Airbag, A Day At The Beach

Last August I got excited when I learned that Airbag was back in the studio recording a new album. Since 2009, the band, hailing from Oslo, Norway, had only released four albums. Each one, along with the band itself, have become favorites of mine. I was ready for more. Now almost a year later, A Day At The Beach is here and I’m loving every minute of it.  

One would never say that Airbag has a totally original sound. Influences of bands like Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree have always been present. On A Day At The Beach, the band does move in a bit of a new directly with the addition of electronic elements which they say were inspired by the resurgence of ‘80’s electronica and new wave. In this regard, they have tapped into a bit of The Cure circa Disintegration.

With six songs clocking in at almost fifty minutes, there is plenty of music to consume here. I cannot recommend A Day At The Beach enough. This is a fantastic album and one of my favorites of the year.

Alex Benjamin, These Two Windows

I first heard Alex Benjamin last year when I stumbled upon his debut album, Narrated For You, which was released in 2018. It quickly became a favorite listen for my family. Usually, I'm drawn to an artists music before I hone in on their lyrics. It was and is the opposite with Benjamin. He is a great storyteller and I love the imagery he weaves with his words. On his sophomore album, These Two Windows, Benjamin does not break any new ground, musically speaking, but he does not need to do so. This is another strong collection of songs.

A Girl Called Eddy, Been Around

Sixteen years after her debut album, Erin Moran, a.k.a. A Girl Called Eddy is back with her very long overdue follow up Been Around. It's a captivating and as Pop Matters wrote, instantly charming album. 'One that is a 'classic-in-the-making that most musicians could only dream of delivering in a lifetime'. I found myself getting lost in this album, drawn in by Moran's velvety voice, poignant lyrics, and luscious and inviting musical arrangements. If you feel the need to get lost, in time and space for fifty minutes, Been Around will transport you off to where you didn't know you need to be.

Inner Odyssey, The Void

I have kept coming back to Inner Odyssey's The Void since its release at the beginning of March. It’s such an intriguing and epic album. There's a lot to unpack and consume here. It’s just not possible to do in one or two listens. 

The band's self-described modern progressive music is both complex at the instrumental level and accessible at the vocal level without denying its ‘70s progressive rock classics roots. While Inner Odyssey certainly has technical prowess and offers up some 'modern guitar fireworks....and musical meat.....they are prone more to offering luscious space and colorful accents (The Progmind).' It's here where the band really shines. 

With each listen, I have picked up on more and have better understood the intentionality behind the band's musical decisions, especially as it relates to the concept of the album where the protagonist looks to escape the realities of a life including failures and loss by diving into and getting lost in a digital/gaming world. It all makes for a cinematic-like musical journey.

The first single from The Void, The Reckoning, offers up the full array of what this band is all about where ‘Sweepingly epic harmonies are pitched against the crunch and hefty riffs, melting into songs that combine heaviness, technical prowess and breath-taking melodies (Metal-Archives). 

The Void is definitely an early contender for my favorite album of the year.  

Joy Downer, Paper Moon

Nostalgic for '80's and early '90's synth dream-pop? Look no further than Joy Downer's debut album Paper Moon. 

Written and recorded with her husband Jeffrey Downer, the couple drew from a wide range of inspirations from disco to punk rock to Broadway. Taking these influences and effortlessly blending her 'enchanting vocal melodies with flashes of synths, drum machines, and guitar' (For the Love of Bands), Downer has produced one of the most cohesive and brilliant collection of songs that I have heard all year. My only problem with the album is that it's not longer. I can't get enough of this one. I'm a fan!

Picks Of The Week

The Howl & The Hum, Human Contact 
After listening to Human Contact's opening track, Love You Like A Gun, I knew that I was listening to something special. While 'shape-shifting' (Atwood Magazine) through music genres, The Howl & The Hum's Human Contact 'presents a thrilling collection of profoundly honest short stories echoing past relationships, regrets, and anxieties that are seamlessly woven into the present realities of the digital world.' (The Line of Best Fit) 

DeadBlondeStars, DeadBlondeStars
I love Soundgarden. I love Alice In Chains. So along comes a band from Sheffield who sounds just like both of them. What's a boy to do? Listen of course....with a healthy dose of skepticism. After a week with DeadBlondeStars....I'm in. Great band, awesome rocking album.