Sun Kil Moon “All the Artists Live in L.A.”
Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon has been a San Francisco resident for decades and now he lives in Orange County, CA with the love of his life Caroline, near her family. His new single “All the Artists Live in L.A.” reminisces over SF and speaks not spending as much there any more. Los Angeles is the premier hub for artists of all kinds, much like SF used to be. The piano is gorgeous and masterfully arranged. Mark’s voice is blistering with nostalgia and markedly more honed in than when he’s basically reading from journal entries. This song demolishes all notions of where music currently stands and allows for a deeper understanding of what songwriting can be. “Everything is closed, Nordstrom’s is where I used to buy my clothes” touches on the abysmal democratic leadership of SF and how many shops are closing due to rampant crime. He also praises LA which comes as somewhat of a surprise since he has never been the biggest fan of the city. He sings about fishing and walking on Sunset Beach, which is a beautiful way to spend time, especially there. There’s not a song that has been released this year, outside of “One Day in May”, which is also by him, that captivates in a majestic way and leaves the listener pinned to the idea that music can change your mood and affect the choices you make in life.
Hovvdy “Angel”
Hovvdy have been crafting lo-fi acoustic-rock since 2016 and they have finally reached their peak. “Angel” taken from their self-titled album is quiet but speaks loudly about their mission and delivery. It opens with a perfectly produced guitar with easy going finger picking and lo-fi backing production value. The vocals allow to the listener to delve into heart-on-sleeve songwriting with a life jacket.
The Six Parts Seven & Goodmorning Valentine “Instrumental 2”
The Six Parts Seven & Goodmorning Valentine have teamed up on the expansive and breathtaking full length ‘Kissing Distance’ which features the brilliant “Instrumental 2”. The song opens with a perfectly toned guitar riff and then the simple but effective percussion is introduced. The feeling this track gives is pure joy and melancholy. The lead guitar then sweeps the track off its own feet and wears its heart on its own sleeve. This song could play during the end of an adored drama series and the fans would be crying their eyes out. The outro is beautifully executed with precision even though it is masterfully ambient and organically composed.
Winter Aid “Dragging a Church Up a Hill”
Winter Aid have cracked the instrumental code with their perfectly crafted song “Dragging a Church Up a Hill”. Even the title is realistic and well conceived. The track itself features the best piano work I’ve heard all year and the atmosphere it creates is second to none in a year filled with many exemplary instrumental pieces. The emotion laid out in this track forgoes all the drama and storytelling that lyrical content would bring to the forefront and relies solely on the mind to conceive what this track truly represents. It’s unabashedly one of the most satisfying instrumental pieces I’ve heard all year, and it only grows with each continued listen.
flowerpot & seeyouthere “Long Drive”
flowerpot & seeyouthere have collaborated on the perfectly repeatable track “Long Drive”. This song could be an hour long of the same thing over and over and I would gladly get lost in it. The lo-fi production quality is destined for greatness from the first moments of this exquisite performance. The guitar tone is the best of this young year and the mood this song delivers begs to be heard. Overall, “Long Drive” makes for a melancholic listening experience that sticks with you well past its 2 minute runtime.
Devon Welsh “Stranger”
Devon Welsh has had our favorite album of the year twice in two tries and his latest album ‘Come With Me If You Want To Live’ is a marvel. The electro-rock track “Stranger” opens with a wonderfully produced synth that may sound simple in theory but it is full of life and wrecks you as it progresses. The lyrical passage “Ah, what a day, oh, look what God has made” is currently my favorite lyrical part of the year so far due to the authentic emotion behind it. The drums sound massive, with a sort of stadium quality while maintaining a sense of intimacy. Devon Welsh really opens up his array of musical talent within these 3 and a half minutes. The production quality throughout is outstanding and really mimics what Devon Welsh has been able to accomplish with his solo project, as well as with Majical Cloudz, his former band.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds “Long Dark Night”
Nick Cave is one of the greatest living songwriters and his latest album, ‘Wild God’, with his backing band The Bad Seeds is groundbreaking gospel. “Long Dark Night”, which is featured on the record as track 8, is unbelievably well written and beautifully composed. The chorus “maybe a long dark night is coming down” is the best chorus of the year and it makes me feel like I’m on top of the world, in the prime of my life, but something is ahead, something mysterious in the night.
Petey USA & Owen “Home Alone House 2”
Petey and Owen, also known as Mike Kinsella of American Football fame, have crafted a truly magnetic version of an already electric song. They have managed to tame the sound and allow for intimacy to strive. “I think my sanity’s dependent on my brain being limited, yeah” is one of my most repeated lyrics of the year in my mind. A truly gorgeous track with distant vocal melodies drifting over the incredibly arranged acoustic guitar. The post-rock backing guitars provide a gateway to the final stroke of the strings.
The Reds, Pinks and Purples “Faith in Daydreaming Youth”
The Reds, Pinks and Purples biggest influence seems to be The Smiths, and with his track “Faith in Daydreaming Youth”, he creates a lo-fi landscape with songwriting that rivals Morrissey’s, with a penchant to craft an impeccable song filled with emotion and passion. The guitars swirl and blister as the backing production continues to glide along while maintaining an exquisite pastoral collage of “Evergreen and true blue.”
Coldplay “ALL MY LOVE”
There has been no chorus I’ve found myself singing as of late more than “ALL MY LOVE”, taken from Coldplay’s 10th full length effort ‘Moon Music’. “You’ve got all my love, whether it rains or it pours, I’m all yours” is such a catchy and beautiful phrase. The production glistens with gorgeous piano, and Chris Martin’s vocals are dialed in. The song then floods with wonderful string arrangements, and creates a perfect pop-leaning sound that heightens the current Coldplay experience and harkens back to a time when they were creating albums full of songs as glorious as “ALL MY LOVE”.
Army of Sound 