The Music Dispatch: October 2, 2021
Inside: Orla Gartland, Alessia Cara, The Weeknd's "Hey!", and PC Music
Chainsaw Man is so good. I’m twenty chapters in, which really isn’t a lot all things considered and I’m sure I’m about to get to the crazy part soon, but I still feel like it’s the literary equivalent of walking into a knife and that’s the sort of thing I love and crave in fiction. Trust the crazy mangaka of Fire Punch to deliver in those aspects! And the panels. Fujimoto loves movies almost as much as Weyes Blood loves movies, which is a lot considering that’s the best song off Titanic Rising, an already great album—
Welcome to October, welcome to The Music Dispatch! This is the part of this Substack where I shortly review every new(-ish) release I listened to. Out every Saturday, or whenever I listened to almost everything I wanted to.
Behold my first testimonial on it, courtesy of my dear friend Ivy:
“gonna listen to the alessia [cara] album because of the first sentence in theturkishrug”
EPs and Albums
The album I couldn’t get to at the time of writing this is Poppy’s new EP, Flux. I hope I can get to it soon!
Tirzah – Colourgrade
The newest album of UK-based Tirzah sounds like the “artistic”, indie version of whatever NCT’s on about. It got a Best New Music label by Pitchfork, which makes me think maybe they really have something against NCT considering Sticker would fit into this record just fine and that song didn’t get that label. That being said, do I like Colourgrade? I think I do. Electronic beats always appeal to me, and though Tirzah could stand to be a little more spirited in her vocal performances, there’s so many interesting things going on here, an amazing atmosphere pulled from so many sparse, unconventional arrangements that I would put this above Devotion, her debut record. Some absolute highlights: Tectonic, Beating, and the 1-2-3 punch of Send Me, Sink In, and closer Hips. On the other hand, songs like the intro and Crepuscular Rays bring me back to my former point. Sometimes weird shit is only accepted because some publication declares it so. (In fact, if you like Sticker, I would actually suggest you give this one a spin.)
Key – Bad Love
Key’s first mini album made me think “I don’t know what I expected” like that Arrested Development meme. But in a good way! Like, this is Key we’re talking about! Of course the mini album was going to be good! The title track takes liberally from Blinding Lights (complete with Key doing a Weeknd-esque “Hey!” which will never not make me laugh) – which, finally, somebody was clever enough to do it in K-Pop! – but is also very much its own thing, buoyant and with an insane attitude to match. Most of the record is drenched in a similar electronic and synth vibe, sometimes veering off to the disco like in Saturday Night, other times closer to the club like the superior and all-English Helium, and the only real miss here is the pre-release single Hate that. You’d think Taeyeon and Key would sound like Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s 1999, except it’s more like Ariana Grande and Troye Sivan’s bland duet song, whatever it was called. (Shoutout Rin for the amazing comparison, by the way). Don’t miss out on this one!
Alessia Cara – In the Meantime
Yes, I only listened to it because Ivy did it. Some of these songs are good. A lot of them are the kind of pop I don’t really care much for. Mostly, it really feels like this album goes for an hour, and like some of these songs didn’t really need to be on here. Not that there is any real dud in here (I wish there was, almost, because bad is better than average), but it takes away from the focus of the record. Eighteen songs on one record always makes for a gamble. I don’t think Cara is really the one to pull that off.
Spiritbox – Eternal Blue
The stunning cover sitting pretty on my Spotify’s Popular Albums row pulled my attention towards this record. Though I initially assumed it was like Evanescence, it goes a lot harder than I initially had assumed. A surprising, and very solid record from a group that prior to this point had been totally unknown to me. I will be keeping an eye out for future releases! I especially enjoyed Secret Garden.
Orla Gartland – Woman on the Internet
The debut album from Irish singer-songwriter Orla Gartland is a lot more spirited than the singles had let on. These are extremely refreshing rock and folk songs with a poppy context, where almost every non-single outshines the singles and the singles themselves sound wonderful in an album context. This is one I’ll keep in rotation for quite some time! If you don’t have as much time as I do with albums, I suggest Madison off this record.
Toni Braxton – Libra
Hitting streaming platforms for the first time yesterday (and just in time for Libra season!), Toni Braxton’s 2005 effort Libra packs all its hits to the first half, then relaxes and slows to stunning ballads in the back half of the record. Normally that’s not something I particularly enjoy, but Braxton’s magnetic voice sold me so much on the slower songs that it’s as though I understood the logic, the need of all the ballads at the back, and felt rewarded for understanding it. But I might just be weird about that.
Singles
There’s this song called Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout) by Janelle Monáe which goes for around seventeen minutes. Suffice to say I don’t feel ready enough for that one yet.
TWICE – The Feels
It’s cute, perfect, very bubbly, that is to say, The Feels harkens back to an older TWICE, already flawless back then, and very confident and cute now still. It’s just… Why is this song in English? No matter how I look at it, Cry For Me makes for a much better debut English single. At least it sort of sounds like the Billboard Hot 100, unlike The Feels, which just sounds like K-Pop. Well… except there is one song, and we all know which one I mean, and we all know how that song got its #1 so consistently. TWICE doesn’t have that. I don’t understand this move at all. The Stereotypes remix is really good too, though!
IDLES – The Beachland Ballroom
I know the pandemic made us all sad and contemplative, and some others strange. But this used to be the group doing Danny Nedelko and this first single to their upcoming album just sounds dreary and boring. I hope it makes sense in album context, because standalone, I didn’t connect with this on first listen at all.
Years & Years – Crave
The newest from Years & Years’ only member, Olly Alexander, brings us Key in less interesting. It is, however, an improvement from Starstruck, which was really just unimpressive in general.
Megan Thee Stallion & Maluma – Crazy Family
It sounds like a franchise film outro, and though Megan and Maluma both sound good on it, there’s not much you can do with this kind of song. I’m intrigued by this combination. On paper, it makes no damn sense! Compels me though.
Kali Uchis & SZA – fue mejor
The newest from Kali Uchis has her paired up with fellow languid, sexy person SZA. It sounds more like a Kali Uchis song than a combination of both their styles, that is to say, it’s a vibes song where you need to be in the right #mood to enjoy it. Thursday morning during work is not that mood.
Haru Nemuri – Déconstruction
Teddy Park’s terrorism is everywhere. Behold the newest single from Japanese rock-rapping poetry queen Haru Nemuri, which sounds like Kill This Love at every turn, but has a far better marching drum at the background that makes the verses and pre-chorus far more fascinating than they need to be. That chorus, however, is Teddy Park terrorism.
Hyd – Skin 2 Skin
The 2-song single from PC Music signee Hayden Dunham is written and produced by Caroline Polachek and hyperpop godfather A.G Cook. Skin 2 Skin is as though A.G Cook heard that Megan thee Stallion was utterly befuddled by Shake It that one time on IG Live and decided to go even more irritating on the whispering aspect. It’s so good. (The verses also remind me of the prechorus sections of The Boyz’ Nightmares which I personally adore). The hook of this is “proper”, or as proper as PC Music can be, and also well done. No Shadow makes Hyd kind of sound like Polachek herself. But here’s where things get interesting: No Shadow sounds so much like your usual PC Music fare, but also dark and broody and like some variant of post-mood, post-hyperpop. It’s rewarding to listen to the progress of PC Music and A.G Cook, of knowing where the previous reference points are, of hearing the utter improvement and confidence. I’m utterly fascinated by Hyd, the potential of this label and whatever A.G Cook will pull up next. Come through, come through!
Maybe there’s something in there that you’ll like! Or maybe there’s something you like that you want me to listen to, in which case, let me know over at Twitter @nymphspond, or, if you want something totally anonymous, you can try the Curiouscat!