Sabrina Carpenter "Short N' Sweet" (2024)

 

Currently topping the streaming charts, this former Disney star charms with her strong soft voice dynamic. Backed by a seasoned production team, who have handled many big names, the instrumentals of Short N' Sweet croon. Pulling from Country, Soul and Rock, one half of its runtime paints a earnest singer on stage, armed with acoustic guitar and small town Americana charm. The other half gracefully pivots from emotive expressions with energetic bursts of Dance, Disco and Synthpop, armed with sharp wit and knack for hooks. Its fondly reminiscent of Jessie Ware's nostalgic revival.

Sabrina has a wonderful voice, easily slipping between temperaments seamlessly, she colors many a song with subtle shifts that elevate the chemistry. For me, its her sweet falsetto's that perk my ears. The lyrics however, mostly play a hormonal mess of youthful love and relations channeled into cute, quirky expressions, often juxtaposing the warm delivery tone against lyrical content. Its charm is flirtatious, playful, teenage. Fun, mostly harmless but nothing much to latch onto for this listener.

The record is solid from front to back, a breezy, warm, uplifting thirty six minutes that finds a fantastic stride with Bad Chem, Espresso and Dumb & Poetic. The vocal hook on Bad Chem, descending in a dance from breathy high notes is an utter joy. The closer Don't Smile might be joining this list too, another highlight on a solid record that indicates Pop Music is in much better shape than the boy/girl band tripe of my youth.

Rating: 7/10

Post Malone "F-1 Trillion: Long Bed" (2024)

A year on from a toned down yet catchy Austin, Post Malone returns with passion, plunging gracefully into another love of his, Country music. Surprising to no one who knows of his passions, F-1 Trillion's shock and awe lies in authenticity. Bringing on a star studded cast of heavyweight producers, seasoned musicians and huge Country artists, a bright, cheery set of songs built for southern blue collar American life.

Pulling no surprises, themes of love and heartbreak, work and drive, booze and blues play out in typical fashion. Post's unique voice croons a snug fit for these glossy instrumentals, his soft wobble breezy and charming as ever. The music flows sweetly, rich, fleshed tunes layered with steel guitar, piano, strings and occasional harmonica.

Given my casual love of the Country mood, this hour flows like an easy day traveling in the sun. Great to ease the mind and keep things simple. Practically every song features a big name, including legends Dolly Parton and Hank Williams among plenty of younger names. With a large cast of songs, only California Sober leaps of the playlist with its powerful hook and lively instrumental venturing into Southern Rock.

Disc two, the Long Bed, adds nine additional tracks with Post going at it alone. These songs simply extend the mood, feeling like there is room for additional voices yet he holds out well on his own, well worth a listen. F-1 Trillion was about bringing the best musicians together to make a stellar country album. With such brilliant composing, its hard to imagine he alone is orchestrating such warm, cozy music. Thus I'm left with a sense that Post is a guest to his own show, which has created a fantastic record.

 

Rating: 7/10

First Aid Kit "Palomino" (2022)

 

Four years on from Ruins, the Swedish sisters return on the wings of another Americana stride. Sadly for this listener, a comforting familiarity failed to offer novelty where necessary. Far on from the blinding lights of Stay Gold, their humble Country tinged Folk music seems stagnant. Navigated with salient maturity, lyrical themes offer endearing resonance once again. If ever needing a dose of rooted humanity, their sincere movements through relationships and emotions are as moving as ever.

The instrumental construct is calming, a soothing temperament of gently plucked acoustic guitars, warm roomy pianos, crooning strings and apt bursts of percussion find appropriation. Swaying from cinematic swells, to the intimate, bare and stripped back, variety is not lost. A couple of tangents into Country dance rhythms run a fair stride stiff and stale, lacking gusto from the rural tang of fiddles and banjos.

For all its pleasantries, Palomino is longing for a spark to ignite a fire. Without it, these songs play so mediocre despite no missteps. Perhaps routine inspirations manifested in a comfort zone, or a settled familiarity of identity are to blame. For this listener, my many spins couldn't find the magic this time around with. Retreading old tracks, only Angel stood head above the rest. For why? I couldn't tell you why...

Rating: 5/10

Phoebe Bridgers "Punisher" (2020)

 

The Punisher lays bare a calming rot of depression, manifesting itself in aimless drifting atmospheres. With internal frictions, social worries and self deception explored, the record seems harmless in its meager meanderings. Instrumentals wade through the minimal and ambient with spells of swelling pushed on by the breathy motions of Phobe's voice. As a folksy Indie Rock singer, her plain voiced resonance and murmurous singing plays into this sleepy state. The music looses itself in pained vulnerabilities, deceptively feeble and soft yet oddly harrow and hopeless.

Is it the lack of gusto in her voice? She leans into a gentle tone to express hurts, such a contrast. To my ears, the album plays like a subtle oxymoron of sorts. Its timbre and temperament at odds with the difficulties its lyrics explored. Conceptually its a charm but in execution the music drifts by in limbo, unsure of itself, one foot in the morose and an other in dreamy illusions. Aesthetically gorgeous but emotionally confusing.

Punisher has been on my playlist for months now. The lack of hooks or keen melodies, not a crime of course, makes for a dreary experience of unsettled lingering. Its creeping moments of Americana bring about a grounded footing but these influences are brief at best. Otherwise I'm stuck with its lack of oomph. The perpetual meandering of the music comes across bleak, vague and restless. This may be more down to my preference in vocals as I rarely vibed with Phoebe's singing.

Rating: 5/10

Alice In Chains "Jar Of Flies" (1994)

It seems that between albums Alice In Chains liked to release acoustic EPs, the former being Sap. I had actually gone into this thinking it was a direction change full length, with a mind for curation. Much like the current trend of short, high curated projects, Jar Of Flies has seven songs, a couple with distortion at just thirty minutes. Its all killer no filler and the emotionally wrenching magic it possess leaves one feeling like this should be seen as no side offering but some of the bands best music.

Once again the band let their Americana and Blues Rock influences flourish, mustering humid flows of steady paced and gorgeous, glistening acoustic toned instrumentals for Staley to take stage. He does as he does, pulling on your heart strings with a lonely despair and sorrow, bleeding his quiet suffering from a camouflaged voice. His delivery roars with a vulnerable power that lures you in with its catchy flow yet all that awaits is pain and darkness. The "My privacy is raped" line on Nutshell is particularly haunting. Its a line stuck in my mind for weeks.

Its the beautiful dichotomy of stunning, serine music and searing raw pain weaving this dazzling darkness again. The musicianship is sublime, tones of lucid arrangements oozing with inspiration as ripe guitar leads flow and complimentary instrumentation like the timely use of strings seem to arrive on time effortlessly in these songs. Its not without weak points however, from one to the other their is diversity in flavor and its last two tracks drop off from the path set beforehand.

Swing On This feels like a leftover idea from Dirt hashed together with some swashbuckling acoustics. Before it the soft and delicate Don't Follow with its Country tang guitars and harmonica doesn't quite resonate in the beginning with Cantrell's voice. The first five however are emphatic, Rotten Apple making a mark as their longest track to date. The whole project feels so deserving of a full length, the group nail this style almost as well as their grooving distortion songs.

Favorite Tracks: Rotten Apple, Nutshell, Whale & Wasp

Rating: 7/10

Cane Hill "Kill The Sun" (2019)

The year is off to a fantastic start as we follow up on Puppy's The Goat with an alarmingly different and brilliant EP from the Deathcore and Nu Metal inspired Cane Hill. A change in direction? Or a one off? Either way there is no doubting the exuberant experience that awaits as the band bring out Americana tones and influences to fuse traditional song writing with modern electronic aesthetics for emotionally charged sound that stands mightily tall. Only a single song musters distortion guitar for a brief period, bar the enigmatic use of lead guitars. This total shift in style lands the rockers in an strange place, echoing the glory of the 90s Alternative music scene, while pacing forward with an engulfing dreamy overtone.

Serine acoustic guitars with a country tang find themselves plucking smooth licks accompanied by slow, electronic, reverb soaked percussive lines. Its indulgent, degrees of synthesized details wage in the distant spaces. Save Me gets a beautiful inclusion of pianos alongside the acoustic foray. It is singer Elijah Witt who illuminates the already gleaming instrumentals with a performance to roll back the years and give reminiscence to many great singers of that era. Acid Rain in particular has strong Layne Staley vibe, the lyrics too as they dive into drug reliance. It is no disservice, his singing is charming, inviting and resonating with emotions, a peak on the summit.

Another fond aspect of the music its its swaying into briefly esoteric and Ethereal vibes that its steady and measured drum loops build structure for. The use of compounding reverbs and subtle synths organically weave in between traditional components with a fulfilling chemistry. The last track gets particularly into these experiments with a lively drum performance leading the music into darkly, ambiguous electronic madness. It closes the record as the sound rolls and rumbles into a cacophony of crazy. Its intense and that intensity Metal heads have is found elsewhere in climatic moments that take the gentle tunes and raise the tension with drums and guitar leads chiming in to expand the depth.

I can't flaw a thing with this project other than wondering why this is just six tracks? As a full album I believe it could contend for accolades and a place in the hearts of music fans for years to come. It really is striking just how natural and matured this sound is for them. It might be a side project but could easily be a main focus for them. I'm aware of many bands making heavy music but not so many with an edge like this! I hope I get to see this live at some time, I imagine it will be magic!

Rating: 8/10

First Aid Kit "Tender Offerings" (2018)

This four track EP has me thinking I must of missed something from Ruins released earlier this year. Perhaps I wasn't in the right frame of mind? Stay Gold is such a beautiful record, one of my all time greats, maybe it set my sights to high for the follow up. Before writing this blog I was convinced Id learn at least one of these four songs are covers because they are so striking and have a classic vibe about them. Turns out they are all B-Sides from the aforementioned Ruins and bar one or two tracks from that record Id say these songs a better than most of what I remember of it.

Firstly, I've Wanted You takes a minimal approach with its soft acoustic patterns and a nearly non existent baseline. It pulls all focus to the beautiful serine singing that I believe is Klara of the Soderberg sisters. Her chorus lyrics are sung with such striking emotion and sincerity of word that I was convinced it was a cover. The yawning distant organ and gentle piano keys chime in to keep the spell rolling as the duo start to harmonize and elevate and conclude what is a bare, naked and exposed song, its direction plays so true to the words of the song and its raw emotion.

 The title track works a denser instrumental build up. Its stronger organ presence leads to country tang guitar licks that play up its rooted vibes. Ugly has a similar performance to I've Wanted You, however the instruments gradually grow and its soft guitars and buried organ give into colorful eruptions of almost psychedelic stretches as its guitars give into that fray and spacial synths sparkle like stars in a clustered climax. Its quite the natural yet experimental edge to a song I did not expect but thoroughly enjoyed. More of this could lead somewhere interesting.

All That We Get may fall victim to being the least interesting, its a nice song, calm, soothing and soulful with a charming message of warmth and introspection yet it lacks a defining moment and the vocals don't reach previous plateaus. These are four very welcome songs. I especially liked the slight, almost missable use of electronics and the opening song is an instant classic. I will continue to follow this wonderful act.

Favorite Tracks: I've Wanted You, Ugly

Rating: 5/10

First Aid Kit "Ruins" (2018)

Swedish sisters Klara and Johanna return for their fourth full length record, one I have highly anticipated as their previous release, Stay Gold, resonated with me deeply. Its such a joyous record that has provided me with much warmth in the few years since I discovered it, as much to say it would undoubtedly make a favorite albums of all time list. With the stakes set high and a familiar sound the duo show their influences boldly on a strong and unsurprisingly luscious album with a sense of era and character about it, the album cover reinforcing this concept with a striking chromatic gesture labled by its staple mark seventies font. You wouldn't blink an eyelid if you found this floating around in a box of old crinkled vinyl sleeves.

Ruins comes on strong with more Americana and Country influences the two wear on their sleeves. The slick country tang guitar accents in the opening songs set a strong southern undercurrent amidst a sweet and warm production full of rich instruments. Fleshing out the acoustic strumming, strings, country pianos, additional guitars and wholesome percussion enriches these simple heart felt folk songs. Often complimentary there is a couple of moments where it takes lead over their voices which, as we know, are soft, heavenly and the soul of the music.

Hem Of Her Dress embodies a flaw with this record. A rousing scream mid sentence feels out of place as the sentiment of the song falls misplaced. It slowly builds intensity to an eruption of group singing that lacks charm and a sense of purpose, perhaps in this moment their influences border imitation as the lyrics, in this song and others, feel recreational of the genre's known characteristics. That got me thinking about how little of the lyrics stuck in my mind. Stay Gold was like an introspective awakening, coming to embrace life's finite and ever changing experience, ever lyric offering a wealth of seniority. It felt from the heart where as Ruins references whisky, interstate highways and other topics steeped in a different familiarity.

I'm sad to say this one hasn't struck a chord with me, Its opening tracks start out strong and Fireworks has some surreal moonlight singing to tug at your heartstrings but as the record stretches on the spark fizzles out as the southern country feel outpaces the songwriting. Although a stunning sounding record, their beautiful voices only go so far to make these songs work. The lyrics don't resonate and so a very pretty sounding record dulls as it stretches on. Its unfortunate but that's just how I heard this one.

Favorite Track: Fireworks

Rating: 6/10