Hold on, it’s the end of May and we’re finally getting around to posting about things a month ago? Yes. Due to personal reasons (getting hand surgery), I was a bit preoccupied (unable to use my right hand). So the idea of tip-typing away on a keyboard didn’t sound too appealing using only my left hand. Nonetheless, I serve under no deadline and if that means things a bit delayed, so be it. So let’s pretend it is still April and press on. Boy, let’s hope the Celtics repeat this year, they can surely beat those New York Knicks (no spoilers, please!)
Eyedress – Stoner
While scrolling through the recommended albums given to me by Apple Music, I was really tempted to just skip it based on the imagery on the album cover. It just seemed like something I would not like. How was I going to take this seriously? Am I actually supposed to take this whole exercise of writing about music seriously? (The answer to that question is no.)
Curiosity did get the better of me and I am better for it. To me this sounds like what would happen if MGMT recruited Ty Segall to start a bedroom pop band. Stoner is equal parts chill after-hours listening and hyper-kinetic, bounce off the walls pop goodness. With the help of some familiar names such as Chad Hugo from The Neptunes (“The Big City”), The Marias (“Separate Ways”), and Mayer Hawthorne (“Keeping Score”), Eyedress dispelled any notion of this Stoner being any kind of slacker.
Kneebody – Reach
As a appreciator of as much music as I can listen to it can be hard to translate that into words. Some genres can be a bit trickier to nail down exactly why I happen to like them beyond just stating a scant few words that equate to a thumbs up or down. Often it tends to be music without vocals that trip me up. I’m learning as I go here, mmmkay?
I sometimes dip my toe every now and again in the world of jazz, I mean who hasn’t purchased a copy of Bitches Brew to come off as a well rounded, yet pretentious know-it-all? Listen, the early 2000s were trying times for yours truly. What struck me with the latest release from Kneebody is how fresh and familiar the sound is. It as if the elements you’re familiar with get filtered through a BOSS DS-1 to give it a nice, thick fuzzy sound. Approachable and funky, Reach is a fun listen that’ll test your bounds of jazz.
Momma – Welcome To My Blue Sky
Following in the rather large footsteps created from their breakthrough 2022 album, Household Name, indie rockers Momma return with Welcome To My Blue Sky. What drew me to Momma initially is their ability to wear their influences on their sleeves. It’s hard to not envision bands like Veruca Salt and Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins while listening to Momma. But, without pigeon-holing themselves Momma have continued to evolve their sound enough to keep things fresh. While Household Name hooked me in immediately with a few anthemic songs off the bat, Welcome To My Blue Sky happens to be a more well-rounded and mature record. The lead single “I Want You (Fever)” delivers that headphone-filling spaciness that’ll hook you in, and that’s where this band shines.
Waves Crashing – Effection
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Waves Crashing are a trio are effortlessly weaves dream-pop elements into a sea of shoegaze that takes the listener on quite the journey. What draws me to this album is how Waves Crashing takes an often dark and spacious sound and accents it with a shimmery sheen like the sun-kissed surface of the ocean, evidenced in the track “Parts Of Me”. Effection is an album that allows itself to be an excellent entry point in today’s alternative sound where you can dive into exploring legacy acts such as My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive with a nice helping of contemporaries like Ringo Deathstarr and Wavves (no relation).
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