Remember February? I do. I was so young and carefree, unencumbered by major responsibilities, daydreaming of baseball and a spring without a new COVID variant — and then the classes I both teach and take began. My ass, it has been kicked and I’m only just now finding my footing enough to write this up.
The albums I am seeing for release this spring and summer are, in a word, stacked. But I always enjoy the brooding thoughtfulness of albums released at the beginning of the year, well suited to cold weather and new beginnings. Here were my favorites from February.
- Erin Rae — “Modern Woman” (Lighten Up) — Rae’s sophomore album is meditative — Laurel Canyon meets the tricorners (which I believe is the name of the main intersection in East Nashville); the album features lush tracking and production — and why not? Everyone in Nashville and LA were at home. Lighten Up matches the tone of many an album I’m hearing coming out of Nashville these days: lush, a little trippy, and spacious, filling the time until touring could begin. Unsurprisingly, I prefer Rae’s political tunes and “Modern Woman” is just that.
- Jana Pochop — “Maps” (The Astronaut) — Austin guitarist Jana Pochop’s newest album is nothing short of a triumph. I’m a sucker for the cello, so I included the existential “Maps” on the playlist. For the most part, though, The Astronaut is charming as hell, an exploration of the oddity of human existence, with all the beauty and monstrosity that contains.
- Seafarers — “A Disappearing Act” (II) — The British folk act’s second album is endlessly questing, pushing hard against the barriers of the genre. “A Disappearing Act” landed on my ears, firmly rooted in a groove that allows the band members to spiral outwards.
- Sophie and the Broken Things — “Heavy Metal” (Delusions of Grandeur) — Delusions of Grandeur is the perfect album for a spring awakening. Primarily focused on the grit and frustration of rural working class life, the band’s ’70s country gold stylings add a touch of style to the proceedings, reminding us that there’s always fun to be had, even in hopeless situations.
- Hurray For the Riff Raff — “Rosemary Tears” (Life on Earth) — “Fragility” may not be the right word to describe this album’s theme. But certainly the temporality of all things is at the heart of Hurray For the Riff Raff’s carefully constructed indie rock. Alynda Segarra is incredible for constantly reinventing themself. When I saw them open for Waxahatchee a few years ago, it seemed like a fit that almost worked. On Life on Earth, Segarra nods at their punk rock roots while folding in spoken word, hip hop, and whatever voices from the ether gift us all by allowing them to share their whisperings with the rest of us. Segarra focuses on the webs that connect all life on Earth: love, death, racialized politics, climate change, violence. This is a springy album, to be sure, but beneath the gauzy beauty are deep teachings.
- Natalia M King – “AKA Chosen” (Woman Mind Of My Own) — King is a hotshot guitar player to be sure. This collection of soul, funk and classic rock proves her versatility as a player and arranger and is a damn fun ride.
- Sarah Shook — “Believer” (Nightroamer) — Shook’s album Nightroamer comes across as infinitely more confident than anything they’ve produced before. (You can read about why in our interview on The Boot.) “Stranger” is prototypical Shook, a hard-driving honky tonk number, but “Believer’s” indie rock leanings suggest where they might go next.
- The Pine Hearts — “Bones of the Vineyard” (Lost Love Songs) — Speaking of spring beginnings, Lost Love Songs is a breath of fresh air, like the first flowers opening in early March. The PNW band’s melancholy folk punk is bright and fluid, suggesting brighter days to come, though they may be brief between the pain.
- Jamie McDell — “Boy Into a Man” (Jamie McDell) — McDell is a careful storyteller, applying an incisive lens to the social scripts that prevent us from being our true selves. A truly stunning songwriter, the New Zealander is poised for great things.
- Jon Tyler Wiley — “St. Mary’s River” (The Longing) — It took me a few spins, but The Longing is nothing short of phenomenal. Tell me who else can write a heartland rock anthem about the pains of growing up in the rust belt, a hard rocker bemoaning the fate of struggling musicians, and a 9-minute epic condemning the evils of the oil industry — and make it all work? I’ll be returning to The Longing when I make my year-end lists
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