Listen. I am not trying to make this a thing but other than Tuesday Teardrops, I am moving all of my playlists to Tidal. It was something I was curious about, but the whole thing with Neil Young made me more tempted to look into it. (I never paid for Spotify and never used it if I could help it since I get most of my music through press advances.) That being said, almost literally everything about using Tidal is better — Spotify is clunky for me in either web portal (slightly better) or the PC app (where it’s laggy.) Also, the sound is richer. And, more importantly, by just using the free streaming option, artists still get paid 4x more than on Spotify. So what have any of us got to lose, barring the evils of engaging in any tech company?
So let’s get into the music! In a word: DAMN! I’ve already put three of the albums on this list onto my 2022 album of the year spreadsheet. This bodes well for new music this year, I think.
- Cooper McBean – “Hard Times” (The Magnolia Sessions) — An incredible blend of old-time music and alt-country (with an emphasis on punk.) McBean might not be first punk to write a train song, but he ads a whole bunch of flair to the endeavor.
- Eric Brace and the Last Train Home – “If I Had a Nickel” (Profiles in Courage, Frailty, and Discomfort) — Celebrating 25 years together, the outfit explores the entire palate of American roots music. With an emphasis on finding small moments of happiness and contentment, this album feels like hanging out in a cafe with your friends.
- Terry Blade – “All Ways” (Neo-Queer) — I interviewed Terry last June for our Juneteenth Pride episode and I am so overwhelmed by his intense creativity. Neo-Queer strays a bit from the synth-pop he’s shown us, diving headlong into spacious, brooding compositions that will make you reckon with the pressures QTPOC people face in our society.
- Janis Ian – “Resist” (The Light at the End of the Line) — Most people, when they get older, tend to make reflective music, musing on the paths they’ve taken in life and how it all ended up ok. The best way I can describe this attitude is “suburban.” Janis Ian did not write that album. And I would never be so gauche as to point out someone’s age if it wasn’t a strong theme throughout this album. Ian’s work honestly examines a life that has been lived intensely — all the triumphs, defeats, and physical changes. The album’s first half is politically intense, summoning the urgency and sizzling rage that we all wish Boomers could gather. “Resist” is simply delicious.
- Maya de Vitry – “How Bad I Wanna Live” (Violet Light) — I wrote more about Violet Light on No Depression, so all I’ll see here is it is literally so good it hurts.
- Sad Daddy – “Big River” (Way Up in the HIlls) — This Arkansas band came to my attention via Melissa Carper’s exquisite solo debut. That same sense of warmth, humor, and appreciation of old-time music is infused in the campfire-like intimacy of Sad Daddy’s new album.
- Anna Ash – “Dress Rehearsal” (Sleeper) — On her new album, Ash goes the Laurel Canyon route, channeling Courtney Marie Andrews, Erin Rae, and other contemporaries, but her lyrics are no less biting with tales of lovers doing her dirty.
- Quiet Hollers– “Why Henry” (Forever Chemicals) — What a gorgeous, gorgeous album. I interviewed Shadwick Wilde about it yesterday. Pretty much everyone these days is borrowing liberally from ’70s music, but Quite Hollers are one of the only ones doing it right. Interspersed with power pop humor, Forever Chemicals‘ grappling with addiction and self-hatred serve as a book-end for Neo-Queer. Wilde’s confident showmanship and the band’s courageous performances create an album that performs this struggle with grace.
- Raine Hamilton – “Love Has Come For Me” (Brave Land) — Speaking of gorgeous, Raine Hamilton channels the rain-swept conifers and misty shores of the Pacific Northwest in this gorgeous orchestral folk album. Singing with a brashness born of utter confidence, their music is inspiring and beautiful.
- Lawrence Maxwell – “Ballad of Miles” (Ballad of Miles) — For the most part, Prince Edward Islander Lawrence Maxwell’s Ballad of Miles is a masterclass in sweetly clever songwriting, which we explored in our interview. I’ve been enjoying Maxwell’s music since he first started putting it out in the world, but this is one of the first songs where I’ve seen him be more serious and vulnerable, proving he has what it takes to go very far indeed.
I use Tidal, and while it may pay artists more than Spotify, it’s still part of Big Tech and artists are still underpaid for their music! Please buy music and/or merch directly from the artists because Spotify is a horrible and exploitative platform!
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