Pop & Indie:
CONCERT: 12/29/24 Pitbull @ Mohegan Sun
I haven’t listened to Shawn Mendes since middle school and the vibe of “Heart of Gold” was definitely not what I expected from him. It’s nothing like the music released when posters of him from J-14 scattered the walls of teenage girls. It’s new and different and has more emotion. The sound is soft and the guitar is almost louder than his voice. I like this version of him. His new album “Shawn” is set to be released later this month.
Lauren Spencer Smith released “Small,” a song about insecurities. Smith takes a complicated feeling and turns it into a sad and vulnerable piece that is worth a listen. She has a beautiful voice that I can’t wait to hear more of in the future.
“Ashes & rust” is an emotional and powerful song released on Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler’s new album, “brent iii.” I really enjoyed this song, although it’s quite sad. I think Zucker and Cutler’s voices blend together beautifully and I will be listening to the entire new album!
Punk & Alternative:
CONCERT: 12/14 – Death Threat @ Space Ballroom
After weeks of waiting at the edge of our metaphorical seats, The Cure finally released its latest album “Songs Of A Lost World” on November 1. The album features eight tracks, each solely written and composed by the band’s lead singer and guitarist Robert Smith. The band’s first studio album in 16 years, “Songs Of A Lost World” had a lot to live up to. According to Robert Smith, the album was “influenced by the death of his brother and the collective loss through the pandemic.” I said in a previous Weekly that “Songs Of A Lost World” would be reminiscent of “Disintegration,” the band’s hit 1989 album—and I was right. Both albums have the same murky, melancholic atmosphere that is a signature of the band’s sound. The album has received glowing reviews from critics, deservedly—I think it’ll be a hit.
Classic pop-punk band Set It Off released a new single on November 1, a re-recorded version of their most popular song off of the band’s 2014 album “Duality.” “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing [REBORN]” is a powerful, thunderous sequel to the original. Written about two people that wronged frontman Cody Carson early in his musical career, the song urges that “karma will come collect their debt.” This new version has the energy of someone who has not received justice. The original song is a vent piece, this new version is angry, like something has been left to linger inside. As a fan, this new release absolutely does the original justice and expands upon it in a way that makes it clear that it’s been ten years since the original release. There’s definitely some sonic development, more texture, and layers than in the original. You can hear the maturity in Carson’s vocals, he performs some fairly impressive vocal gymnastics and projects his anger into the piece incredibly well. Considering some other recent re-records, Set It Off has done really well here, and I’m impressed.
Irish Alt-Rock band Inhaler released a new single this past week on October 29. Titled “Your House,” it is the first single to be released to promote the band’s new album “Open Wide,” set to be released in February 2025. The best way I can describe this track is Sara Bareilles goes rock. The textured electric guitar and bass are paired with a subtle synth producing the same chords that would be heard in tracks like “Love Song.” Inhaler got its start in Dublin, Ireland in 2012, with vocalist and guitarist Elijah Hewson, bassist Robert Keating, guitarist Josh Jenkinson and drummer Ryan McMahon.
Alternative legends They Might Be Giants released a new EP on October 25. The EP, “Beast of Horns (Sampler)” consists of four live tracks from the band’s ongoing “The Big Show” tour that feature and highlight horns: saxophones, trumpets, etc. The EP takes classic songs from the band’s long career, with “I’ll Sink Manhattan” from 1991, to “The Darlings of Lumberland” from 2013. The EP is incredibly interesting because it isn’t a full release—it’s serving as an advertisement for itself. The EP is a “Sampler” of a full live album with 13 tracks that is currently only able to be listened to if you purchase a physical or digital copy.
Folk & Country:
CONCERT: 2/21 – Cowboy Junkies @ SHU Community Theatre
Josiah and the Bonnevilles released a new album on October 25, a country album made up entirely of covers—though not all the songs were originally country songs. For instance, Josiah’s rendition of “Good Luck Babe” by Chappell Roan was unexpected, yet the lyrics pair surprisingly well with his husky voice and the somber tone of an acoustic guitar. He also offers a beautiful cover of “Waiting Room” by Phoebe Bridgers, which, with Josiah’s unique twist and the addition of a harmonica, feels like it was always meant to be a country song. My favorite cover on the album is “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver. Here, Josiah teams up with the band Trampled by Turtles to add a bluegrass twist to this classic, making it all the more captivating.
The living legend Willie Nelson released his 153rd album, “Last Leaf on the Tree,” on November 1. Produced by Nelson’s son Micah, the album marks another genre shift in Nelson’s long career, as he once again experiments with new sounds. “Last Leaf on the Tree” ventures into experimental folk, featuring reversed recordings, echoey backing tracks, and electronic soundscapes. The album includes covers of unexpected artists such as Beck, Nina Simone, and The Flaming Lips. The overall mood of the album is reflective and dreamlike, capturing a sense of life’s final chapters closing and new journeys beginning. This theme resonates especially in the song “Color of the Sound,” co-written by Willie and Micah, which stands out as a highlight of the album. The song’s lyrics are both beautiful and poignant, with lines that linger, particularly, “new beginnings unfolding when the end comes around.” Overall, the album is filled with soft melodies and heartfelt emotions, radiating the love and collaboration between father and son.
Released on October 18, “Darling Avenue” is Saint Valentine’s second single. Saint Valentine is a rising artist and drag king whose first single, “THE BEACH HOUSE (AN OMEN),” currently has just over 5,000 streams—a number that, in my opinion, doesn’t do their talent justice. With the release of “Darling Avenue”, I’m hopeful their streaming numbers will start to reflect their potential. “Darling Avenue” is an upbeat folk song that feels like a ray of sunshine. It’s fun, catchy, and has all the qualities of a great folk tune. Saint Valentine’s voice harmonizes beautifully with itself, creating a layered, warm sound that perfectly complements the song’s story of nervous love and being loved authentically. If you happened to catch Chappell Roan on Saturday Night Live this past weekend, her new song “She Gets the Job Done” might remind you of Darling Avenue. Both songs push the boundaries for queer artists in country and folk music, bringing a refreshing authenticity to these genres. Definitely give “Darling Avenue” by Saint Valentine a listen, you won’t regret it.
Hip-Hop & R&B:
CONCERT: 12/13 – Sleep Theory @ Toyota Oakdale
For Halloween this year, premier coke rapper Westside Gunn released a ton of music. First, on Halloween day he released an EP called “11,” which will likely just end up getting swallowed up by his already immensely long discography. The next day he dropped a 14-song album titled, “Still Praying,” which is thought to be a successor to his hit 2020 album, “Pray for Paris.” It’s very similar to that album sonically, equipped with a lot of the same eerie, classical-inspired beats with big orchestral moments. He also pays a lot of homage to the late Virgil Abloh, the famous Off-White designer who also made the “Pray for Paris” album cover. Westside Gunn still kills it with his clever lyricism and wordplay, opting for a unique wrestling motif on this project. He also adds hip-hop staple DJ Drama to every song, which really elevates the energy on the whole. My favorite song was pretty easily the title track, “Still Praying,” and it might be one of my favorite posse tracks ever. With features from Stove God Cooks, Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, and Boldy James, this is a song crafted by the heavens to me. The beat is pretty mellow with slow swelling synths and deep drums, and every Griselda member is clearly in their element. While it is almost a seven-minute song, I think it’s worth every second.
Just like Westside Gunn, Freddie Gibbs dropped a project a day before normal. Instead of dropping on Friday, Freddie also opted for a Thursday Halloween drop date, which totally fits this album. The beats on this album are slower, bass-heavy and sort of lo-fi, which you don’t see from Freddie very often. There’s a lot of cool guitar production on this album too, which he’s very familiar with if you’ve heard albums past. I’ve rambled so much on here about how much I love Freddie’s flows and rhyme schemes, but the song he implements these skills the best is “It’s Your Anniversary,” which samples “Anniversary” by Tony! Toni! Toné!. The sample is sped up on Freddie’s version, and it’s honestly impressive how well he keeps up. It reminds me of beats I’d hear from his collab projects with Madlib, and the project feels like a true return to form for Freddie Gibbs.
Of course, I have to talk about Lil Uzi Vert’s new album, “Eternal Atake 2.” Uzi is probably Philly’s most prominent rapping talent, and I have to make sure to rep my own. Unfortunately, though, I didn’t have a ton of positive takeaways from this project. I was expecting it to sound either like his most recent album, “Pink Tape,” which had some really unique rap/rock fusion stuff, or “Eternal Atake,” which was released four years ago right before the pandemic sent everyone home. Despite the times I have some great memories associated with that album, and it holds a lot of songs that fans consider Uzi classics. I don’t think “EA2” has any songs that will be reflected on that way. He stays true to his style of witty, fast bars and futuristic trap beats, but only a couple of songs stood out to me. I liked the beat and the vibe of “Not An Option” but it’s nowhere near as good as some of Uzi’s earlier hits.
