In Rotation - February 2023
Starting off strong...
Only two months in, 2023’s music already has a lot to offer. Here’s what I’ve been spinning from January and February, ordered by release date:
After the Magic - 파란노을 [Parannoul]
Shoegaze, Indie Rock - 59:01 - January 28
The unnamed Seoul rocker known only as Parannoul has returned with his follow-up to breakout album To See the Next Part of the Dream, a bedroom emo affair with plenty of heart that I felt was ultimately let down by its amateurish production and tinny mix. Two years later, he’s back with a set of extended song structures that feel both more inspiring and more inspired all at once. I’d even dare to describe some of these tunes as joyous or celebratory in their fuzzy explosions of guitar and drum noise, which comes as a pretty shocking turn from a guy who’s made some of the most heartfelt, depressive emo music of the past few years. Of course, there’s hints of sadness, nostalgia, and longing littered all over the record, so it’s not a joyride but rather an emotionally nuanced journey through warm blasted-out drum grooves, lush post-rock builds and the best hooks I’ve heard from Parannoul yet. Oh, and the production and mixing has seen a serious step up in quality. Basically everything I could’ve asked for from his next record - I’m happy to say I’m a fan.
Heavy Heavy - Young Fathers
Neo-Psychedelia, Art Pop - 32:42 - February 3
Don’t let its title or cover art fool you - you might expect this to be a set of avant-garde industrial pieces at first glance, but in reality Heavy Heavy is a lush, beautifully produced set of short pop songs with atypical song structures. The first five tracks are practically flawless and worth the price of admission alone (does this phrase even mean anything anymore in the streaming age? I guess the price of admission is your time), and the admittedly lesser second half is nevertheless great. “Tell Somebody” and “Geronimo” are bound to be two of the most gorgeous songs I’ll hear all year - you may remember the latter ended up high in my list of the top songs of 2022. Meanwhile, energetic tracks like “I Saw,” “Drum,” or “Holy Moly” see Young Fathers doing some of their best genre fusion work yet; synth-laden electronics, rap, and rock come together over undeniably fun grooves to make some seriously great songs. What Heavy Heavy lacks in cohesion, it makes up for in a set of dynamic, colorful songs that are short, sweet, and with a sound all their own.
Raven - Kelela
Alternative R&B, Electronic - 62:33 - February 10
Talk about an album of the year contender, dear lord. Kelela’s 2017 debut, Take Me Apart, has apparently slipped under my radar for the past 6 years (a mistake I am fixing), but her long-awaited follow-up has absolutely blown me away. Raven is an alternative R&B album that lays the ambience and atmosphere on thick. Smooth grooves, washed-out droning synths, and crisp breakbeats alike adorn the tracklist, weaving a diverse yet entirely cohesive tapestry of genres and sounds. Kelela demonstrates mastery over all of these styles with her subdued yet stunning vocal performances. There’s also a definite interest in using the album as a form here - there are several smooth, blink-and-you-miss-it track transitions across the record, and there’s plenty of consideration for album flow and progression from song to song, not to mention the mirrored bookending tracks. Perhaps I’m not listening to enough new electronic music (this is at least 1000% true), but it feels increasingly rare to hear forward-thinking electronic music interested in quieter soundscapes, in subtlety and cool (in all meanings of the word) atmospheres instead of aggressiveness or abrasiveness. I love that stuff too, of course, but it’s these atmospheric yet futuristic qualities (listen to “Contact” for instance, wow) which make Raven stand out from the crowd as an absolutely blissful listen.
This is Why - Paramore
Post-Punk Revival - 36:12 - February 17
10 hits, 0 misses. 3 and a half minutes each. That’s really all it takes, guys; why is this so hard for everyone else? Half-joke aside, Paramore make releasing an awesome rock album look easy on This is Why. Doubling down on the new wave cues added to their sound on After Laughter, Paramore sprinkle in some 2000s-style revivalism (The Strokes, Bloc Party, etc.) for a new sound that is both familiar and inventive, wearing their influences on their sleeve while still sounding like themselves. Great songwriting and instantly memorable, never obnoxious soaring choruses complement the updated sound to make Paramore’s best record yet. There’s so much to love here - a slim runtime, high consistency, good album flow, softer cuts as good as the rockers (e.g. “Liar”), amazing production without being overproduced (e.g. “Big Man, Little Dignity”), impassioned vocals, and quirky new wave grooves (e.g. “Running Out of Time”). I’d also like to point out deep cut “Crave” as my personal sleeper pick on the record - it feels like listening to an old Paramore hit with newfound emotional maturity (the wistfulness bleeding through those chorus harmonies!). This has been a lot of words to say this album feels obviously great. Every song is excellent. That’s really all it takes.
All Fiction - Pile
Art Rock, Indie Rock, Slowcore - 41:58 - February 17
It can feel as though the world has all but forgotten about Pile, an indie rock band with 90s post-hardcore leanings fueled by the excellent freeform songwriting of vocalist and guitarist Rick Maguire. Since I stumbled across it a few months ago, I have been absolutely entranced by Maguire’s solo performance at Boston’s Church of the Covenant that was uploaded to YouTube last year. The echoey acoustics and warm tones of the set helped reveal a simple truth: Maguire is one of the most dynamic, interesting songwriters active in indie rock today. His songs can be challenging given their unconventional structures, but by playing the chords and notes that need to be played rather than the chords that should be played, they become enchanting and immediately effective. All Fiction is a bleak but rewarding listen, continuing this style of songwriting but expanding on their sound with varied arrangements (string sections and electronics!) and an often slower pace than their previous work. Come for the singles at the very least, each coming with some of Maguire’s most memorable lyrics yet - “Loops” with the most intense rock groove on the record (“tell me, are you being honest? ‘Cause I would never lie to you”), “Poisons” and its absolute exhaustion with life in the post-Internet age (“It’s safe to hide now / Only a handful of giants watching you now / Heaven’s a place where no one else is”), and the beautifully haunting “Nude with a Suitcase” (“It’s all made up either way”). Stay for the incredible production job and deeper cuts like “Link Arms” or “Neon Gray.” All Fiction is a gem and an excellent addition to a still-underappreciated discography.
Other Recommendations
“Wild Animals” - Liv.e
It’s like the past three decades of R&B swirling in a whirlwind around my head.
“Sun In” - Model/Actriz
This album didn’t do a whole lot for me, but its closing track, which takes the band in an unexpected slowcore-like direction, is mesmerizing.
Rick Maguire (from Pile) Live at the Church of the Covenant in Boston (2022)
You probably saw me mention this one above. Post-hardcore stripped back to just a guy and his guitar. Unreal tone, unbelievable acoustics, exceedingly beautiful; will strike you straight to your emotional core.
Frankie Knuckles Boiler Room London DJ Set (2012)
Everyone could use more Frankie Knuckles in their life. Crazy to think it’s just one of many, many wonderful sets from Chicago’s late great Godfather of House.
The Mountain Goats @ Simplon, Groningen, Netherlands (1995)
Somehow hadn’t seen this set until very recently - it’s super cool to see/hear a young John Darnielle and Rachel Ware recorded in such high quality. Essential for any fan of cassette-era tMG (the song selections are incredible), also perfectly suitable for anyone looking to dive in for the first time.
Andorra - Caribou (2007)
Intelligently and effortlessly draws from 40 years of psychedelia, indie rock, and electronica - comforting front to back.
El jardín de los presentes - Invisible (1976)
First Almendra, now Invisible - I am so incredibly close to falling down a Luis Alberto Spinetta rabbit hole. Warm and multitextured, progressive without being challenging or annoying about it.