Play/Listed Weekly for Sept 25th, 2020
And just like that we’ve crossed into sweater weather … at least those of us in my corner of the world. What better time to cozy up to a great album or playlist of new releases?
If you’re in denial and would like to return to this past summer’s highlights, you can still access them on my Spotify page. Otherwise, these 6 new songs will be added to the top of September’s Play/Listed Weekly collection. Scroll down for album suggestions - this is the first time I’ve felt the need to share 3 albums instead of the usual 2 - if that’s more your speed. Album covers include the Spotify links.
Here are my highlights from today’s New Music Friday:
No One’s In the Room - Jessie Reyez
Jessie Reyez’s album Before Love Came to Kill Us provided the soundtrack to many early pandemic puzzles in my household, and I never thought to ask any more from it. But this beautiful song on the extended album version, which covers themes of hypocrisy and identity and purpose, has me wondering how BLCTKU ever sounded complete without it. Also, as has become the norm with Jessie Reyez, there’s a great video to match it linked above in the title.
Better - ZAYN
Yeah, it’s that ZAYN from One Direction, and before it’s plastered all over the radio and we lose the ability to appreciate it, I’m gonna say that I like this a lot.
FRANKIE MUNIZ - BLACKSTARKIDS
Why has no one told me about BLACKSTARKIDS before? I am obsessed with their whole thing. Gaby’s playful vocals over laid-back surfer rock vibes, paired with rap verses that sound like something between Tyler the Creator and Brockhampton. Also they have this quirky tendency to reference pop culture in their titles, like that actor from Malcom in the Middle, or Britney Spears on my other favourite song of theirs, “Britney, Bitch”.
Maybe Don’t - Maisie Peters featuring JP Saxe
Okay, so there are some similarities between JP Saxe and Maisie Peters’ styles and songwriting, but somehow I was not expecting this. It’s fine - I can recognize that I have a soft spot for Maisie, and her light, melodramatic, poppy, gay British aesthetic. it’s not going to make any year end lists, but it’s cute and I’ll probably listen to on repeat this week.
Irrational - Shay Lia
I really like Shay Lia, and don’t really understand why she isn’t more popular than she is. But anyway, “Irrational” is the kind of contagious song that is made for kitchen dancing with a cute pandemic partner. I highly recommend adding it to your weekend to-do list.
Hapi - Spillage Village, Benji., EARTHGANG, Mereba, Big Rube
Look, I am about to talk more about Spillage Village below, so I won’t say much about this project. But I feel like there are folks who might not listen to the album who would still really appreciate this sweeping, practically gospel, piano-led track. So here it is. If you listen to only one track on this playlist, make it “Hapi”.
Shore - Fleet Foxes
Having a new Fleet Foxes album makes me feel as though the fall has really arrived. There is something so autumnal about Robin Pecknold’s music, and Shore is no exception - heck, it was released on the equinox and opens to the lyrics “summer all over” on the opener, “Wading in Waist High Water”. So it’s not like this is a mistake.
He describes Shore as “a celebration of life in the face of death,” and the whole record has a lighter feeling than 2017’s Crack Up. As always, there’s time signature play on some of my highlights, like “Sunblind,” “Maestranza” and “Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman.” There’s plenty to pay attention to, but this is an album that can be appreciated in the background as well. Which is exactly what I intend to do, since the rest of today is still technically a work day.
It might be too soon to say, but I think this is my favourite Fleet Foxes album since their self-titled debut.
Don’t Fight Your Demons - Arrested Development
One of my first rap obsessions, legendary group Arrested Development has returned with Don’t Fight Your Demons, and it is exactly what I would hope for. Their beats bump beneath stories told with pointed political messages.
There’s a natural hope nestled in their lyrics and sound, without the naiveté or avoidance that often accompanies this vibe. There are so many moments that stand out here and I can’t wait to give this album a second listen. But in case you’re looking for some touchdown moments, check out “Moses,” “Becoming,” “Same People,” and closer “The Forsaken”.
Also my favourite dancing sisters from Instagram, Norah, Yarah & Rosa, are featured in a couple of the teaser videos above, so I’ll be keeping my eyes open for the full videos!
Spilligion - Spillage Village
You might be asking, who is Spillage Village? Although their members haven’t been around quite long enough to be called a supergroup, it would be a pretty accurate term, considering their artistic chemistry. Spilligion is the debut album from a new hip hop collective consisting of rap duo EARTHGANG, singer Mereba, JID, 6lack, JurdanBryant, Hollywood JB, and the most recent addition, producer and bass player extraordinaire, Benji.
Apparently this crew practically quarantined together in a rental house in Atlanta and have spent the pandemic hanging out, smoking, playing Monopoly, and contemplating communism while writing and recording. And It shows … or sounds. There’s an organic, sometimes acoustic quality to Spilligion that I’m not used to with a lot of current rap music.
Oh, and the verses. I’m going to need several more listens before I can pinpoint all the moments that catch my attention on this record. I will say that anything particularly showcasing Mereba is a highlight, like on “PsalmSing” or “End of Daze”. Obviously I’ve included “Hapi” in the playlist, so that’s clearly a fave. Plus “Judas” features Ari Lennox and Chance the Rapper. But ultimately there’s a reason I put this whole album on here.
My inability to narrow down my album choices to 2 this week is a sign of the depth of today’s new releases. Here are some other albums of note that might float your boat.
Free Love - Sylvan Esso
What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? - Public Enemy
Solaris EP - Shay Lia
The Ascension - Sufjan Stevens