ROSE CITY BAND, GARDEN PARTY

Ripley Johnson is a guitarist and musician that I has been making his own blend of psychedelic and experimental rock with his band Wooden Shjips and musical project Moon Duo for many years. While I have been a big fan of Johnson's, I will confess that some of his music has been a bit too experimental for my taste. So I was very excited in 2020 when he stepped out with his third and most approachable band/project Rose City Band. In the studio, Rose City has been more or less a solo project for Johnson. It's one that has him leaning heavily into a fantastic blend of country and psychedelic rock. On his latest album, Garden Party, Johnson pays a bit of homage to the Grateful Dead and prepares us for summer with a set of songs that will keep you movin' and groovin' and put a big smile on your face.

TERRI WALKER, MY LOVE STORY

Terri Walker may not be familiar to many here in the states, but she's been gracing the folks in Britain for twenty years now with her impeccable fusion of R&B, jazz, funk, soul, and a bit of reggae. On her Latest LP, MY Love Story, Walker takes a few steps back from the boundary pushing that she's done with these various musical genres over her last few albums. Of the album, Walker has said that it's one she made for herself. It's an album where she didn't worry that it didn't meet her or other people's expectations.

I certainly had no expectations as I sat down to listen to My Love Story. So it was a pleasant surprise for the album to hit such a great groove right from the beginning with Finally Over You. With only seven songs clocking in at just 23 minutes, I will say that this album does feel brief and one of unfinished business. But I walked away with a new appreciation for Walker and her music and definitely wanting more. 

SMOKEY MIRROR, SMOKEY MIRROR

Ferocious, fearless, and soulful noise. Texas rocker's Smokey Mirror have said that they have dedicated themselves to spreading a gospel of scorched-earth riff worship and wild, psychedelic abandon. Check and check. They have said that their musical masterplan is to write songs that blend energetic heavy blues rock with elements of progressive and freeform styles of music. Check and check. And ultimately, they want listeners of their debut album to walk away in a sweaty, euphoric heap. And....check.

Recorded using all vintage analog equipment, the band's sound and soul is a throwback to a time when hard rock was still coming into its own and there seemed to be no rules or boundaries to what was right or wrong. Smokey Mirror is a breath of sweaty, dirty, and not very fresh air to take in. Which is just right. So sit down and strap yourself in for one of the hardest rockin' albums that you will hear this year. 

How Do These Bands Not Age?

Two of my favorite bands are back with new music for the first time in years. In the case of Depeche Mode, it's been six years. But I will say that this is the best album by band in a few decades. As for Everything But The Girl, it's been 24 years since Temperamental. And how amazing they sound. It's as if no time has passed. 

Depeche Mode, Memento Mori

Everything But The Girl, Fuse

 

BOYGENIUS, THE RECORD

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus first came together in 2016 when their paths crossed while each was touring. Two years later they found themselves touring together. They bonded quickly and decided to write and record a song as a trio. It was the beginning of a very special friendship and collaborative journey that lead to The Record, their first LP together. 

With Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus all well established before they came together, the moniker of 'supergroup' was slapped on the trio early on and expectations for their first albums were enormous. I think the term 'supergroup' is overused and tiresome as artists come together to collaborate and make music all the time. But Boygenius feels different. 

Artistically, Baker, Bridgers, and Dacus each have different musical reference points and approaches to song-writing and storytelling. Combined, the three, as Boygenius, meld together to create songs that are quite different from anything that they have done individually. These aren't solo songs that they donated to each other, Dacus has said in an interview. The three had to be together to make them.

I don't know that I would go so far as to call Boygenius a supergroup. Time will tell. I will say that The Record is an album that does deserve all the attention and accolades it's receiving. It is a standout album of the year so far.

MAX JURY, AVENUES

Max Jury's 2016 debut album was one of my favorites of that year. Since it's release, I've been waiting with anticipation for an album by Jury that measures up to it or at least comes close. His 2019 album, Modern World, while good, was not it. Fortunately for me, Jury's latest album, Avenues, is the follow album that I've been waiting for. 

Jury has said that Avenues is the album that he's always wanted to make. And that it's the closest that he's come to being his true self as an artist. You get that sense listening to Avenues. While you can still hear the younger artist in him...the one inspired and influenced by a number singer/songwriters and artists of the '70's...Jury finds a musical lane that feels uniquely his. And it's one that suits him well. 

Woven throughout the ten songs on Avenues is Jury's expression as an artist. It's one where there is no need to hurry to get from one point to another and raise his voice or songs to the rafters to emphasis a point. There's a calmness, a gentleness, a contemplativeness, a melancholiness, and a subtleness to these songs. They feel as if Jury has placed a warm blanket around them on a cool spring morning and said that everything is going to be OK.....or maybe that's just how they made me feel. Either way, it's a great feeling and I'm happy for the place where Jury is on his journey as an artist.