Quick Hits, Vol. 189 (Lord Huron, Old Crow Medicine Show, Smoke DZA, The Sherlocks)

Lord Huron - Vide Noir.  I'm just a sucker for this band.  I loved their live show a few years back at ACL so much that I went back the second weekend to see them again.  And while few would accuse me of being in love with indie folk in general as a musical style, I'm a big fan of each album from these fellas.  Its got a touch of Americana mixed in with the indie rock, and it clicks so well for my brain.  "Ancient Names" is good, "Wait by the River" is cool, "The Balancer's Eye" has a swagger and rock-forward sound that I dig, the title song has a cool groove and middle eastern twang, but "When the Night is Over" is the hit so far, with 9.7 million streams.

Got that lounge act slow sway going, and his great voice over the top.  "Never Ever" makes me think of the new Killers album.  I'm in.  Keeper.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Volunteer.  Ever since "Wagon Wheel," I've found these guys to be a pretty pleasant brand of Americana-soaked bluegrass.  This album sticks to that good formula, although its a little forgettable, to be honest.  The most memorable song I can think of right now is the one that sort of sounds like Jimmy Buffett, "A World Away," with some coral reefer style harmonica and a vocal tone that seriously matches Buffett in my mind.  It's not the best song.  And now that I have it in my mind that he sounds like Jimmy Buffett, I can't freaking shake the comparison.  All the songs sound like Buffett making new music with a country band.  Help!  The top track on the album is "Flicker & Shine," with 525k streams. 

It's the album opener, and its fine, but you know my theories about album openers from established bands.  It's only the top track because a bunch of people gave it a shot and then said nah about the rest of the disc.  This sounds like something the Carolina Panthers will use in commercials to get the rednecks in their fanbase psyched for another first round playoff loss.  I like "Old Hickory," and "Elzick's Farewell" is a good bluegrass breakdown instrumental jam.  Yeah, these tunes are fine, but I won't hold on to this album.

Smoke DZA - Not for Sale.  Have no clue where this album came from in my queue, this guy's name doesn't sound familiar at all, but its legit solid rap.  Classic sound.  Interesting tidbit from Wikipedia: "Smoke DZA decided on his moniker after being influenced by Chris Tucker's character Smokey from the movie Friday and the acronym DZA stands for "Dream Zone Achieve""  That last part is highly stupid, but anytime that someone pays respect to Smokey, I'm down.  The guy is from Harlem, and apparently grew up emulating Biggie. (but I'd say that "The High" sounds like Schoolboy Q).  The raps are fine, but the beats are supreme.  The laconic Montclair's sample used on "The Soul" is very cool, and the "The Mood" and "The High" both also have cool samples and smooth vibes.  "The Mood" is the top track, with 1.7 million streams.

What is that sample from?  I mean, I can look it up online and know that it is something called "Sunrise" from a group called The Originals, but it was previously used in another rap.  Feels like its a Jay-Z song, but I can't come up with which one (nope, looked it up, from a Scarface song).  I also dig the line from "The Lifestyle" (which has a trapish beat instead of the boom-bap that is most of this album) about dirt bikes and Sturgis.  That takes some weird levels of knowledge to put together and I dig it.  And that's another one that sounds like Schoolboy Q.  Anyway, I like it.  In this age of garbage rappers, I appreciate his accessible flow and good beats.

The Sherlocks - Live for the Moment.  Now, here is that Arctic Monkeys album I wanted to get with Hotel Tranquility Base.  Fun, jumpy, Brit rock and roll tunes, with a few nice ballads (see "Turn the Clock") but mainly high energy jams.  "Heart of Gold" gives you the "wooooaaahhhhhhoooooowaaaaaaoooooooh" singalong that you know you need, deep in your soul.  The album opener ("Will You Be There") is that kind of brash pop rock kick that the Arctic Monkeys used to mine for gold, before they mellowed into auditory melatonin. "Nobody Knows" fades into an Oasis sound in the end.  But my favorite tune is "Chasing Shadows," with 2.7 million streams.

Weird thing, the official video has a slightly different version of the song, it kind of adds an echo to the vocals as though it is a live song, when I'm pretty sure its not actually a live version of the song.  Weird.  Wait, actually, that's not the album version either.  Or at least the Spotify version is cleaner sounding (and better).  Super weird.  Anyway, you can get the point from that version - driving rock and good lyrics about confusion and trying to figure out your place in the world.  The title track of the album is also very good - this is a great album overall.  You should check it out.