This article was featured in RVAMag #29: Summer 2017. You can read all of issue #29 here or pick it up at local shops around RVA right now. If you missed Part 1 of our Record Reviews, which takes at look at local albums, you can find that here.
NATIONAL
Big Thief
Capacity
(Saddle Creek)
The sophomore release by Saddle Creek’s hottest new act, which sees the Brooklyn quartet improve on the sound of their 2016 debut with intense maturity, earnest emotion, and remarkably stout songwriting. For much of the record, Adrianne Lenker subtly demands the spotlight here with her towering presence, but it is the chemistry between the band members, stronger than ever, that really makes each song triumphantly soar. (DN)
Charly Bliss
Guppy
(Barsuk)
Bubblegum vocals combines with blistering alt-rock and razor-sharp lyrics to create one of the year’s, and maybe decade’s, best records. Singer Eva Hendricks is without equal here, squealing and swooning away while delivering classic lines that are amazingly coy, witty, incisive, and empowering. The contrast between voice and music won’t be for everyone, but for those willing to take in the affected, singular vocals of Hendricks, this is a record with true staying power. (DN)
Drake
More Life
(OVO Sound/Republic)
A remarkably strong bounceback from the ill-conceived Views, More Life sees the Canadian rapper/crooner double-down on melodies and hooks, while fixing the pacing and lyrical problems of its predecessor. Unfortunately, it does little to mend the divide this artist has created over the years, but with songs like “Passionfruit” and “Portland,” he has definitely notched another solid release in his impressive discography. (DN)
Eric Slick
Palisades
(Egghunt)
There is a subtle, yet noticeable haze that permeates all the tracks on this record by the former Dr. Dog drummer. It’s different song-to-song, twisting and adapting to fit each song’s tone, but it gives the record a feeling of calm cohesion that pushes the listener to absorb the lyrical messages. Warm & delightful, introspective & affirming; it’s a stellar debut for Slick as he confidently steps into the forefront. (DN)
Father John Misty
Pure Comedy
(Sub Pop)
The third release from folk musician Josh Tillman validates his reputation as one of the scene’s most vibrant and clever songwriters today. It’s a strong release, though it doesn’t offer much outside of his previous two records, both highly regarded in their own right. What it does offer is the fact that Tillman’s genuine character isn’t a short-lived idea, as he shies away from pretentious observations and pompous declarations to deliver earnest, brilliant, and fascinating messages. (DN)
Fleet Foxes
Crack-Up
(Nonesuch)
One of the most anticipated albums for this decade, Fleet Foxes return after a six-year hiatus with a gorgeously challenging take on their signature brand of indie, off-kilter folk. Elaborate in design and imposing in execution, Robin Pecknold has created an hour long opus of his folk vision, one that impeccably picks up where the last opus concluded and beautifully sets the stage for more to come. (DN)
Harry Styles
Harry Styles )
(Columbia)
The One Direction member clearly had big plans for his first record, plans that would wash away any preconceived notion of what his own music would sound like. The result is mixed, but still praiseworthy for the fearless leaps he makes. Perhaps doubling down on loud guitars wasn’t the best idea, nor was invoking His Purple Majesty on the lead single, but showing off his musical depth & potential proved to be a strong gamble for this still-growing musician. (DN)
Kendrick Lamar
DAMN.
(Top Dawg/Interscope)
Lamar has long been the world’s greatest MC, something that felt destined to happen ever since his first mixtape in 2004. 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly moved him past greatest MC though, into a conversation for one of the world’s leading artistic voices as he experimented with the boundaries of hip-hop in a glorious way. On DAMN., Lamar has moved back within those boundaries, comfortably proving he still the best MC alive, and also that we’ve yet to even see the limit to which he can lyrically push himself. (DN)
Lorde
Melodrama (https://images.genius.com/135e9ae4d19e7816e0ffdd9a95922a0c.1000x1000x1.jpg)
(Lava/Republic)
Moving past the stony, caustic sound of her debut, Lorde has embraced a more dynamic sound, rooted in electropop and heartbreak that reveals the true strength of her ability. Aligning with Jack Antonoff (fun., Bleachers) proves to be Lorde’s best career decision to date as the producer/songwriter is able to build lofty dancehalls and sonic cathedrals upon which Lorde unleashes her full melodic fury, something truly stunning to hear and truly inspiring to witness. (DN)
Paramore
After Laughter
(Fueled By Ramen)
Moving further away from their pop-punk/pop-emo origins, After Laughter finds Hayley Williams and company fully embracing the synth-heavy, hook-laden sound they flirted with on 2013’s self-titled release. It may be hard to stomach for fans who discovered them on alt-rock radio stations in the mid-to-late 2000s, but their lyrical voice shows that this music is still coming from Paramore as they discover what else the sonic spectrum has to offer their music. (DN)
Perfume Genius
No Shape
(Matador)
Liberating redemption seems to be the big takeaway from Mike Hadreas’ latest work, and it’s a concept beautifully examined with haunting instrumentation and ornate arrangements. Like his previous work, the end result is simply surreal, but genuine enough that raw emotion still shines through. Most importantly, it seems to move Hadreas away from the tortured artist persona he’s cultivated over the last seven years and into a new role, still undefined but still just as transcendent and sublime. (DN)
Slowdive
Slowdive
(Dead Oceans)
For their first release in over two decades, the shoegaze legends deftly walk the line between tarnishing and embracing their own legacy with eight brilliant tracks that feel like everything the band was moving towards all those years ago. It offers plenty of familiar moments, but also new twists and turns for their sound, and the genre itself. Instead of feeling like a revisit, the English legends have delivered a genre milestone, even if it did take them 22 years to get there. (DN)
Reviews by Doug Nunnally and Shannon Cleary
