Oddisee, Odd Cure

Oddisee, aka Amir Mohamed, arrived home from touring in Thailand as the Covid-19 pandemic was hitting the US in March. While in self-isolating, he began writing and recording new music. Like many of us, he also spent time checking in with his family. Unlike most of us, he recorded a number of those conversations. Four months later, he has dropped a surprise EP that weaves six new hip-hop, jazz-soul tinged songs that came out of that period of time with some of those recorded conversations. 

Oddisee has always explored socials issues and judgements that cause inequalities in our society in his music. In this this time of Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter, Oddisee's music has never been more relevant. On Odd Cure, the interwoven family conversations bring a new dimension and relevancy to his art. It also brings a level humanity that I have not heard on another album so far this year. While I have been a big fan of everything that Oddisee has done to date, Odd Cure is something special.

Eric Hutchinson, Class of 98

In the press lease for Class of 98, Eric Hutchinson explains that sometime last year, he came to a strange realization: he kept daydreaming about high school. It had been over 20 years since the singer-songwriter had graduated, yet the adolescent dreams, hopes, fears, anxieties and emotions he faced as a kid began flooding back. Suddenly, he felt transported back into his teenage self and those years filled with the kind of alienation and private angst that is recognizable to most anyone who’s ever been 16. Now, years later, he has chronicled those adolescence years. Wrapping them in ’90s inspired alt-rock-pop music from bands like Fountains Of Wayne and Weezer, Hutchinson has crafted or one of the most memorable albums of the year.

A.A. Williams, Forever Blue

The first time I listened to A.A. Williams' Forever Blue, it happened to be on a cloudy, rain soaked filled day. It provided the perfect backdrop for listening to this dark and striking album. Williams, who is a classically trained cellist and pianist, started playing the guitar after becoming hooked on alt-metal. It was the beginning of her exploration into fusing elements of classical, post-rock, and metal into something uniquely her own. On Forever Blue, that fusion with its moments of quiet and explosiveness, creates the perfect mood for Williams' 'rumination on feels of isolation, autonomy, and the anxieties surrounding love and lost.' (The Line of Best Fit). It all makes for a spine-tingling album that grabs you, draws you in, and won't let you go. 

Roos Jonker & Dean Tippet

These are not my words, but they encapsulate how I felt listening to Roos Jonker and Dean Tippet's new album. "While the world as we know it is changing rapidly, some things remain happily the same. This untitled, brand new album by the Amsterdam-based singer-songwriter Roos Jonker, featuring her good friend singer-songwriter Dean Tippet, is a good example of old-fashioned crafts that will survive whatever happens. Jonker sounds as if she was touched by an angel, sounding as if she is right there in your room, sitting and singing right next to you, while you daydream away or read a book – you can almost touch her breath and see her soul."  Sonar Kollektiv

The Dead Tongues, Transmigration Blues

In a recent interview, Ryan Gustafson aka The Dead Tongues was asked which elements of nature he spends the most time with and how it impacts his work. Gustafson said that living in a

cabin pretty deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains he’s immersed in nature. 

He said, “It’s stunning and dynamic with big sunsets, old growth trees and wild storms, bears and coyote packs, but the more time I spend out here, the more apparent the subtle changes in environment become. It’s always in transition and conversation. I feel like my music and writing is entirely affected by the environment I’m in and trying to understand my experience within it. Sometimes that comes out in story, imagery or just a sound. Without a doubt there’s a magic and spirit out here I’m reaching out to.” And this is the essence Transmigration Blues. Simply one of the best albums of the year.

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.