This article was featured in RVAMag #25: Summer 2016. You can read all of issue #25 here or pick it up at local shops around RVA right now. If you missed our other reviews, you can check Part 1 out here, and Part 2 here.
This article was featured in RVAMag #25: Summer 2016. You can read all of issue #25 here or pick it up at local shops around RVA right now. If you missed our other reviews, you can check Part 1 out here, and Part 2 here.
Car Seat Headrest
Teens Of Denial
(Matador Records)
After years of bouncing from recording to recording with little forethought, Will Toldeo has collected himself enough to deliver the record of his lifetime. Toledo’s brilliance has always been felt, although in brief moments across a dozen records this decade, but here, he allows these moments to fully mature and develop over the course of a record that seemingly validates the basic concept of bedroom music. (DN)
Chris Hardwick
Funcomfortable
(Comedy Central Records)
Despite his notoriety as the host of just about everything, Chris Hardwick is best known as a seasoned comedian. On Funcomfortable, he dissects the uncomfortable moments in life and uses humor as a way of coping with the death of his father. It’s a poignant, engaging performance that earns every laugh. Just try to keep up with all of the cultural references! (SC)
James Blake
The Colour In Anything
(Polydor Records)
James Blake’s longest release to date is also his most varied stylistically, and his brightest in terms of production. While many of Blake’s previous releases feature somewhat muted sonics, Colour’s is a more tangible soundscape. That doesn’t mean he’s lost his edge for subtlety; there are plenty of moments of quiet piano work, and Blake’s delicate croon persists. (CE)
JANK
Awkward Chopped Songs
(Creep Records)
Who knew that the emo-pop punk golden age would come in 2016, a decade or more apart from the pioneers of the genre? That’s at least what listening to JANK’s debut album feels like. Unrelentingly pozzy, the Philly based band takes emo revival into overdrive with irreverent lyrics and mathy guitar. (SS)
John Congleton And The Nighty Nite
Until The Horror Goes
(Fat Possum Records)
Prolific producer John Congleton makes noisy, dissonant pop music, with his sneering voice presenting uniquely morbid, witty lyrics. It’s amazing that an album this uncomfortable could feature such catchy songs, but it does. Congleton is a deviously crafty songwriter and multi-instrumentalist — in addition to being a producer — so songs pop with melody, while something nasty sits just below the service. (CE)
Modern Baseball
Holy Ghost
(Run For Cover)
In a year chock full of incredible releases, Modern Baseball might have just released a strong contender for year’s best. While a throwback to the heyday of emo, they go above and beyond genre limitations to craft a sound all their own. “Apple Cider, I Don’t Mind” and “Wedding Singer” are two examples of their smart approach to indie rock songwriting. It’s a welcome relief to hear a band influenced by emo’s favorites and delightfully succeed. (SC)
Pinegrove
Cardinal
(Run For Cover)
If there were a soundtrack to the current culture’s growing rejection of irony, Pinegrove’s Cardinal seems a good candidate. Emo, pop punk, and early Wilco alt-country definitely form a part of Pinegrove’s genealogy, but their country riffs and southern-accented drawls come with a distinctly pop punk mission — a desire to genuinely connect, and to maintain intimate connection. (SS)
Radiohead
A Moon Shaped Pool
(XL)
After all this time, Radiohead remain an isolated band, a fact supported by somber and reflective music and highly creative videos. The addition of strings help to soften what could be viewed as their most morose album to date, while the rich, nuanced textures that suffuse reveals that there is still plenty of artistic growth left for the band. (DN)
Sturgill Simpson
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth
(Atlantic Records)
In just three years, this unassuming Kentucky musician has completely redefined what country music can mean in the 21st century. At first, Simpson’s flirted with both outlaw and neotraditional styles, but on his latest record, he unveils his own unique take, best described as progressive country — a genre so ill-defined that your best example is a pair of headphones, a glass of whiskey, and this record. (DN)
