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Kendrick Lamar Gets It Off His Chest

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After 17 years working with Top Dawg Entertainment, Kendrick Lamar is leaving TDE, but his final release for the label might be his most vulnerable project yet. Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is Kendrick Lamar’s first album in five years, and it’s a big one, featuring 18 songs spread across two CDs. It has a lot of features from artists as diverse as Ghostface Killah, Beth Gibbons of Portishead, German philosopher Eckhart Tolle, and his cousin Baby Keem, but the real focus is on Kendrick and what he’s been through over the past five years. 1,855 days have passed since DAMN, and Kendrick has a lot to get off his chest.

“I grieve different. Everybody grieves different.” –“United In Grief”

He opens up Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers with “United in Grief.” Although this is probably my least favorite song on the album, the title stuck out to me, and I’m not even sure if it is for the reason Kendrick intended. Over the last 1,855 days, the world has been united by grief, for more reasons than I can remember, a reality that has led Kendrick and a lot of other people to seek therapy. But the most important part of this song is not anyone’s particular reason for grief but understanding that everyone grieves differently. The way different people go about it unfolds as we continue to listen to the album. 

“His mama died, I asked him why he goin’ back to work so soon? His first reply was, ‘Son, that’s life, and bills got no silver spoon.'” –“Father Time”

Numbing the pain away, or neglecting the feelings altogether, seem like the only options for a lot of people who come from economically disadvantaged areas like the one Kendrick comes from. Who really has the time to embrace their feelings when there are so many other things going on that need to be dealt with? Processing feelings is a privilege that the lucky ones don’t realize they have. Planning funerals around paid time off (if you can get any) and deciding which bill should take priority and which can wait until next payday is the norm in places like these. 

“Insecurities that I project, sleepin’ with other women. Whitney’s hurt, the purest soul I know, I found her in the kitchen, a skin’ God, “Where did I lose myself? And can it be forgiven?” –“Mother I Sober”

K Dot has always been in a lane of his own. Many people tend to look at him as a man who makes no mistakes, which was why his including a feature by Kodak Black on the track “Silent Hill” was controversial — because while Kodak Black has said and done some unfortunate things, Kendrick is often regarded as perfect. On Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers, Kendrick lets us know that he isn’t that much different from the rest of us. He still has insecurities, daddy issues, and challenges with infidelity. He is unsure of how to channel his emotions — both the lows and the highs. He is learning and growing, just like us. Life has never been watered down for people in our community. It comes straight, no chaser. Neat.

“My auntie was a man now, we cool with it. The history had trickled down and made us ig’nant.” –“Auntie Diaries”

The most necessary but most controversial song on the album for the hip-hop community is “Auntie Diaries,” which touches on the emotions and the learning curve that people go through as they learn to understand the complexities of gender identity. On this track, Kendrick talks about his uncle and cousin, both of whom are transgender. He explains that, although he didn’t understand it at first, the love he had for his family and seeing them be comfortable in their skin is all that matters in the end.  

“Sorry I didn’t save the world, my friend. I was too busy buildin’ mine again.” –“Mirror”

In the end, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is more of a diary in which Kendrick documents his healing rather than an album created to satisfy his impatient but loyal fans. It feels like his priority was not to make hit records, but to address his suppressed issues, for the sake of his new family. Critics will point out that this was one of his lower-selling albums (though it did still hit #1), but it’s also one of the rawest and most outspoken releases that we have heard this year.

Sales numbers can’t really measure the impact this album will have. Realizing how open Kendrick was on this album only makes me think about the experiences that he left out of this new project.  As he begins the journey with his new label, PGLang, I can only anticipate more intense storytelling and artistry. 

Kendrick Lamar is going on tour this summer. He won’t make it to Richmond, but he will be at DC’s Capital One Arena on August 4. Check ticket availability here.

Of Empathy And Exhaustion

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On the debut album from Ages, Must Be Nice, the Richmond post-hardcore quartet leads with accessible melodic song structure. But those melodies can’t hide the layer of sarcasm, frustration, and, ultimately, weariness that underpins the entire album.

If you’ve been paying attention to the indie rock underground here in Richmond anytime in the past 15 years or so, you’re sure to have encountered Adrienne Shurte’s music. She’s helmed several bands that achieved different levels of buzz here in the River City, including Hail Hydra, Fire Bison, and Magnus Lush. Her latest quartet, Ages, appears to take its name from her nickname, Age, and the first initial of her last name, and that might make it easy for those who’ve seen Shurte’s backing bands come and go over the years to see her latest incarnation as more of a glorified solo project.

However, on Must Be Nice, the debut release from Ages, it’s very difficult to make that case. Ages, the band, is rounded out by guitarist Christian Monroe, who previously played drums in Shurte’s last band, Magnus Lush; bassist Tristan Brennis, best known around Richmond as the sax player for jazz-metal fusion quartet Dumb Waiter; and drummer Tim Falen, who has kept the beat for a ton of different Richmond bands, from psychedelic space travelers The Diamond Center to speedy hardcore combo Ultra Flake.

So yeah, far from merely showcasing Adrienne Shurte and an anonymous backing band, Must Be Nice features a bit of an all-star cast. Those talents make their presence known on these tunes, too. The contrasting guitar lines in “Australia” show how well Monroe and Shurte work together, while Falen’s intricate, textured drum parts are a core building block of the entire release. Brennis, meanwhile, makes clear that just because bass isn’t his usual instrument doesn’t mean he doesn’t know his way around the four-string beast.

But of course, I’m burying the lede here, because the main reason to show up for this Ages album, just as it has always been for any of Shurte’s previous projects, continues to be the strong songwriting and powerful vocal performance she offers throughout this album. While some musicians who move from band to band over the course of their career reveal different sides of their musical personality with each new project, Shurte covers the same territory here that she’s occupied in previous projects. Post-hardcore songwriting that mingles up-front melodies with intense structural underpinnings, dynamic songwriting that often builds toward powerful crescendos, and always the piercing, emotionally-centered lyrics that are Shurte’s stock in trade, especially paired with her riveting vocal performance.

Must Be Nice might be the most understated release in the Adrienne Shurte oeuvre thus far; it generally forsakes heavy musical apexes for the sort of steadily building slow burn that can’t help keep listeners on the edge of their seat, even as Shurte sings lengthy passages in her most delicate, almost whispery vocal timbre. It’s at moments like these that the rhythm section truly shines on this album. A great example is the penultimate track, “Sidewalk Rooftop;” even as Shurte keeps a tight lid on her voice, even as she and Monroe’s alternating arpeggiated guitar lines avoid any form of overdriven crunch, Brennis and Falen steadily escalate the intensity of their rhythmic backing, achieving crescendos that feel powerful even as the guitar and vocal lines layered over them betray no hint that they’re actually happening.

This, if anything, is the theme of this album. A sarcastic sneer oozes from the title, one that’s impossible to take at face value. Lyrically, these songs focus on interpersonal struggles, and the difficulties one faces when balancing the needs of others with one’s own needs. Nobody wants to feel like an asshole, but it’s difficult to continually privilege the feelings of others when they don’t ever seem to take yours into account. That’s the feeling captured lyrically throughout this release.

Closer “No Money” is particularly noteworthy in terms of the emotional content here. With Shurte’s vocal and acoustic guitar joined only by quiet backing from a string quartet, the edge of bitterness present throughout the previous six songs is allowed to fall away, replaced by a lovelorn weariness that’s all too familiar for any listener who has ever had their own struggles with the push and pull of love. “I just want to be with you when the day is done,” Shurte sings at the end of the song — and, for that matter, the album — and while it may not be a happy emotion to leave you with, it is a familiar one. And in that familiarity, a listener can hopefully find some comfort.

Must Be Nice is out now from Ossein Records. It’s available on cassette or digital download from this link.

Photos via Ages/Facebook

“Was That A Gun?” Coming of Age with Car Seat Headrest’s Latest Album

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Making A Door Less Open, the 12th studio album in ten years from Virginia-born indie group Car Seat Headrest, is an apt expression of the anxieties and alienations of American life in 2020.

The May 2020 album from indie rock group Car Seat Headrest, entitled Making a Door Less Open, came out in time for me to pop in the CD and drive down to Monument Avenue with a family member on Father’s Day. From the first drawn-out, Eastern notes to the brutally lucid introduction, the music cut loose and blew us down the highway like a trade wind. The mood suited my vision of the world around me as I took in hundreds of expressions of protest.

Like those protests, this album attempts to create a feeling of “many contrasting voices.” Travelling got a little unsteady by track nine, “Life Worth Missing,” with sharp guitar and rushing, bounding, endless synth — but that uncertainty was immediate too, as I looked to the gravity of the day to keep myself and everyone else safe in a charged setting. 

Car Seat Headrest is a band that was founded by talented songwriter/singer/guitarist Will Toledo, who grew up in Leesburg, VA and spent the group’s early years attending college at VCU and William & Mary. He’s worked with a variety of musicians since 2010, and these days, drummer Andy Katz, guitarist Ethan Ives, and bassist Seth Dalby make up the core of the group, a lineup that has remained stable for the past five years. Making A Door Less Open is the group’s fourth album to be released on New York indie label Matador Records.

Making a Door Less Open is a record made up of strange new realms of thought and travel along a concept of disembarking, traveling, and returning home. Toledo’s nickname for the album, Madlo, reminds me of E.B. White’s Stuart Little. In the children’s book, Stuart pursues “Margalo” the bird into the unknown, even when he is presented with a chance to settle down.

My favorite sounds woven through Madlo are the Eastern, woodwind-ey notes that introduce the album, on “Weightlifters.” I’m waking up in a mirage, a strange, new place. My imagination is alive and weightless, and the lyrics push against that feeling with cutting realism. Watery, rain synth sounds meet the heat, which weaves in and out of both “Deadlines (Hostile)” and “Deadlines (Thoughtful),” become Western-cinematic in “Hollywood,” and build up to “Life Worth Missing” (a total home run). Then on “There Must Be More Than Blood,” soothing flutes in a more familiar key arrive, playing against the Eastern tones and bringing the listener home — maybe from tour. 

Ives’ scattering, sharp guitar leads lurk at the end of “Hymn” and shine in “Deadlines (Thoughtful),” and I think that’s what we hear at the beginning of “There Must Be More Than Blood.” Sometimes it’s hard to untangle guitar from synth. Innovation with technology has given the band freedom to explore new worlds of music. 

Listening in for big ideas – of “lines, nothin’ but outlines,” and the experience of a songwriter who questions what he’s made of. Of deadlines, pressures of production and performance. The urgency and immediacy of the lyrics inspire gratitude from fans who feel kinship and solace in the speaker’s struggle to “get connected” with others. 

Photo via Car Seat Headrest/Facebook

Toledo imagines his participation in “some sort of war.” I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a war of indie-pendance. But maybe as a young person, and a citizen of the world, the compulsion to work at his craft and perform it, carrying forth his own cause and sympathizing with the many people he has come into contact with on tour, causes him to take a very artistic and broad view of “war.” 

For young people, the political climate in our country had become more constantly in our minds, even before the coronavirus pandemic arrived. The frequency of mass shootings in our country started making us think twice in big crowds. During our generation’s maturation, domestic issues like public health, fights for human rights during the Arab Spring, and the fight for Black Lives here in America are some of my big topics of concern. 

And this album lends a voice of opinion. “Was that a gun?” Riding the bus in “Hollywood,” a speaker wrapped up in disgust hears snapping gum and fears that it’s actually a firearm. Phrases turn quickly, in the same way I imagine a situation involving guns might go from bad to worse. The song depicts a world where phrases like ads on a bus are a quickly overturning commodity based on the reactions of a distracted, massive audience. The artist fears that the judgments of their publishers and producers — who at least seem more powerful than audiences — will depend on the willingness of the artists to abandon their home, their history. I feel frozen in contemplation of this situation.

More concretely, I love the exclamation of “stinks!” in this song. It feels punk and rebellious against the toxic allure of Hollywood fame. Sound effects like car horns arrive suddenly and to make me jump. Other people at the stoplight must wonder what’s the matter. It’s engrossing!    

More than once during Madlo, songs captivated me in the same manner as the Beatles’ classic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Images of “smoke pouring out the bed” in “Can’t Cool Me Down” depict struggles coping with reality, and strange visions like stage performance invade the artist’s room. The imagery is reminiscent of the Beatles’ “Fixing a Hole,” where they are fixing a hole and painting their room to keep their heads together. Then, too, the admitted domestic abuse on the Beatles’ “Getting Better” plays out on this album in an outburst at the end of “Deadlines (Thoughtful).” Both songs have humiliating shock value. 

Photo by Carlos Cruz

Even the way both albums end is similar, dissolving in both cases into experimental sound on the final tracks. On “A Day In The Life,” John Lennon sings that “The English army had just won the war/ and though the news was rather sad…” There’s emotion lacking there. The song feels disconnected with violence. Of Making a Door Less Open, Rolling Stone’s J Blinstein observes that there is a “quotidian feel to it, a mundanity that fits the understated hum of Toledo’s singing voice, which he’s able to use in thrilling and unexpected ways.” I think both albums look within, at their own responses to daily life and growing older, and try to both relate with war and to disarm it. 

Fave Tracks: “Weightlifters” is dazed and cool, leaves me singing the words “I believe,” after the song ends, and also thinking of Janis Joplin’s “Down on Me.” “Martin” has great mixing, cuts, and is fun and upbeat. The bass and vocals on “Deadlines (Hostile)” pair up nicely, and there’s a cool rock refrain. “Hollywood” is good for really going long, and being something for the public to decide upon. “Deadlines (Thoughtful)” has killer riffs, rolling rhythm, and a good tempo. “Life Worth Missing” loses some candidness from the bonus acoustic version, but gains in succinct form. Finally, “There Must Be More Than Blood” offers beautiful, reassuring chords, along with reflections on friendship, family, and self.

This is Car Seat Headrest’s twelfth album overall. They just keep getting better.

Top Photo by Mikeal Beland, via Car Seat Headrest/Facebook

RVA #31: Record Reviews

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Originally printed in RVA #31 WINTER 2017, you can check out the issue HERE or pick it up around Richmond now. 

Tim Barry
High On 95
(Chunksaah)

Punk rock is the kind of scene that wears a person out. This might sound ridiculous to the kids singing along to “Young Til I Die” covers at the all-ages show, but by the time you’re 29 with two full sleeves of tattoos, sitting at the end of the bar because you don’t have the energy for the pit anymore, you learn the truth. Perhaps it’s not too surprising that Tim Barry, who once led 90s punk heroes Avail, is a decade deep into a solo career as a folk-country artist and shows no signs of looking back. High On 95 is his sixth solo album, and it shows him settling ever more comfortably into the acoustic troubadour role. He only sang in Avail, but his proficiency on acoustic guitar here sees him creating some excellent melodies on songs like “Gumshoe Andy” and “O & DP.” The minimal instrumental backing (slide guitar, violin, the occasional percussion) gives these tunes a rootsy feel and allows you to crank up the volume without bugging the neighbors. The DIY veterans will see the appeal immediately. The kids might not get it yet, but rest assured, their time will come soon enough. (MN)

Ann Beretta
Old Scars, New Blood
(Say-10)

Collections of old songs re-recorded can be a risky move–it may do little more than spotlight the fact that the now-middle-aged members have lost a step. That said, Ann Beretta is lucky enough to retain a vitality that makes the past 20 years seem like the blink of an eye. This one’s worth it even if you have the old records. (MN)

Antiphons
Fine
(Citrus City)


Fine zooms in and out in an incredible way. The EP’s lyrics focus on super-specific circumstances — burning your tongue, going into anaphylactic shock because of a nut allergy — yet the music gradually opens up via savvy guitar work and countermelody, resulting in big, inviting moments. In that way, Fine manages to be personal and universal at the same time. (DJ)

Ashanti Bragg
Journey of a Young Woman Vol. 1
(Datpiff)

With seven tracks giving us a good sample of what’s to come, Virginia Beach native Ashanti Bragg makes her debut almost two years after dropping the video for opener “My Love.” Featuring a variety of songs showing her musical versatility, the confidence that oozes through her music makes for a fun and energetic experience that leaves the listener wanting more. (KMP)

Big No
Get Over Yourself
(bignobigno.bandcamp.com)


Presenting itself as an ambitious and experimental project, Get Over Yourself is vast. One second, the structured sound is airy and poppy, and then the next, it begins to wax into blues. Big No has made it obvious that their strongest musical asset is their instrumentation; Heather Jerabeck owns that piano. (CM)

Black Liquid
ANTi
(self-released)

Two words: Unfiltered. Observation. Black Liquid’s obstinate attitude and sharp public commentary on ANTi challenge local perception and opinion through a conversational approach. His poignant flow found on the title track “ANTi” is relentless, barraging the listener with anecdotes that highlight the MC’s natural inclination for hip-hop as an art form. (CM)

Butcher Brown
Live at Vagabond
(Gearbox Records)

Make room, Donny Hathaway–this is one for the ages. Live at Vagabond captures the energy of the crowd and the virtuosity of individual instrumentalists with remarkable clarity, giving listeners a taste of Devonne Harris’ compositional gifts, adventurous approach to keys, and the ensemble’s knack for seizing the moment. This is the Butcher Brown sound at its most cohesive and dominant. (DJ)

Buzzard Dust
Buzzard Dust
(Forcefield)

What happens when a ragtag group of metal veterans wants to rock? They form a thrash band. Buzzard Dust’s eponymous debut is a 24-minute adrenaline burst of wicked dive bombs, breakneck blast beats, and guttural profanities that recalls the feeling of a dark, sweaty mosh pit. I dare you to not headbang during “Have You Seen Me.” (CM)

Doll Baby
Hell Block EP

Doll Baby blesses listeners with yet another phenomenal demonstration of their artistic prowess. Hell Block is a mere five songs, but holds the sustainability of a traditional full-length album. The four-piece’s jam tracks scratch a deeper itch, bringing everyone to their feet. Singer Julie Storey has the most pleasingly unique punk vocals you’ll ever hear. (CM)

Fly Anakin, Koncept Jack$on & Tuamie
Panama Plus
(Mutant Academy/Smallz World Management & Consulting)

More hardcore, boom-bap hip hop from the Southside’s own Fly Anakin & Koncept Jack$on, this time with fellow Mutant Academy brethren Tuamie handling the production. Hearing the duo spitting over one producer’s sound gives this project a different, more cohesive feel from their last full length, but if you’re expecting a drop off in quality, you won’t find that here. (EH)

God Goldin & Duce
Universal Benefits
(Control Ent)

Bouncing back and forth over each track, Goldin & Duce have a great chemistry, with Duce’s laid-back flow paired on “Lolo” along with Gold’s more hype flow. The songs feel like these two have been a working partnership for years already. If you need a quick musical boost in your workday, give this a spin. (EH)

Gritter
Nobody Cares

Gritter isn’t necessarily reinventing the (steel) wheel on their fourth album, but then again, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Their brand of harsh, caustic metal has some clear NOLA influences but gives it their own muddy James River flavor. This music will give you strength to face life’s frustrations. Don’t leave home without it. (MN)

Thorp Jenson
Odessa
(South Boulevard)

Fully-formed narrative writing, steady-handed production, and killer performances from top-notch players provide many reasons to disbelieve that Odessa is a debut release. It plays like an expertly crafted survey of styles from the last 60 years, from Stones riffs and heartland rock to country waltzing and soul not unlike Matthew E. White’s. Well-worn and world-class, right out of the gate. (DJ)

Keep
For Your Joy
(Citrus City)

With this monster of a debut full-length, the duo Keep has etched its name among the city’s growing list of musicians on the rise. The group’s sound is diverse and evocative, being deeply rooted in their appreciation of grunge and industrial predecessors. For Your Joy embellishes an introspective atmosphere that lets one track roll right into the next. (CM)

Long Arms
Young Life
(Dead Serious)

Long Arms began as James Menefee’s alt-country project, but with their latest album, they’ve left those touches behind in favor of the punk-influenced heartland rock that feels like Menefee’s natural mode. It suits him; skipping genre tropes in favor of excellent heartfelt tunes with a heavy Replacements influence makes Young Life is a career highlight. (MN)

Mistaker
Goodbye And Other Lies
(Self-released)

An intense, heartfelt slab of pure emotion delivered with power and melody, Goodbye And Other Lies is a worthy contribution to the field of melodic punk rock from a group of veterans who’ve paid plenty of dues. This is music for remembering past struggles and appreciating where you are. With this EP, Mistaker carves out a distinctive niche for themselves. (MN)

My Enemies & I
The Beast Inside
(Fearless)

This VA-based metalcore crew draws a lot of influence from angst-ridden early 00’s nu-metallers like Slipknot and Mudvayne, interjecting melodic choruses and moody breaks into a stew of pounding downtuned riffage and brutal breakdowns. The result is an invigorating, gleefully profane blast that brings me back to my youth. If this is what today’s kids are into, sign me up. (MN)

Positive No
Partners In The Wild
(Trrrash/Little Black Cloud)

This RVA quartet definitely brought the fire this time, cranking up the energy to deliver a louder, more distorted follow-up to debut LP Glossa. The 90s alternative and indie-rock influences that fundamentally inform Positive No’s sound are still dominant, but their punk past is much closer to the surface here–and that’s definitely a good thing. (MN)

River Black
River Black
(Season Of Mist)

This combo sees Municipal Waste drum-pounder Dave Witte reuniting with his Burnt By The Sun bandmates, John Adubato (guitar) and Mike Olender (vocals), to carry on that band’s brutal, politically-driven metal rampage. Doom-infused metallic hardcore riffs meet grinding blast beats and double-bass mayhem to create an unstoppable steamroller of a record. (MN)

Talk Me Off
Talk Me Off

Some fun, speedy punk with a tendency toward retro stylings. The first song has a borderline-hardcore intensity, but the others get more melodic in a manner reminiscent of early 80s SoCal punk–Agent Orange, first-LP Bad Religion, that kind of thing. The furious anti-white-nationalism lyrics on “Inglorious Bastards” are a particularly nice touch. (MN)

Vivian Fantasy
Deep. Honey.
(Hush Hush)

Can music be simultaneously comforting and unsettling? Deep. Honey. makes a pretty strong case in the affirmative. Warm synth sounds and layered guitars lay down pillowy sonic padding, yet Danny Bozella’s singing is manipulated throughout, coming across as uncanny. “I put effects around my voice to hide what I write,” he sings on “Charms,” ringing with a beautifully ironic honesty. (DJ)

Reviews by: Marilyn Drew Necci (MN), Eugene Henry (EH), Davy Jones (DJ), Kiara M.P. (KMP), Christopher Alan McDaniel (CM)

Top Photo Credit: Joey Wharton Photography

RVA #29: Record Reviews (Part 1)

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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.

LOCAL

Blame

Blame

Blistering d-beat hardcore from a band of straight-edge punkers with an enthralling sense of melodicism. There are hints of metal in their songwriting foundation, maybe borrowed from Richmond’s vibrant scene, and it makes their songs a bit more engaging and a hundred times more searing, though the appeal is still in the way they build and execute their hooks, whether by shrieking vocals or shattering guitar lines. (DN)

Camp Howard

Juice

(Egghunt)

Though just an EP, Juice shows off the true depth of Camp Howard’s songwriting, as the group freely floats in and out of ‘80s structures and fuzz rock archetypes. Breezy rock is still the name of the game for Camp Howard though, a style that brought them to the forefront of the Richmond music scene last year, but Juice shows that the group has way more to offer within that confine, proving not only their impressive potential, but also the staggering skill they have available right now. (DN)

Dharma Bombs

Old Time Romance

(Crystal Pistol)

Ragtime/Dixieland folk music from a plucky band of musicians that can deliver plenty of fun moments (“Abigail”) as well as more striking and somber tunes (“Pack Your Bags”). Trey Hall’s old-timey yowl alone is worth the price of admission here, with the delightful horn arrangements and hoo-dum rhythms are just icing on the cake. Unlike so many other popular live acts, Dharma Bombs are able to capture the charm and spirit of their amazing performances, all available on this wonderful twelve-track album. (DN)

Fat Spirit

Nihilist Blues
(Citrus City)

The first release in four years from the former Heavy Midgets is a welcome mélange of grunge malaise and power melodies, sprinkled with enough hardcore and shoegaze elements to make it stimulating for all rock fans. The band’s ability to cover all tempos and grooves is inspiring, but it’s really the slower compositions that reveal the towering power of their ability, as they seem just a tad bit more creative and infinitely captivating. (DN)

Flight Club

Kinda Funny

On one hand, this is straightforward pop punk as the five tracks on this EP could easily be inserted onto any mid-2000s CD-R. On the other, it’s clear this plucky band has a lot more up their sleeves, utilizing blues and even doo-wop moments to make their music stand-out. Producer Alan Day of Four Year Strong helps streamlines the sound, but this EP still shows Flight Club off as an incredibly skilled rock band… who just so happens to like pop punk.

Golden Ours

New Faces

Local musician Kia Cavallaro offers up a special brand of porchtop folk, one that she freely contorts via production techniques both invigorating and astounding. Using delayed vocals at times, she offers a glimpse off a fractured mind, one that mends itself slightly over the runtime of the album. Bouncing between lo-fi and ethereal, the sounds Cavallaro has culled together are simply breathtaking, even if better observed as a musical tumbleweed slowly making its way through the valley. (DN)

Gull

Lurcher

Industrial music on its face seems outdated in 2017, but leave it to a performer like Gull to make it urgent and relevant by injecting it with a jolt of life and his own signature aplomb. While the longer compositions like “The Ancestral Knife” excel at pulling you into his world of Depeche Mode melodies and Skinny Puppy rhythms, it’s the shorter tracks like “Trichotillomania” that perfectly capture Gull’s essence of creative release that just builds and builds on itself until the climax. (DN)

Kaelan Brown

From Out The Pines

A stunning EP that cements Brown as one of the area’s most vibrant MCs through seven songs each designed to showcase not just his skill, but his curious charisma. Notable is Brown’s ability to keep the flow from track-to-track airtight, as producer Wakeen passes thiongs off to Bince and Julien Earle for a song each. It reveals a solid sense of identity for the rapper, as he’s comfortable unfolding lyrics on a lofty wave or bouncing his way through a party anthem. (DN)

Lobo Marino

The Mulberry House

Above the amazing live shows, the fearless songwriting, the insightful lyrics, the gorgeous instrumentation — above it all, the best thing about Lobo Marino is their ability to reliably grow as artists year to year. 2015’s We Hear The Ocean was a remarkable release, but the band has shot right past it with The Mulberry House, a full-length release that covers world music down to acoustic ballads. Enlightening as it is provoking, it’s yet another indelibly great mark Lobo Marino has left on Richmond’s local scene. (DN)

Sid Kinglsey

Good Way Home

(American Paradox)

An impeccable release that unwittingly raises the bar for any and all music coming out of Richmond. Soul overflows out of each track, whether from Sid Kingsley’s own bellow (that brings to mind the legendary Levon Helm) or the sharp instrumentation brought together by producer Scott Lane, and it’s a remarkable step-up from most Americana music released these days. All in all, this is one of, if not the, best Americana release to come out of Richmond, as well as one of 2017’s best records overall. (DN)

The Milkstains

Punch The Sky

(Trrrash)

As this trio exudes time and time again, The Milkstains are virtuosos at creating a perfect balance between garage rock, surf jams, and spaghetti western barnburners. Punch The Sky is no different. Over the course of ten tracks, the band are quick to remind everyone that there is really no one quite like them in Richmond and their riley misfit attitudes will always find their spirited homes in poignant lyrical moments. “Young Scum” could easily be the jam of the summer! (SC)

The Weak Days

Tight

(Possum Hearts/Running Around)

Richmond’s brightest journeymen return for this bold EP, one that’s a remarkable step-up from their previous work. It offers a more matured take on their rock sound, one rooted in DIY spirit and emo concepts, but still showcases the band’s signature charm — campy, tongue-in-cheek wit that’s endlessly endearing. Overlooking the EP’s impressive list of guest musicians, Tight is still just a riveting collection of melodies and hooks, only really bolstered by the strong messages the duo sings about. (DN)

Reviews by Doug Nunnally and Shannon Cleary

RVA Mag #28: Record Reviews (Part 3)

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This article was featured in RVAMag #28: Spring 2017. You can read all of issue #28 here or pick it up at local shops around RVA right now. If you missed Part 1 of our record reviews, you can check that out here. If you missed Part 2 of our record reviews, click here.

Jens Lekman
Life Will See You Now
(Secretly Canadian)

Lekman is a bit of a songwriting trickster. At his most depressed, the songs elevate themselves to appear as joyous affairs of boisterous arrangements and fanciful grooves. With this in mind, this record is Lekman at his strongest by balancing the sadness with the whimsical. Highlights include the pop gems “Our First Fight” and “How We Met, The Long Version.” It has been far too long, Jens. We are eager to hear you now. (SC)

Julie Byrne
Not Even Happiness (https://f4.bcbits.com/img/0008722844_10.jpg)
(Ba Da Bing)

Organic and sincere, wistful and romantic; Byrne’s second record is a much more confident affair than her debut with the singer fully embracing the tonal atmosphere she creates. Capturing her restless spirit is key here, with her august voice willing the listener to join her on her travels, both in the real world and within. Though clearly folk by design, the subtle use of synths helps distance herself from other songwriters, leaving Byrne in a class of her own in 2017. (DN)

Landlady
The World Is A Loud Place

The album art for The World Is a Loud Place isn’t just the first GIF cover released via Bandcamp — it’s also a wonderful representation of Landlady’s music. Big, colorful, kinetic… songs move and change with such amazing energy. “Electric Abdomen,” “Nina,” and “Driving In California” all function as multi-act productions that deserve elaborate set designs, and they round out — along with past releases — a vibrant and powerful body of work. (DJ)

Laura Marling
Semper Femina
(More Alarming)

The most important record released in the wake of the Women’s March, Marlin’s latest record is far from a departure from her previous works, but is also much more pointed in its subject matter and over-flowing with existential thoughts and observations. Easily the most attentive album of her catlog, Semper Femina is one of the boldest examinations of feminism and womanhood society has seen in some time, something that comes as no surprise to those who have followed her career. (DN)

Priests
Nothing Feels Natural
(Sister Polygon)

The aplomb of Priest’s musical spirit is what makes this debut remarkable as the band weaves a needle of punk energy through a tapestry of surf rock and indie pop. Paying close attention to the words of the record and the way the music ebbs and flows reveals the band’s personal politics, but the band ultimately leans more towards the Pixies’ end than Pussy Riot as they freely frolic in a surreal world swirling with surf and punk elements. (DN)

Ryan Adams
Prisoner
(PAX AM / Blue Note)

After his bold offering 2015 that exposed him to a completely new fanbase, Adams returns with a record that shrewdly builds on his past work, while still striving for that next sonic jump. Mirroring the album’s over, the songs come off as blurry, patchy, almost disjointed at times, but still form a recognizable image of heartbreak and confinement, one that’s as affecting as it is brilliant. (DN)

The xx
I See You
(Young Turks)

The xx have never lacked cohesion, but this feels like a new fusion of powers. Jamie xx’s production knowledge and abilities fully burst through on his 2015 solo album, and he’s applying that skill set more confidently than ever, complementing and elevating the hypnotic Romy-Oliver chemistry that’s defined the band to this point. Singles “Say Something Loving” and “On Hold” are instant xx canon, but “Lips” is a sleeper for one of the year’s most gorgeous songs. (DJ)

Thundercat
Drunk
(Brainfeeder)

Like the title implies, Thundercat’s goal here is to intoxicate you with the groove, something a lot of modern soul producers ignore. Listen to classic soul records and you can truly feel the attention given to the groove. It can alter and modulate, but it can’t be paused, interrupted, or, worse, dropped. Thundercat realizes this and pays extra attention to it ensuring no matter who is in front of a mic or behind the board, it’s a seamless sound from start to finish. (DN)

Reviews by Davy Jones, Doug Nunnally, and Shannon Cleary