Chorus.fm Record of the Week Club • Page 73

The run from Stutter onwards is so good. Operation has such a catchy riff I can’t get it out of my head. Rose Gives a Lilly is a lovely instrumental track that perfectly sets up Rubber.

 

Still need to listen to the Yuck record (hopefully tomorrow), but good timing now that their guitarist has an Oscar.

 

yeah was just about to post this:

 

was 'get away' ever in tv or a film? i recognize the guitar riff in the beginning

 

suicide policeman gives me major elliott smith vibes, and the female vocals on georgia reminds me of tilly and the wall. such a weird eclectic album, gets better with every listen

 

I like the Yuck record a ton, way more than a lot of bands that do this style. I think the melodies are just better. The faster songs remind me a bit of Cloud Nothings with a bit less wall of sound production.

 

@Craig Manning your turn!

 

Let's do this, since I've been trying to get more people to listen to this band and their new album is out in a month.

Trousdale - Out of My Mind

An all-female indie-pop trio with more than a little bit of country and folk in their DNA, Trousdale are one of my favorite up-and-coming acts for one simple reason: their three-part vocal harmonies are out of this world. I'm sharing their NPR session too, because it's just so thrilling to watch them actually sing these songs. The way their voices lock in and blend together is so beautiful, and is the kind of thing that I, as a former choir guy, can tell you does not come easy! Their songs are also just great, though: full of warmth and feeling and drama, but still leaving room for big fucking hooks.

This is their debut album, from 2023, but if you dig it, you'll be happy to know that the follow-up is due out on April 11. Definitely one of my most anticipated albums of the year.

 

I actually listened to that when it dropped—v pleasant vibes. Kacey Musgraves / HAIM type sound, if I’m remembering correctly.

 

wow that song sometimes is a friggin RIPPER. instant banger. album reminds of alana springsteen.

 

I'll give this record another listen, but I definitely remember it feeling be a little too smooth when it came out. Impressive from a talent perspective, but sort of soulless to my ears.

With that said, it's essential that anyone hearing "For Months Now" for the first time also knows about the version Madi Diaz recorded for Weird Faith (it's more emotionally raw in a way that kind of makes the Trousdale one sound like Disney or Kidz Bop for how much has been sanded off and layered on):

 

Seems like they’re both aiming for different things. But thanks for sharing. Interested in comparing the two interpretations once I listen to the Trousdale record in full.

 

I actually pretty dramatically prefer the Trousdale version of this song. They’re better singers and the harmonies really elevate it, imo. And I like that Madi Diaz record a lot.

Also, cmon, the Kidz Bop comparison is silly.

 

Yes, definitely different targets.

Sorry, I might've overstepped with that comparison a bit (the Disney one probably covers my point well enough). I was more trying to get at how I hear it than to put down anyone else's taste. I do definitely disagree about the harmonies elevating this specific song, though haha. There's just no world where I'd choose the Trousdale version over the Madi Diaz one for my own listening.

 

I did hear the Trousdale version way before I heard the Madi version, so that's also a factor.

 

listened to sometimes no less than fifteen times today

 

The harmonies on Out of My Mind are very impressive and Bad Blood really got its hooks right in my ears. Unfortunately, it feels pretty sanitized after a few more songs and the shine wears off and it becomes a mixed bag from there. There are other moments that stand out (For Months Now, Smart Iowa, and the title track are other highlights), but the beauty of the three part harmonies wasn’t enough to keep me fully engaged for the full 41 minutes. Out Of My Mind is a really fantastic song though.

That being said, there’s enough promise here to convince me to check out where they go next. If it’s a little more in the direction of the closer where the harmonies seem to be a little more deliberate in the way the contribute to the mood of the song, then I think it could be something special.

 

Hey, thanks for checking it out!

For reference, here's the lead single from their new album:

I'm also wondering if you'd prefer their more live/demo stuff to their studio work. I personally really like the slick production style for them, but I wouldn't say no to a more stripped down approach either. Here a One Direction cover and a demo from their deluxe edition that show off a different side:

 

Listening to this now.

I was wrong about listening to this—I’d only heard their singles before the album dropped, “Any Day Now,” “Always Joni,” and the others.

First track has more bubblegum pop-type vibes than I was expecting, but “If I’m Honest” brought me back in. Really fun song.

On track 5 now and it’s really nice—much more what I’d expected going in.

 

This album is not my thing though I still listened to the end. There are moments that impress me musically like in "Can't Get Your Love Back" and "Placebo," and ear-worms all over the vocal melodies and harmonies like in the closer title track (best song on here), but then there are songs like "If You're Hurting" which I found extremely cloying. The lyrics are whatever throughout, but I don't think they're aiming for gold there. For me, some of this sways too close to the Taylor Swift brand of country-flecked pop to say I enjoyed the whole thing--that said, I can see myself having fun with an album of tracks like the title track if they ever wanted to lean into that.

 

Thanks, I’ll check this out when I get a minute.

 

Enjoyed the Trousdale album quite a bit. Even if the harmonies and slick production are a little much for me at times, the songs are really good. I’ll definitely check out some of the live stuff because I think I would like that even more.

 

That Night Changes performance is very impressive. The harmonies really stand out in that setting. Same with the NPR session. You can get a better sense of the difficulty involved in their style. The new single didn’t do too much for me on first listen, but I might still check out the album when it drops.

 

@Contender your turn!

 

I really like that NPR video because watching them sing makes it easier to see how often they're handing off the melody line between them. They do it so smoothly that you almost don't realize it's happening.