New Adds Reviews:
Ethel Cain- "Onanist"
“There I found me in a long, long wood / Astray, midway of mortal life.” The opening line of Onanist by Ethel Cain echoes the themes of Dante’s The Divine Comedy: what becomes of a soul after death and how love and faith often contradict one another. In line with the rest of the album, Onanist explores sexual deviance as a manifestation of reconciling religious shame. The reverberation of her vocals and its clarity over the distortion in the background conveys a tension between the professed absoluteness of God’s power and the inclinations, the sin, that subvert it. No part of this song is intended to put its listener at ease; the almost two-minute build-up before her vocals enter creates an almost haunting anticipation; and her culmination of the track with repeating “It feels good,” whispered into the mic, makes the listener feel like an intruder into the sanctity that is sexual exploration.
Japanese Breakfast- "Orlando in Love"
There is a profound intimacy in Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast)’s new song, Orlando in Love. Orlando, a presumed poet, composes an epic, “Writes 69 cantos / For melancholy brunettes and sad women.” And we are transported into his lovesick world as the strings and güiro pick up, a deepening of the acoustic guitar that opens the song. Zauner concludes the song with a repetition of the titular character’s name; her layered renditions of “Orlando” allude to the song of a siren, one that is coaxing him into the sea. The contrast between her lyrics, “Leaving him breathless and then / Drowned,” and the lightness of the semi-orchestral melody -- to the idea of sacrifice in the name of desire — and the ends one will go to for the person they want the most.
Yo La Tengo- "Driving Home"
Wunderhorse’s guitaring meets the indie melancholy of Mojave 3 in Yo La Tengo’s song Driving Home. Like its title suggests, the leading guitar that opens the track places the listener in the passenger seat of a car as it passes through a mountainous countryside. The phrasing of the song is reminiscent of a conversation between old friends: the main motif ebbs and flows as the track is punctuated by moments of brief almost-silences. There is a minimalism to this song, which is carried by a guitaring rooted in blues, and ultimately, as most good songs do, Driving Home leaves the listener wishing it continued forever.
By Anya Motwani
Sharon Van Etten- "Somethin' Ain't Right"
Off of her latest album, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” is a unique case in which more is actually more. The song starts with a warm and relatively innocuous instrumental, but as the listener will continue to discover as the song develops, something ain’t right. The track features a 6/4 time signature that Van Etten manages to make feel as natural as a 4/4 pop hit thanks to a well-executed commitment to theme in the interplay between the punchy lyrics and a funky bass line. The overlying synth track that follows the song for its duration is in a classic 4/4 signature, so the indie rock guitar riffs and Van Etten’s lilting vocals are always playing catch-up with the gentle synths. “Somethin’ Ain’t Right” features some of the most technically complex and yet simultaneously satisfying music work in indie pop at the moment, making it a stand out on an already impressive album.
child star, Olivia O., Sean Henry- "ADORE"
“ADORE” is a fresh single from child star with muddy instrumentation that couldn’t be clearer. The moody guitar interacts almost percussively with a kicky pop-esque beat that keeps the track marching forward, marking one of the song’s greatest strengths: pacing. As the song’s narrative weaves in and out of verses and the chorus with alternating vocalists, each section of the nearly two-and-a-half-minute song shines. To seal the deal, the ethereal vocals provide a refreshing, textured contrast to the grungy instrumentation, leaving the song an elevated, garage band track that would fit right into the “I Saw the TV Glow” soundtrack.
By Anna Jordan
Wilco- "At Least That's What You Said"
In typical Wilco fashion, “At Least That’s What You Said” is a poignant, yearning, experimental, and unorthodox track. The entrance to the song feels like the beginning of a horror movie, or video game – it’s dark and hazy, a buzzing landscape of sound and color that’s eerie and unpredictable. The vocals contribute to this atmosphere before giving way to the guitar, which is by far the song’s strongest element. The tragedy and resignation of the lyrics turn into the rage and aggression of the guitar, with incredible riffs and that screeching electric sound that takes it to a place beyond classic sad alt-rock music. At five minutes and twelve seconds, it’s worth the ride.
FKA twigs- "Girl Feels Good"
“Girl Feels Good” off of FKA twigs’ recent release Eusexa feels like the soundtrack to a glitzy montage of 90s nightlife, of glamour, distortion, and nostalgia – a song that demands to be listened to in the smoky neon light of a high rise nightclub. Reminiscent of Madonna’s 1998 album Ray of Light, “Girl Feels Good” transcends its electronica, trip-hop genre by keeping the listener on a taut rope throughout its progression, with something steadily building under the surface and digressing in unexpected ways. About a third of the way through, it releases, hitting a stride of disco-esque funky techno that just makes you wanna dance.
Oklou- "ict"
“ict” by Oklou is a synthy and vibrant electronic pop track with an adventurous opening that hinges on a trumpet melody, a surprising sound in the context of the genre but somehow very effective. It creates a distant and intriguing atmosphere, but as the vocals take over, the song falls flat. I found the fluttery and trancelike singing hypnotic at best while mainly just distracting from the beat. The lyrics feel borderline ironic in their juvenility: “Strawberry dancer / Vanilla summer / Driver pull over / Ice cream truck,” and yet whatever purpose they’re attempting to serve is unclear and disconcerting. The outro is redeeming as the vocals settle down and the trumpet returns to center stage, but not long enough to influence the impact of the track as a whole.
By India Brown