Album of the Month (2023)

January

Still Clean - Soccer Mommy (2018)

I wasn’t listening to much in January, it almost felt I wouldn’t have anything to write about for the album of the month. But as I pressed onwards, I stumbled upon Soccer Mommy’s Tiny Desk - which was recently released, and it definitely caught my ear. “Circle the Drain” was performed, and it’s perhaps one of the catchiest 90s inspired songs I have heard in a while (it’s really addicting). The frontwoman of the band, Sophia Allison, has a nice and youthful voice. She almost sings with the voice of a teenager, perhaps not so much a woman. Maybe that’s where part of the name “Soccer Mommy” comes from.

“Still Clean” opens with a reverby wash of guitar and empty space. I like some of the punk-esque flavor on “Cool”, talking about an edgey stoner high-school girl named Mary who plays by her own rules. She takes no shit from anyone – we should all aspire to be as cool as her. This is perhaps my favorite track off of Clean: endings like these especially win me over. It gives the audible impression of the Doppler effect (think of a train horn passing by as you stand at a fixed spot). This is presumably a mix of musicians Gabe Wax and Roger Kleinman as credited. All these ethereal effects are present throughout all of ­Clean. If done with taste, I am always a sucker for this type of ambient time / pitch warped noise.

I like “Your Dog”, presumably a nod to when The Stooges coined “Now I Wanna Be Your Dog”. Another song with a good backwards spirit is “Last Girl”. But perhaps part of this album is front loaded. Overall, Clean isn't anything groundbreaking - but it doesn't attempt to be. It's just good songwriting paired with tasteful layering.

February

Once Upon a Rhyme - David Allen Coe (1974)

I was driving around on a Saturday afternoon, and "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" came on. It immediately got my attention, with its country gospel shuffle thing. The content of the song is quite good, there's not really any filler lyrics - along with a good amount of humor mixed in as the song develops. I feel it has to go down as one of the most memorable country songs of the 70s (without having lived in the decade). While "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" roped me in, Once Upon a Rhyme kept me hooked with some incredibly heartfelt songwriting. "Would You Lay With Me" is well written, and "Jody Like a Melody" is quite catchy and thoughtful. Once Upon a Rhyme features a tasty amount of string orchestral arrangements. They are quite superb and fit the songs beautifully. This is what sets 70s country apart from the other decades. They actually gave a shit about producing and arranging back then (compared to most country music today). You'll find this splattered through a whole lot of 70s pop music, not just country. But perhaps no song is more memorable to me personally is "Would You Be My Lady". I wish it lasted longer at just 2 minutes and 46 seconds. I think it is the pinnacle Once Upon a Rhyme, and goes down as one of my personal favorite songs I've found in awhile.

Would you walk with me across the bridges I forgot to burn?

Could you face the future looking at my past?

If I took the time to teach you all the things you'll need to learn

To be my lady, when I need you

Would you be my lady?

This one is absolutely going on the eventual wedding afterparty playlist. I'm not so much a fan of "A Piece of Wood and Steel", I think it feels a little typical. I believe David Allen Coe would develop this style of "outlaw country" later on as he became more well-known. But I enjoy "Fraulein" (you could argue this one sounds typical), and "Shine It On" is an uplifting number. On much of this album I can hear an influence on Dan Auerach's solo album Waiting on a Song, which I really enjoy as well.

March

Leavin' Town - Waylon Jennings (1966)

I felt it was time to take some time to get familiar with Waylon Jennings. His discography is pretty damn big - and by a quick listen his late sixties stuff felt the most compelling to me. Much of the sound here reminds me of The Beatles' Help album. While I do think that the comparison is accurate, perhaps much of this speaks to how much / little I know about country music of this era. Leavin' Town consists of very simple music (not a song over three minutes), but it's justifiably simple and enjoyable. This is just some good driving around on a sunny Sunday morning type of music. The lyrics are very old school - which at times feels a little bit off. Much of the tone directed seems to be very one-sided especially on "Baby Don't Be Looking in My Mind". The lyrics can come off as orders directed at women rather than conversations (it's a two way street, right?). There's a nice mix of low male baritone and sopranoish female backing vocals blended on "Time Will Tell The Story". Other standout songs include "Anita, You're Dreaming" and "Time to Bum Again". As a side note, I can't help but notice the similarities between Waylon Jennings (as pictured in this album cover) and Ron Desantis.

April

ObZen - Meshuggah (2008)

I've officially gone off what feels like the deep end. Never would I have thought that I could enjoy a band as heavy as Meshuggah, and an album as brutally extreme as Obzen. But somehow, here I am. This really does feel like the most drastic jump I have made in the metal genre. While this music is certainly not meant for the faint of heart, I don't think anyone can deny how rhythmically tight Meshuggah is. The chemistry and booming low end that the rythym section of Tomas Haake and Dick Lövgren is quite impressive. Meshuggah is quite the technical band. I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like them, which makes it very unique. But technicality means nothing to me if it's not musical ("it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing"). And I think ObZen approaches almost everything from the right musical headspace.

"Combustion" is an onslaught of time and hair splitting energy. It's a near perfect song that simply doesn't get old - I would contend to put it on an all-time list of "best album opening tracks". The guitar solo is absolutely nuts. But the standout track has to be "Bleed", a song I consider to be a 10 out of 10. It feels like giant links / sea chains are being violently pulverized against the ground by a otherworldly gargantuan being. The song form reminds me of experiencing a hurricane - due to the calm and serene section in the middle (think as if it's the the eye of the storm).

Moving on to a song like "Obzen" (the words "obscene" and "zen" smushed together), there's a lot to like here. I feel like the drum fill on the song "ObZen" has to be one of the most adrenaline inducing fills I've heard in awhile. It has grown on me quite a lot. Other songs like "The Spiteful Snake" and "Pravus" don't really do it for me as much.

But no song stands alone as "Dancers to a Discordant System". I was drawn to it based on its instrumentation, but the lyrics take this song into another stratosphere. It is perhaps one of the most impressive songs I have heard in my whole life, an absolute statement of a closing track.

We believe, so we're misled

We assume, so we're played

We confide, so we're deceived

We trust, so we're betrayed

To keep this somewhat professional, I'm not going to even begin to dissect this song. But there's so much to talk about. I feel like I could write a paper on this song and the themes found within it alone. Alas, I will digress.

May

Jackson Browne - Jackson Browne (1972)

June

Grace - Jeff Buckley (1994)

I had known of Jeff Buckley for the longest time based on the song "Hallelujah". The critics had raved about it - whether it was Leonard Cohen's songwriting, or some other overdramatic cover of the song. As the years have gone on, I really have distanced myself from it - "Hallelujah" can be rather overplayed and overdramatized (a song that people attempt to make feel larger than life). It simply hasn't aged well since my initial exposure to it.

I was stumbling around on Youtube while multitasking recently, and "Lover, You Should've Come Over" came on. I didn't object to it, and let it play out. By the end of it, I had to stop what I was doing and just listen to the song and admire the moment. I couldn't argue that I had just heard an incredibly terrific song. So then the floodgates broke down, and the walls were opened. I finally decided to give Grace a listen. I tried to keep an open mindset: whether the so called critics raved about this or that, or that the album cover portrayed a certain image, I just had to just listen to it for myself. Ultimately, I was very impressed and I owned up to the fact that I haven't been giving Jeff Buckley or Grace its fair share of credit over the years.

"Mojo Pin" starts the album off nicely, building a nice exposition that develops throughout the course of the song. Parts of this towards the end almost give me some Led Zeppelin vibes. "Grace" is a standout, which has nice touches of string orchestration and flanging guitars. "Last Goodbye" feels like a song that would be really fun to play live. I think the first five songs from Grace are really strong and stand on their own. There's plenty of themes of wine and flowers - Buckley's writing induces a very romantic swirl of emotions. Even a fantastic song that isn't formally included on Grace is "Forget Her", which feels like a simple arpeggiated "House of the Rising Sun" type of song. But it goes far and above such a label, and I really enjoy it. Buckley's vocal ability is also top notch, and his songwriting clearly stands out amongst other artists in a similar vein. But unfortunately from what I understand, much of the reception and praise surrounding this album came after Buckley's death.

The album continues with what roped me in - "Lover, You Should've Come Over" which is a near damn perfect song. But one track catches my ear more than anything: "Dream Brother" has to be my personal favorite. "Dream Brother" is such an otherworldly spiritual song. It's haunting, with what seems like touches of the afterlife over an Eastern fog.

I feel like Jeff Buckley is who John Mayer modeled his image, style and sound from. Hell, part of me wants to do the same (if only I could sing). And it feels "so real", and authentic - it feels like only Jeff Buckley.

July

Live at Montreux Jazz Festival - The Smile (2022)

I wasn't listening to much in the month of July. Sometimes good music finds you, and other times life has other plans. I ended up taking a decently long break from listening to music in the month of July. Unfortunately I ended up developing tinnitus through exposure to really loud music at a underground punkish concert. My ears were ringing pretty bad after the show, and the ringing persisted into the next few days. I had to take a step back to let my ears "heal", by not listening to anything. I think it was the straw that broke the camel's back for my ear health. For years (especially if you're going by the book) I have abused my ears - at times knowingly, others times not. Loud concerts, along with working in construction type settings are no help. I've taken a lot of time this month to educate myself more on hearing health.

So while it wasn't the strongest musical listening month for me, I did end up seeing the band The Smile in concert. I brushed up on them by listening to Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, a live album recorded about this time last year. As much as I like Radiohead, it does feel like something is missing with The Smile. Their music just doesn't have the same gravitational pull for me that Radiohead has, not totally sure why. Perhaps it is due to the lack of layering that a member like Ed O'Brien brings to the table. But stand out tracks include, really did enjoy hearing it live.

August

Iowa - Slipknot (2001)

"When we did Iowa, we hated each other. We hated the world; the world hated us."

I'd never listened to Slipknot mainly due to their image (ala Jeff Buckley). I think much of that stemmed from my attempt to watch the "Psychosocial" music video on Youtube when I was 12. Pretty sure I got PTSD from that - everything about the music video was (and still very much is) terrifying. But I had heard some stuff about Iowa recently, especially with how brutal it was. I think the quote above perhaps drew me in more than anything else. I can relate to it on some level - especially the last line of "the world hated us". The way I look at it, if I just focus on the music, and not the image of the band - I really think Iowa is an extremely fantastic album. It's unique, and doesn't sound like anything other than its own - a body of work that could only exist at a certain point in Slipknot's rise to fame. Corey Taylor's vocals are outstanding - whether they're clean or screams, he does them both really well. Not many people can do both like that (or even one for that matter). I'm pretty picky when it comes to singers in metal, and Corey does a damn good job.

Everybody's so infatuated

Everybody's so completely sure of what we are

Everybody defamates from miles away

But face to face they haven't got a thing to say

I bleed for this and I bleed for you

Still you look at my face like I'm somebody new

Toy, nobody wants anything I've got

Which is fine because you're made of everything I'm not

Iowa's soundscape is gnarled, twisted, contorted, and battered. If feels as if every square inch of sound is intentionally utilized between the 9 members of Slipknot. I am generally drawn to songs with memorable melodies. While melody is sparse throughout Iowa, it can be found on the chorus of "My Plague" and "The Shape", and the majority of "Left Behind". This minimalist amount of melody leaves a very lasting impression on me (the lack of melody does not mean it is not musical). Along with that, Iowa leaves a lasting impression through a brutal onslaught of percussion. Guitars, bass, the samplers and turntables all function in some sort of chaotic percussive way. Double and triple layers of percussion leave very little space at the height of the songs, save for moments in "Gently" and "Iowa".

I like that the album title nods to Slipknot's Midwest home state (don't ever forget where you came from). Iowa has genuine pain and anguish poured out onto 66 minutes (wonder if the album time is intentional). This is a near perfect album in my opinion, coming from a place in time and artist that I quite frankly did not expect. Sometimes an album just hits you at a certain point in life - and Iowa has done just that and more for me.

September

Roots - Sepultura (1996)

I feel I never latched on to Sepultura because they always felt like "just another thrash band" to me. Growing up listening to Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, etc., I just associated Sepultura as just another "Big 4" knockoff band of sorts. And maybe that's not being fair, but I didn't hear anything from Sepultura that truly had its own imprint. The release of Roots in 1996 lays any of that conversation to rest. This is (again) truly the album of a band in its creative peak.

Man, this hits the spot for me. Roots is a perfect blend of raw and primal punk mixed with sludgy metal anarchy. At times I see Roots more as a chaotic Brazilian punk album, than a refined metal album. And that's what makes it stand out amongst its peers.

The song "Roots Bloody Roots" turns out to be a pretty popular track, but I don't think it has a whole lot to offer compared to the other tracks on Roots. Some of the songs that really catch my ear are delivered in pairs. I don't think you can ask for a better pair of back to back songs than "Attitude" and "Cuthroat". God, I can't put these songs down - I think they are somehow now permanently forged into my ethos.

There's just something about Max Cavalera's vocals found on Roots that I absolutely love. They can be pretty "screamy" at times for the faint of heart, but I feel the anger, pain, and frustration in his voice. I would give the vocal performance a near perfect score. Max really goes for it here.

Even the song "Jasco" is an extremely well rounded touch found on the album. It feels almost like an instrumental found on Led Zeppelin III. Don't forget about "Ambush" and "Endangered Species" as well. "Endangered Species" might very well be the best track on this album, and one of the best tracks I've heard in metal (that's saying a lot). The closing line feels like one of the biggest catharses I've heard in music.

October

Panopticon - Isis (2004)

It is a rather bold move to come out and say I am listening to "Isis" in October of 2023, especially with everything going on in the Middle East. But don't let the name scare you off too much - the word "Isis" has actually been around for thousands of years. Isis was an Egyptian god of magic and wisdom. I've met people named Isis before. So this album has absolutely nothing to do with what you think it potentially could (especially with it being released in 2004).

If you're not into metal or atmospheric stuff, you will immediately be turned off by the vocals found on Panopticon. And that's okay. The vocals sung by Aaron Tuner are pretty harsh, and in my opinion, not all that good. There's only a small amount of discernable words found. But the emphasis isn't on the vocals / lyrics here. I think of the vocals in this context as almost a rhythmic instrument of sorts. They just aren't being used in your traditional vocal sense. Once you put the makeup and personnel of Isis into context, I find that the layering and arranging of the rest of the band is actually quite superb. From clean soundscapes that build at every corner (see ", to brutal Tool-esque guitar riffs (see "In Fiction"), there's so much to appreciate here. To expand on the Tool influence, the track "Altered Course" actually features Justin Chancellor of Tool. It's funny that much of the bass playing is influenced by him, so the fact that he is snuck in there, makes you almost not notice his guest appearance. Isis actually sounds very much like a band I would be in. It almost has

Don't forget little parts of the organ. I think the organ / synth sounds are the MVP of "Wills Dissolve" and. There's more than just the guitar bass drums, and it's snuck in very nicely. Modular synthesizer at the beginning of "Wills Disolve"

helping to set mood. The vocals defiently deliver feeling,

Could use a ripping guitar solo on a few tracks, but again this is an atmospheric band

I actually don't think the songs are all that diverse, I have a hard time differentiating them in my head when the music isn't being played right in front of me.

Worth checking out the previous album "Oceanic" as well. I've been enjoying that one a lot, and I find it to be a little more diverse. Female vocalist appearance as well.

November

Australasia - Pelican (2003)

It looks like I'm in a mini "post metal" phase right now.

Excellent acoustic instrumental, very dark. stands alone with the rest of the album.

December

Music for Animals - Nils Frahm (2022)

I will come back to Nils Frahm and Jon Hopkins on occasion, both modern European guys influenced by classical music, but tend to drift towards electronic and experimental tones.