February is Music Writer Exercise Month #MWE • Page 57

The two second song is also a genuinely very funny idea too.

 

100% My wife and I are watching Silicon Valley currently and there’s an episode where that song is used for a running joke. That reminder of this albums existence was my inspiration lol

 

Adding a few that I've missed. Really enjoyed Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Boz Scaggs

 

Today’s album is Hardcore by Lil Kim from 1996. Opens with a fairly unpleasant skit about masturbation and butter, which isn’t a great way to start an album.

Lyrics are pretty explicitly sexual throughout, so can see how this would be an influence on the likes of WAP, and I guess good from a representation perspective that it’s not just blokes who make music like this. From a production perspective , the songs are cool and she’s clearly a great rapper technically, but found myself wincing a little bit because of the lyrical content throughout. But maybe (certainly) that says more about me than the album!

Cool to hear some familiar voices like Jay Z, P Diddy and Biggie here too.

 

Day… Pneuma Moving Mountains

Moving Mountains have been a band that has fascinated me since high school. I first discovered them on their album Waves. A few years later, I fell in love with their Self Titled album. I’m a huge fan of bands that change their sound on every release, and the idea of this band doing a post-rock album sounded like my kind of thing. And it was, but not as much as I expected. This album is a very impressive mixture of genres for so early in a band’s career. Nothing on here hit me as hard upon first listen as on their other projects, but with this style that can be expected. I listened while working, so song titles were missed, but I can’t wait to listen back and figure out how all of my favorite parts fit together as individual tracks. It’s also gratifying to know that Moving Mountains have always been great.

 

Absolutely WILD to prefer Waves to Pneuma.

But that’s the beauty of subjective appreciation of art.

 

I was wondering how people would respond to this lol no regrets though.

 

i think pneuma would benefit greatly from a remastering/mixing. it kind of is extremely difficult to listen to at times

doesn’t matter, s/t and foreword are their best

 

How do you love as many gnarly rock bands as you do and not find early-career underproduction charming?

 

I liked Waves more than Pneuma for years. Boy does Pneuma grow on you though.

Both are fantastic though and easily the bands best work.

 

i like it when it’s intentional, the band clearly didn’t want to be underproduced given the rest of their career haha

 

Today’s album is Sea Change by Beck from 2002, and based on Craig’s post below, I was expecting something different from this…

This is a lush, layered record, that’s a really sad listen. It reminds me of Nick Cave perhaps at times, a very personal and affecting record, about loneliness and heartache. The songs are well written, with the simplicity of the acoustic folky base, and then additional layers of instrumentation to make them feel larger.

Not what I was expecting, but this was really great.

I initially assumed this was genuine, so had marked it in my mind as a happy, fun album to listen to, and was prepared for that. Not quite…

 

Ha! I’m sorry I set you up with a different expectation, but it sounds like it was a memorable experience at least! Glad you enjoyed the record. Definitely my favorite Beck album.

 

I absolutely WILL get caught up.

 

I gotta check that Frank album, jeez.

 

It’s a straight up narrative album about a guy whose wife leaves him with their two children for life in the big city and how lost he feels after. It’s gorgeous and oh so sad at the same time.

 

Haven't posted mine in here in a few days.

 

Too late now to not get caught up.
Day 22: Songs of Love and Hate by Leonard Cohen.
An artist I’ve been dying to dig into and I did it at the perfect time. Got to absorb this album while getting some much needed solitude. The album’s instrumentation is sparse. When mixed with Cohen’s enthralling lyrics and delivery, and occasional backup singers however, the results are undeniable. Cohen is able to take you into his dark, literate world with just enough of a smirk to keep it all from being devastating. I have already found myself coming back to this multiple times since and am dying for a chance to really sit down with the lyrics and go through it all again.

Favorite Tracks: “Last Year’s Man”, “Dress Rehearsal Rag”, and “Sing Another Song, Boys”

 

Today’s album is The Future and The Past by Natalie Prass (not to be confused with British actress Natalie Press…). This is a lightly funky soft rock album, sounding a little bit Janelle Monae and a little bit Mitski. Pretty cool stuff, enjoyable as a whole album, but no particular stand out songs on a first listen, but one I may well be back for more.

 

That was my 2018 aoty! Short Court Style is the bop to end all bops. Glad to see it in here!

 

February turned out to be one headache after the other and I didn’t really have the time or energy to follow up on this project. Have barely even been getting to new releases. Bummer, but also a reminder to set aside time for these records year round. Got about 20 I’ll get to by the year’s end

 

Day 23: Harvest Home by Mark Lanegan Band

Inspired to check out this one upon news of his passing. The opening title track is a bit of a red herring, guitar focused and a little more upbeat than the rest of the album, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The whole album is mostly slower songs that feature varied synths and backing drums. The whole point is obviously to let Mark’s lyrics and vocals shine and they do. Dark lyrics tinged with the faintest glimpses of hope are delivered soulfully and often perfectly framed by the instrumentation. I’ll need more time with this one, especially now that he is gone, it deserves the time I never gave it sooner.

Favorites: “Harvest Home”, “Torn Red Heart”, “The Killing Season”, and “Seventh Day

 

Really, really tough to keep up with this exercise during a release week like this one. Might need to catch up over the weekend.