40 Watt Sun “Behind My Eyes”
40 Watt Sun’s latest album of dreamy sadcore indie-rock contains the brilliant “Behind My Eyes” which is the closest I’ve heard to a Red House Painters song in two decades. The songwriting is skilled and the production is equally as important. The singing style grows on you with each listen and the guitars are wonderful in tone and approach.
Pedro the Lion “Stranger”
Pedro the Lion has been making breathtaking music for over two decades, and his new album ‘Havasu’ contains the perfect “Stranger.” The songwriting is the best I’ve heard in 2 years and it details youth at a roller rink. The nostalgic feeling it pushes through is intimate and deep. The production value is exquisite with its superbly produced percussion elements, and guitar tone. The vocals are real and raw and not too effected. I haven’t heard such an emotional song in some time and it rewards with each repeated listen.
Field Medic “Stained Glass”
The first time I heard a snippet of Field Medic’s “Stained Glass” was the “when the light hits” section on the Run for Cover Records instagram, and I was automatically floored. I knew for a fact I was going to love the song and now that I’ve listened to it on repeat for a while, I can say it’s easily one of the strongest songs of the year and the best Field Medic song to date. The acoustic guitar is gorgeously played, the backing guitars are mixed perfectly and the synths really add to the depth of the track. Field Medic is Kevin Patrick Sullivan and his songwriting is usually pretty strong but he has gone above and beyond on this track, including some of my favorite lyrics in “I know this ain’t God punishing me”. The way he sings that part is unbelievably gorgeous, and timeless. The percussion picks up the song halfway through and he speak sings repeated lines that really add to the intimacy of the structure. This is a song that demands repeated listens and only grows and grows on you with each one.
The Afghan Whigs “Please, Baby, Please”
Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs is one of the best songwriters of our time. He’s majestic with his lyrical value and his vocal arrangements are sheer beauty. The new album ‘How Do You Burn?’ features “Please, Baby, Please” which incorporates a relaxed percussion pattern, lo-fi organ and gorgeous guitar licks. It demands repeated listens and it only grows on you which each one. His scruffy vocals and evocative singing style instantly puts you in your feels. His solo album ‘Random Desire’ was my favorite album of 2020 and this track is equally as brilliant as the best tracks on his solo effort.
Kurt Vile “Chazzy Don’t Mind”
Kurt Vile, the odd, awkward, indie-rock musician who has written some modern classics has a new album out titled ‘(watch my moves)’ and the tenth track is perfect indie-folk-rock. The lyrics cover his thoughts of skateboarding while walking, and how his teapot “sings in a beautiful falsetto.” The instrumentation is exquisite in its simplicity and has an appealing accessibility for modern indie-rock. The harmonizations throughout and that end the song are sang much stronger than I’ve come to expect from Kurt Vile.
Bear’s Den “Shadows”
In what is the most intimately gorgeous song of the year comes Bear’s Den’s “Shadows” which is awe inspiring and grandiose. There is no song I have listened to more this year and for great reason. The singing is perfection and the production value brings out the beauty of the percussion and synths. The strings add to the dynamics and the repeated piano part is wonderfully repeated. The chorus just hugs your heart and demands for a repeated listen.
David Gray “The Arc”
David Gray is one of the most talented songwriters of the last quarter century and his latest single “The Arc” certainly does not disappoint. The gorgeous production value matched with the alluring vocals bridge the gap between rock and pop seamlessly. The overrally output of music he has developed is otherworldly and this new single really shines with the gorgeous piano, background sounds and distant vocals. The way he sings “Now I’m burning” really pulls you in and allows you to feel the burning inside that he so desperately speaks on.
S. Carey “Where I Was”
S. Carey, who is also the drummer of Bon Iver, is force to be reckoned with, and after reviewing his incredible album ‘Break Me Open’ it’s impossible not to keep coming back to the gorgeous track “Where I Was” which is just devout songwriting at its core. “If you judge, please don’t judge me from where I was, but if you must, please do, judge me from where I am” are superb lyrics and an incredible ask from someone who can pen a relenting ballad. The vocals are perfectly produced with light effects and the reverb really catches at all the right times. The guitar tone is brilliant and very intimate. The highly effected backing vocals that end the song bring out something wonderfully experimental and fresh.
Will Sheff “In the Thick of It”
As the piano opens track two on ‘Nothing Special’ by Will Sheff, the chief songwriter and only constant member of Okkervil River, you instantly know that this is something very special. As soon as he starts singing and the songwriting takes shape, it’s brilliant and beaming with life. The baseline is well done and the backing vocals really add to the intimacy. Adding in the acoustic guitar really brings more life to the track and soon you’re so enthralled in its beauty you can’t help but smile, or cry.
The Smile “Skrting On the Surface”
The last song on the upcoming debut album by The Smile, “Skrting On the Surface,” sounds more like Radiohead than recent Radiohead. That’s because The Smile is made up of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood who are the prominent members of Radiohead and they have even enlisted their trusted producer Nigel Godrich for this project as well. Overall the single is gorgeous and restrained. Jonny’s guitar glows and Thom’s vocals are absolutely incredible in their own right. Tom Skinner’s percussion fits beautifully within the songwriting as well. The production quality is extremely high end but not too polished and adds to the dramatic effect of the track.
Army of Sound 