Album of the Month (2022)

January

When the Pawn... - Fiona Apple (1999)

I'm really starting to get into Fiona Apple. Her music reminds me as if Norah Jones became really hip and cool. And that's nothing against an artist like Norah Jones, but albums like When the Pawn... just take things up a notch. It's very piano centric based music; it'd be hard to cover this album without the range and timbre of a grand piano. "Paper Bag" is the song which reeled me in, and it got stuck in my head for what felt like days. Then I started listening to the album straight through - with songs like "On the Bound" popping out (especially with the production). There's these funky organ sounds that are so intricate and unique. There's a little bit of punk energy found on tracks like "Limp" and "To Your Love". But damn, the closing to this album really seals the deal. "Fast as you Can" delivers on so many aspects. There's cool tempo switches, catchy melodies, and the end of the song feels like something out a late '60s psychedelic outfit. Again, I'm gonna point to the organ here. When the Pawn... revolves around a lot of toxic relationship type of issues. There's really not any filler lyrics / songs; it follows a logical order - truly flowing the way an album is meant to flow. Likewise, it's stunning this was all written by Fiona Apple who was just 21 years old at the time. I'm really glad I found this album, it stands out amongst anything similarly related. There's just so much depth and detail paired along with avant garde experimentalism.

February

The Holy Bible - Manic Street Preachers (1994)

If the song "Yes" doesn't capture your attention / curiosity, right off the bat, I don't know what else will. There's really some colorful and interesting harmonic movement on The Holy Bible, while maintaining a punklike energy. But my biggest complaint is that I have no idea what the lead singer is saying half the time (or even more) in this album. Do I know what a song like "4st 7lb" is about? No. But I don't care to bother looking up the lyrics. The song is just so damn catchy and deserves to be blasted loud. At times, there's themes of The Holy Bible becoming a little too preachy, as if "everything about society is bad and needs to be rewritten". But overall there's some real good songs in here, including "Archives of Pain".

March

Toxicity - System of a Down (2001)

A vast departure from what was happening in January, might you say? Good lord, Toxicity goes harder than most things I can handle. This is probably some of the hardest stuff that I can enjoy. I've known about System of a Down for years, I even remember trying to get into them as a kid. The vivid imagery of the "Chop Suey!" music video has always stuck with me (one of those trademark somewhat cheesy early 2000's videos). I always liked the song "Aerials" as a kid, but couldn't get into them much more after that. It took about 10 years later for me to find the song "Forest" - which is probably the most melodic and standout track found on Toxicity. The vocal harmonies are just simply off the charts (shoutout to Daron Malakian who really gives System of a Down its flavor both on guitar and backup vocals). Other thrashing songs include "Prison Song", "Deer Dance" (a personal favorite), and "X". The album keeps going by churning out songs like "ATWA", and "Science". I can definitely hear some Metallica / Slayer influences, but with downtuned guitars and a truly unique stamp on the early 2000's "modern" metal scene.

April

Chloë and the Next 20th Century - Father John Misty (2022)

As one of my favorite "modern" music artists, I can't deny that I was listening to Father John Misty's new release in the month of April. Chloë and the Next 20th Century has a throwback tone which is evidenced in the very first song, "Chloë". Overall, the album has this showtune kind of '50s / '60s entertainment theme going for it (just reference the album cover). It's as if this was the era Father John Misty wished to be born into as an entertainer. Many of the songs found here have a "get stuck in your head for a whole afternoon" type of vibe (see "Funny Girl" and "Buddy's Rendezvous"). The country-esque song "Mr. Blue" feels like a blend of something made in this modern era, and something out of the '70s. "Olvidado" seems straight out of the book of Antonio Carlos Jobim - which is probably my favorite song found on Chloë and the Next 20th Century. Everything just feels so crisp and clean with the layering, paying homage to that era of early '60s pop-like Brazilian music. There's truly just a sentimental and nostalgic feel. "The Next 20th Century" closes with an ominous but pleasant presence, like a fog settling over a bay. It also has a big guitar solo that caught me off guard (most likely played by Jonathan Wilson). Since much of the time period for Chloë and the Next 20th Century seems to fit between the '50s and the '70s, maybe this is foreshadowing the '80s that would come next chronologically.

May

Dummy - Portishead (1994)

Not gonna lie, I was anticipating the album of the month for May to be Kendrick Lamar's Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. I was looking forward to the album, and unfortunately felt rather disappointed by it. But the standout song that drew me in and captured my attention was "Mother I Sober". This song had such an emotional response and felt authentic. And that's where I noticed Beth Gibbons of Portishead was singing on it.

I'd never gotten into Portishead, really I had never given them a chance. I figured with all the Radioheads, Bucketheads, etc, what use was another name like Portishead? But I dived into Dummy and I really liked it; the opening track "Mysterons" might be the most memorable. Everything grooves and has a dark aura to it (perhaps the album cover helps). I tend to gravitate towards music that is darker. I know the term "trip-hop" has been thrown around a lot with Portishead. Yet I don't know if I necessarily hear that within Dummy (perhaps on "Biscuit"). Likewise, there's not really a spotlight on the individual, but the focus is on the group and the groove. A lot of these grooves are addicting and stay stuck in your head for long periods of time. Much of this seems to be music that might've influenced the band Khruangin - especially on "Sour Times". Be sure to check out tracks like "Wandering Star" and "Roads" as well.

June

Come In and Burn - Rollins Band (1997)

The entirety of Rollins Band's catalogue is simply not meant for the meek. Come In and Burn is such a great example of this - by getting off to a hot start with the dissonant and ominous "Shame". The wind-like backing the music implies a swirl of bleak and twisted emotions. I love some of the potent lyrics found within:

It makes that old lie

It makes me look at myself and say

"Man, you're doing just fine

You're doing great."

I'm not living in a lie

I'm not living in a lie

Or am I ??

I really enjoy what Chris Haskett brings to the table on Come In and Burn on guitar. He seems to approach the instrument through an altered lens. Not quite as altered as someone like Frank Zappa, but Haskett's playing definitely leaves a fresh imprint on the ears. He really doesn't play things that are cliché. "Starve" follows "Shame" with the same quality and intensity. These two songs really are the standouts on the album. I could really talk about the first few tracks on here all day. "All I Want" brings some heavy riffing, with also some interesting color and flavor (listen for Melvin Gibbs' bass changing its pulsating / distorted tones). You can hear how tight Gibbs is here with Sim Cain on drums. Next follows "The End of Something" - which feels like a chance to catch your breath at first. However don't let the initial phasey / syrupy funk like guitar tones fool you - the lyrics are intense as shit.

My main complaint with Come In and Burn is that it is extremely very front loaded. The dropoff in quality is quite noticeable after "The End of Something", and makes it a struggle to finish out the album.

July

Illinois - Sufjan Stevens (2005)

Illinois was due to run its course at some point in my life. With me being from St. Louis / the Southern Illinois area, the title track "Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois" is somehow burned into my memory. I definitely know my father was playing it in the living room when I was about 6 or so. But for whatever reason I don't remember hearing any of the other songs.

I know I'm geographically biased and inclined to give a lot of praise. But I'm just gonna cut to the chase: this has got to be the best album I've discovered in over the past year. Illinois is truly a huge undertaking and concept that paid off. You can hear it on songs like "Come On! Feel the Illinoise! Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition Part II". Notice the Part I and Part II here - and how the latter part of the song wraps you in a beautiful musical realm of color. The Part I vs. Part II dynamic will be developed in certain songs as the album goes on, even if it isn't explicitly mentioned. To keep going, there's something so unpredictable about a song like "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" (a long ass title, I know), as the conclusion of the song makes you really feel like you went on a journey. The arranging is superb, with layers of choir, horns, woodwinds, and strings which all give off lucious appeal. Stuff like this really gets my ears and wins me over. You definitely don't end where you begin - and I'm still just talking about one song here. "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" sets the tone for rest of the album and gives the listener a reason to keep listening. The first time I heard "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!", I had to take a step back to appreciate what I had just heard.

Slower indie-esque songs such as "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." (I didn't pick up on the dark backstory or context) and "Casimir Pulaksi Day" strip back from all the crazy arranging I previously mentioned and just let the pure songwriting do the talking. These are great. But a good middle of the road song (and probably the most accessible song) is "Jacksonville". This song kind of stands on its own, and doesn't necessarily tie deeply into any sort of transition or segway. You can hear the banjo pronounced a lot more notably here, along with the banjo on "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step-Mother!".

Perhaps the best song on Illinois is "Chicago" - found towards the middle of the album. It's just a prime example of great songwriting. It's fun to even hear some of the alternate versions of "Chicago" on the album The Avalanche, showing the song stands on it own with 13 people playing it, or even 3. "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!" follows and again is superbly written. But if I had to name a sleeper song that grew on me it would be "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!". The premise is kind of weird, but that somewhat funky unison bass and guitar riff kept me coming back. It actually is one of the tracks I've listened to the most off Illinois.

But what seals the deal is the last four songs. There is definitely no compromise on quality on the latter part of this 73 minute album. "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders Part I: The Great Frontier Part II: Come to Me Only..." is a another magnum opus like song (again, listen for the Part I. vs Part II dynamic). It's definitely on par with some of the previously mentioned heavyweight songs. The final transition into "Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I shake the dirt from my sandals as I run" is simply superb.

As much as I've talked here, I admit something. Sufjan Steven's signature sound quickly becomes cliché after listening to Illinois, because most of Stevens' work falters in comparison. Consequently I haven't listened to much (or any) of his stuff from the past ten years or so. But this'll do for now.

August

Pink Moon - Nick Drake (1972)

I was thinking this month would be some sort of Deftones album. In the past year, I had dabbled with Around the Fur, and I must admit that it grew on me (especially recently). So this felt like the month where an album like White Pony would take command. However, I just couldn't do it. After multiple listens I am still not convinced that White Pony is a complete album/effort. It is very good, it just doesn't feel complete.

So in the past month or so I've been taking a deeper dive into Nick Drake. I have been familiar with his surface level stuff, especially songs like "Northern Sky", "River Man" and "One of These Things First". But I hadn't dived into the album Pink Moon (and yes, I've heard the song before).

Drake's music has a haunting/chilling quality to it. I love how fresh the acoustic guitar sounds with his music. It feels like there's a lot of alternate tunings found that serve each individual song quite nicely (ala "Road" and "Parasite"). What really sucks about Nick Drake is that much of his music wasn't really appreciated until about twenty years after his death. To me, this circumstance/phenomenon is one of the biggest tragedies in the history of the recorded human civilization: an artist's work getting its due recognition far after he or she has passed away.

September

Sonic Nurse - Sonic Youth (2004)

I remember reading about Thurston Moore in a "guitar hero" book that I had when I was younger. I always liked the book because it had about 500 pages of just short guitarist biographies (encapsulating guitarists from all different genres). Perhaps the alternate tuning thing was mentioned, but I feel like I've always been aware of Thurston Moore and Sonic Youth. But for whatever reason I never dived into the Sonic Youth sound. So after exploring their catalogue, I felt most connected to Sonic Nurse. While it's towards the later part of Sonic Youth's tenure (not quite as iconic as Daydream Nation), I immediately felt the soundscapes to be very fresh and inviting. The song "Stones" reeled me in, which pairs nicely with "Unmade Bed". However, I do find the chorus of "Unmade Bed" to be somewhat hypocritical (considering the split of Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon and how it all ended). There's a good mix of experimental feedback driven guitars with unhinged punk-like energy throughout Sonic Nurse. I feel like some of this comes also from Lee Ronaldo's experimental nature, who tends to be the most neutral and likable personality of the band (see the end of "Dripping Dream"). But it balances out on "I Love You Golden Blue" - which features Kim Gordon nicely.

October

I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One - Yo La Tengo (1997)

I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One is a very tasteful and crafty effort put forth by Yo La Tengo - which really puts the versatility of the band on display. I will give credit to "Autumn Sweater" for roping me in. It is one of the better songs I've heard in a while, and perhaps it encouraged me to give this album a full listen. But each really track has its own twist and flair to it. Hits like "Sugarcube" and "Shadows" can end up getting stuck in your head for hours. I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One contains such a unique blend of songs that feel as if R.E.M. and The Cranberries collabed with the Beach Boys. In fact, there's a Beach Boys cover of "Little Honda" found in the middle of the album. There's a tasteful use of tremolo on the guitars that seems to match well with a lap steel guitar ("One PM Again"), or with a thumping baseline ("Moby Octopad"). It was also cool to notice "Green Arrow" pop up in the film The Peanut Butter Falcon (which I recently watched).

November

American Football - American Football (1999)

As much as I love the sport, I had also (faintly) heard about the band American Football. I knew they were from Champaign-Urbana, and that the house pictured on the album cover had reached somewhat of a cult status. But I had never sat down and listened to American Football. Mainly because it had all of these labels like "emo rock" and "math rock" associated with it. I presume I was quick to dismiss it because my mind would associate a lot of gimmicky guitar tapping sounds coming through jangly compressed-to-shit single coil pickups.

But there is some really good songwriting found on American Football that I couldn't turn a blind eye / deaf ear to. There's lots of interplay and layering found on the guitars that is fresh and exciting to my ears. Even a trumpet feature on the exposition of "The Summer Ends" and "For Sure" - fits very nicely. "Honestly?" contains a sonic explosion of sound and color as the song develops that initially caught me off guard (in the best way possible). Certain aspects of American Football's songwriting and arranging also makes me reminiscent of Modest Mouse.

December

Seymour Reads The Constitution! - Brad Mehldau Trio (2018)