Newer Music:
Big Thief : Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You


There has been a staggering amount of highly-anticipated, top quality new music released already this
year and we are only a month and half into 2022! Perhaps the prime example is the new blockbuster
double album released by revered indie rock band Big Thief. It is rare that an album released in February
seems almost inevitable to be the Album of the Year, but that may be the case with Dragon New Warm
Mountain I Believe In You.


Big Thief have quickly built up a notable discography with now five top-quality records in just 6 years
since their debut boldly titled Masterpiece was released in 2016. The band’s two most prominent
members, Adrienne Lenker and Buck Meek, have also released accomplished solo records during this
time as well. Few, if any, active indie rock outfits today are combining sublimely poetic lyrics with
complex, satisfying instrumentation resulting in such an overwhelming collection of rewarding songs like
Big Thief. We will be discovering new joys in this massive album for the foreseeable future.
Standout Tracks: Simulation Swarm; Little Things; Spud Infinity; Certainty; Change; Blue Lightning

Animal Collective : Time Skiffs


Like many indie music fans who were following the music scene closely in the late 00s, I really enjoyed
the peak era of crowd-pleasing Animal Collective output in the 2009–the Fall Be Kind EP and their
masterpiece record Merriweather Post Pavilion. In the decade plus since then, I’ve had a hard time
feeling much connection to most of the music Animal Collective released.
So I was very pleased to hear the first advance single for their latest album, an epic standout track called
Prester John, which hinted to a more accessible, radio-friendly sound (satellite radio at least). Their new
album Time Skiffs certainly doesn’t shift all the way to a pure pop sensibility; however, there is no
question that there will be many MPP-era AnCo fans who have drifted away who will be very pleased to
hear this album recall those halcyon days of My Girls and Brothersport.
Standout Tracks: Prester John; Walker; Strung With Everything; Cherokee; We Go Back

Black Country, New Road : Ants From Up There


This British seven-piece released one of the most promising and interesting post-punk records just last
year in their impressive debut For the First Time. So it was a bit surprising that Black Country, New Road
was already back with a February release for their sophomore album Ants From Up There. The new
record contains many of the same charms as their compelling debut: mesmerizing, slow-burn
instrumentals; dramatic, spoken-word vocal performance; and confident, complex story-telling.
Just before the album release, news broke that dynamic frontman Isaac Wood would be stepping away
from the band for mental health reasons. It will be fascinating to watch how the remaining members of the band move forward, both in terms of recording new music, as well as performing live shows since
they have stated they do not plan to perform any of the music created with and performed by the
departed Wood. The best outcome for all may be that Wood eventually rejoin the band at some point. It
would be a shame for these two great records to not see extensive touring around the world.
Standout Tracks: Chaos Space Marine; Concorde; The Place Where He Inserted The Blade; Snow
Globes; Mark’s Theme

Mitski : Laurel Hell


Japanese-American indie artist Mitski reached fairly lofty heights of cultural impact with her 2018 album
Be The Cowboy. Her latest record Laurel Hell provides more of the same gorgeous, slickly-produced
electro-glampop that has become her trademark sound. In any normal time, this record would likely
command a high profile. However, I fear Laurel Hell will get a bit lost in the shuffle given the tidal wave
of prominent records fighting for the attention of music nerds everywhere this month. Regardless, this is
a worthy addition to her strong discography.
Standout Tracks: Working for the Knife; The Only Heartbreaker; Heat Lightning; Love Me More; Stay
Soft

Erin Rae : Lighten Up


Nashville indie folk artist Erin Rae recently released her second album under own name. Following her
acclaimed solo debut in 2018, she toured extensively until the pandemic started. Her sophomore record
Lighten Up is likely to raise her profile outside of just the Nashville Americana and folk scenes. The
album includes a fun collaboration with Kevin Morby on Can’t See Stars.
Standout Tracks: True Love’s Face; Modern Woman; Can’t See Stars; Candy and Curry; Cosmic Sigh

More February New Music Worth Checking Out: Pedro The Lion : Havasu; A Place To Bury Your
Strangers : See Through You; The Reds, Pinks, or Purples : Summer at Land’s End; Alt-J : The Dream;
Andy Bell : Flicker

Throwback Selection:


Josh Ritter : The Animal Years


Last week, I caught a solo acoustic performance of the extremely earnest and likable singer-songwriter
Josh Ritter. Ritter is a first-class storyteller, a dynamic performer, and now has over two decades of
recorded music to select from for his ever-changing setlists. I enjoy music from his entire catalog, but my
favorite Ritter album is his full-band classic The Animal Years from 2006.

Standout Tracks: Monster Ballads; Good Man; Wolves; One More Mouth; Lillian, Egypt; Idaho; Thin
Blue Flame

To listen to the standout tracks from these recommended albums, please check out the most recently
added songs in the spotify playlist found below: