I've been giving Taking Back Sunday's discog a chance in order as I've never really listened to them outside of singles. New Again is actually the only album that I enjoyed overall so far. Everything Must Go is easily my favorite song of theirs so far. Hopefully I enjoy S/T and Happiness Is as well.
New Again is actually my second favorite. Been holding that unpopular opinion for a good half-decade now. haha
I like all their albums, Louder Now being my least favorite. If you like New Again, I imagine you'll like Happiness Is. S/T is actually the album that got me interested in them (previously I'd only heard TAYF.
Been listening to the new Saosin song a lot as well as Translating The Name and the other songs Green sang on a lot too. Listened to Daughter's new album this morning after having not listened to it for a month or so and it still holds up. Love it.
That Daughter record is amazing. Definitely new territory for them, but they rise to the occasion for sure
I have to go back an listen to If You Leave. I didn't start really getting into them until late last year, but from the couple of listens I've given that album I love that one too.
I've been listening to Jimmy Eat World, specifically Damage, which I still think is underrated/better than Invented, but the midsection just really falls flat for me ("Please Say No" through "No, Never"). I know that's probably an unpopular opinion, but it's whatever. Still really into the rest, great hooks throughout the first half and the closing tracks are beautiful
I've been crushing the 2016 Raz Simone record Trap Spirituals - it's early in the year but it might be a lock for my top 10.
Pete Yorn's new album is solid. A few really pretty songs. A lot more that are good, sturdy and well-produced, if a bit workmanlike. The new Alex Dezen is awful. Which is hugely disappointing. With The Damnwells, he's been honestly one of my favorite songwriters in recent years, but he entirely forgot how to write lyrics. He includes obnoxiously banal shit ("I looked down at the youtube comments", etc.), throws way too many words into lines, and just generally confuses artless recitation and tell-don't-show with storytelling. Donovan Woods' Hard Settled, Ain't Troubled is really nice. I liked Don't Get Too Grand, but it didn't have the pretty sweep he was going for on The Widowmaker. This gets it back in spades. The strings are a huge asset. "On the Nights You Stay Home" is just outright wonderful. In general, this is the first time his production has ever been a plus for his music. The feedback and really cool drum production on "The First Time" brings it to a higher level than it probably could have been on a previous record. And the little guitar break on "My Good Friends" reminds me so much of John Jennings on classic Mary Chapin Carpenter records, which is one of the highest compliments I have.
Been listening to a lot of Sun Kil Moon and Red House Painters since I got home. I know Mark is an asshole, so I wouldn't blame anyone for not taking this recommendation, but Ghosts of the Great Highway and Old Ramon are such, such good albums. Just a prime era for him as a songwriter, especially if you're not into the spoken drawl of his latter records. Believe it or not, he's actually a great singer (imo), and Old Ramon bridges the droning slowcore of RHP with his newfound penchant for Americana and folk while GOTGH focuses on the latter itself.