Newer Music:
Spiritualized : Everything Was Beautiful
Jason Pierce, aka J. Spaceman, has been producing hypnotic, drug-influenced psychedelic gospel music
through his Spiritualized project for three decades now. It is strangely reassuring for me to be able to
depend on J. Spacemen to produce yet another soothing, comfort record of the highest quality. His
latest, Everything Was Beautiful, continues his streak of albums that have been described by many as a
“return to peak form.” In reality, Spiritualized is just a consistently excellent vehicle for the
underappreciated artistic genius of Jason Pierce.
Everything Was Beautiful opens with advance single, and prototypical SPZ track Always Together With
You. Both the A side and B side of the record open with a pair of such propulsive, full-arsenal onslaughts
from the band. However, my favorite tracks on the record are the two slower bluesy tracks that
comprise the second half of the A side, the stunningly beautiful Let It Bleed (For Iggy) and intoxicating
second single Crazy.
I genuinely respect and appreciate Pierce’s commitment to his artistic vision. It’s been said that his last
two or three US tours actually likely COST him money because he refuses to tour without his full
complement of band members and backup singers necessary to reproduce the full sound he has
designed for his albums. I’ve seen Spiritualized now over a dozen times and their live shows remain
powerful, absorbing experiences. My latest baptism by music was last weekend at the Coachella Music
and Arts Festival, where Spiritualized was appointment viewing as close to the band as possible. The
greatest compliment I can give the band is to say that the new material fit seamlessly alongside their
absolute classics (Shine A Light, Come Together, Soul on Fire, etc) in an enthralling set.
Standout Tracks: Let It Bleed (For Iggy); Crazy; Always Together For You; The A Song (Laid In Your
Arms); The Mainline Song/The Lockdown Song; Best Thing You Never Had (The D Song)
Destroyer : Labyrinthitis
Dan Bejar has already built up an enviable music career between his membership in beloved indie rock
supergroup The New Pornographers and his impressively prolific solo catalog as Destroyer. With his
Destroyer project in particular, one really does not know what to expect. Fittingly, I definitely was not
expecting Labyrinthitis, the 13 th Destroyer record over 25 years, to be my favorite Bejar solo record ever.
Earlier standout albums (Kaputt, Destroyer’s Rubies, Ken, etc.) may have had higher highs (Chinatown,
Painter In Your Pocket, Tinseltown Swimming in Blood, etc.) than are to be found here, but obvious and
legitimate recency bias concerns aside, I am convinced this latest LP is the strongest and most enjoyable
front to back listen of his Destroyer career. Musically, the record is all over the place, darting from
breezy indie folk to aggressive synth pop to lovely instrumental interludes. I’ve seen Dan as part of The
New Pornographers but have yet to see him as Destroyer. I am determined to see he and his band play
this record live on tour this year.
Standout Tracks: June; It’s In Your Heart; Eat The Wine, Drink The Bread; Tintoretto, It’s For You; Title
Track
Yumi Zouma : Present Tense
If you were to ask me which modern band is best keeping the flame of the shoegaze music genre alive,
New Zealand band Yumi Zouma would be near the top of the list. In less than ten years, between two
trusted indie labels Cascine and Polyvinyl, Yumi Zouma has put out four dreamy full-length LPs and three
standout quality EPs.
The band’s well-crafted accessible pop sound continues on their newest album Present Tense. If
advance single In the Eyes of Our Love isn’t the catchiest thing you’ve heard all year, it will certainly be
close. As for shoegaze, it doesn’t get too much more “shoegazey” than delectable album closer Astral
Projection.
Standout Tracks: In the Eyes of Our Love; Astral Projection; Give It Hell; Mona Lisa; Of Me and You
Kurt Vile : (watch my moves)
Some artists are so consistently good, they begin to fly below the radar by lulling the music press and
music fans into a state of complacency or ignorance through sheer boringly, repeated brilliance. Kurt
Vile appears destined to suffer from this phenomena.
The Philadelphia indie rock institution was not only the lead guitarist for fellow Philly indie rock Gods
The War on Drugs, but Vile has now put out so many great solo and side project records (such as his
great record with Courtney Barnett back in 2018) that even music aficionados are losing track.
April saw the release of Vile’s latest record–the understated, but no less excellent (watch my moves).
Lead single Like Exploding Stones is a perfect example of the effortless brilliance of Kurt Vile, from his
unassuming vocals, inviting guitar, and comforting synth flourishes.
Standout Tracks: Like Exploding Stones; Flyin (like a fast train); Chazzy Don’t Mind; Mount Airy Hill
(Way Gone); Hey Like A Child
Beirut : Artifacts
Few things demonstrate the excellence of a band more than releasing an odds and ends compilation
that feels more impressive and important than most bands’ strongest work. Such is the case with
Artifacts, a compilation record collecting b-sides, alternate versions, and other stray songs from the
career of indie stalwarts Beirut.
Early Beirut EP highlights Elephant Gun, Transatlantique and Scenic World are fun and interesting to
have in one place, but the highlights of Artifacts are the standout b-sides Fyodor Dormant, Fisher Island
Sound, and So Slowly. For me, lead singer and band founder Zach Condon just has one of those voices
that moves me and each of these tracks features some of his best vocal work.
Standout Tracks: Fisher Island Sound; Fyodor Dormant; So Slowly; Autumn Tall Tales, Poisoning
Claude
More Recent New Music Worth Checking Out: Wet Leg: Wet Dream; Aldous Harding : Warm Chris;
Daniel Rossen : You Belong There; Jack White : Fear Of the Dawn
Throwback Selection:
Pavement : Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal
Last month saw the release of a deluxe remastered version of classic 1999 Pavement album Terror
Twilight subtitled Farewell Horizontal. I am a huge fan of all things Pavement and Stephen Malkmus, so
this special treatment of a favorite Pavement record was a must-have for me.
To revisit this record is to return to memories of my college days of the late 90s and early 00s—mixed
feelings abound about various highlights and lowlights of those fun, but also sometimes confusing days.
Terror Twilight, then, was almost a perfect soundtrack for those strange times—and a pretty great
soundtrack for doing just enough reminiscing to be grateful I am in the present!
Standout Tracks: You Are a Light; Ann Don’t Cry; Billie; Major Leagues; Carrot Rope; Spit On a Stranger
To listen to the standout tracks from these recommended albums, please check out the most recently
added songs in the spotify playlist found below:
