few weeks ago Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) shared a new song called "Broken Man", which is the first single from her upcoming 7th LP, All Born Screaming. "Broken Man" thankfully finds Clark moving beyond the realms of the watered down glam and funk that plagued her underwhelming 2021 LP, Daddy's Home, in favor of an industrial-lite art rock pivot. There are plenty of tasteful touches throughout, like the juxtaposition between sparse electronic snares and analog drum rolls, and the understated, chugging synth bass that propels the bridge, that are more inspired than anything that Clark's released in years.

While it's a shame that Clark's guitar playing doesn't really emerge until a little over the last minute or so, her strutting riff is easily one of the nastiest lines that she's laid down in years, and it really ties everything here together. ABS will be Clark's first self-produced record, and the glossy, enveloping production style coupled with Clark's signature mezzo-soprano prevents "Broken Man" from lapsing into pure Nine Inch Nails pastiche. It'll be interesting to hear if ABS completely commits to full-blown industrial, but for now, "Broken Man" stands as a refreshing course correction.

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[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago Alcest returned with a new song called "L'Envol", which is the first single from their upcoming 7th LP, Les Chants de I'aurore. On "L'Envol", Alcest continue their pivot from the black gaze style that they helped pioneer nearly 15 years ago with a gorgeously rendered epic that lands somewhere between dream pop, post-rock, and prog. This is some of the straight up prettiest music that Alcest have ever made, and while there's still plenty of dense, distortion-laden guitar, it's not of the pummeling black metal variety, and it operates as a ballast in service of Neige's soaring vocal melodies. It's a lush, larger than life sort of song that finds the band sounding reinvigorated.

There are screams that emerge several minutes in, but only as an additional texture deployed for like a measure or so as the guitars continue to build steam. The last 40 seconds are downright angelic, and as potentially off-putting and seemingly played out as it might seem to have a band with black metal roots pivot to such a soft disposition, it's an extremely well-earned payoff that's executed with sublime precision. I'm not sure convinced that Alcest committing to a full record in this mode will be particularly satisfying (look no further than Deafheaven's latest), but "L'Envol" is a satisfying pivot that plays to the band's strengths without completely abandoning elements of what made them so striking in the first place.

#Youtube

[theeverlastingshade]

A few weeks ago Marnie Stern released a new song called "Sixteen", which was cut from the same sessions as her aptly titled 2023 comeback LP, The Comeback Kid. "Sixteen" is a noisy slice of math rock that features the sort of dazzling guitar work that we've come to expect from Stern, and like the best of her work it exudes a melodic playfulness that prevents the virtuosic playing from feeling gratuitous. Stern's still a phenomenal guitarist, but true to form, the playing remains in service of the song and not purely a showcase of talent within some half-hearted idea.

Stern's vocals unfold like a series of stuttered chants, and they congeal to form an infectious vocal melody that trails behind the guitar with a bouncy cadence. The cymbal bashing rhythm moves in perfect lockstep with the vocals, and there are some incredibly impressive rolls that emerge sporadically, but as always it's Stern's guitar playing that's the main draw here. Like the rest of TCK, "Sixteen" is a superb return to form that showcases so much of what's made her such a compelling artist, and it hopefully won't be another decade before her next full-length.

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[theeverlastingshade]

Favorite Releases of January 2024

5. Little Rope- Sleater-Kinney

Essentials: "Say It Like You Mean It", "Hell", "Don't Feel Right"

4. Three Bells- Ty Segall

Essentials: "I Hear", "Eggman", "To You"

3. Obsidian Wreath- Infant Island

Essentials: "Vestygian", "Veil", "Clawing, Still"

2. Wall of Eyes- The Smile

Essentials: "Bending Hectic", "Friend of a Friend", "Under Our Pillows"

1. plastic death- glass beach

Essentials: "commatose", "cul-de-sac", "puppy"