A Lack Of Words
Fumbling Through Today
I don't really have any words queued up today. I'm on day two of a new stimulant and yesterday it wasn't really kind to me, so I'm a bit sluggish right now. That said, I'm going to try to write some words and when I realize that I don't have them, I'm just going to hit send on this week's newsletter, leaving you to explore what is one of the most exciting new music weeks that we've had in a while.
I guess it's time to get started.
The Playlist
Maybe the thing that I'm most excited for is Pedro The Lion's new surprise LP. This is part two in a series of five albums about the places where vocalist David Bazan grew up, and I honestly can't wait to get to whatever comes next. I listened through this yesterday and it's truly Pedro The Lion at their best. There's a great write-up over at Riot Act Media, which I recommend everyone go read.
I've been lukewarm, at best, on new A Day To Remember stuff recently. Not sure if it's because they've been trying stuff that isn't for me or what, but uh... they got me today. A collaboration with blink-182's Mark Hoppus was exactly what I needed to pull up my energy this morning, so hey maybe you'll get a few more words than I expected.
I need your screams in my ears.
Something real I can feel
Greensky Bluegrass - Screams
I really love that Papa Roach is in this new era of nü-metal that FEVER333 helped usher in. It's industrial, it's aggressive, and it's so fucking excited seeing one of the original nü-metal acts knocking this out of the park in a way that most wouldn't be able to grow into.
I'm not sure why, but the vocal harmonies on this Superchunk song are serving me massive Jimmy Eat World vibes in that longing, lonesome way that Jimmy Eat World ballads tend to land.
The guitar solo(?) in Big Thief's Simulation Swarm is one of the best things I've heard today.
This new Billy Talent record is serving massive Ludo vibes in all the best and most dramatic ways. Fuckin' love this guy's voice. I'll be listening to this for the rest of the year easily.
I really like Cloud Cult's ability to make songs sound like triumphs. I saw them a few years back and it was an amazing show where they had painters on stage who were creating large-scale physical art and it blew me away. I think about that show regularly and this song perfectly encapsulates the feelings that were broadcast during that show.
I'm not nearly articulate enough today to be able to say why I like this AWOLNATION, Incubus, Portugal, The Man track, but hot damn it's really caught my ear. It feels like an 80s power ballad in all the ways that I like, which is honestly not something I would have expected if you'd pitched those three artists to me.
I dunno. I don't really have it in me to keep writing today. See ya next week, when hopefully my meds are slightly more balanced and I can come at this with the enthusiasm that the music deserves.