Howdy folks! Time for a pile o' singles! I've been trying to run through the full albums in my list a few times each just to make sure there isn't something special I am missing for the end of year list, while also trying to avoid everyone else's year end lists, and so I've ended up with a big pile of singles that I need to handle. So here you go!
- Drake & Lil Durk - Laugh Now Cry Later. I mean, how boring is Drake? The beat here is appealing, with good horns and a nice bass line (that inexplicably leaves for a while?), but the lyrics are just more of him sing-songing vapid lines. And, of course, the track has 309 million freaking streams. if the bass stayed the whole time, I'd like this one more. [since initially writing this, I've discovered that my middle kid jams this at every single basketball practice because she thinks it is "hype." I'm sad for the future.
- Fredo Bang - Oouuh. This song blows. I was trying out some rappers that Rolling Stone had said were good in an article talking about, like, Birmingham rappers or some other out of the way place. The title itself is shit, but the track itself is just generic stuff with too much singing.
- Travis Scott - The Plan. Weird beat - sounds like Trent Reznor got caught up in Kanye's trip to Hawaii to make the Fantasy album. Kind of ominous - totally forgettable. Nothing about it sticks to the ribs at all.
- Temples - Paraphernalia. Pretty solid. I love the psych rock thing that Temples has done over the years, so I may be biased, but this sounds kind of Asian, kind of Strokes, kind of trippy, so I dig the overall vibe. Not great, but good.
- Foo Fighters - Shame Shame. Another one that I give a pass to for every track because I just love them, despite the derision it wins me from some friends. I'll readily admit that the start of this one is weird - plucked violin strings and like a campfire drummer/clap vibe, and it never fully kicks in. It definitely gets a little brawnier, but there is never the full-on rock out moment that I need. I guess a new album is on the way.
- Sam Fender - Winter Song. One of my favorite ACL discoveries from last time, who unfortunately bailed on performing. This is some depressing shit though. Seemed like it might be a Christmas song of some sort, although it does mention Santa.
- Tierra Whack - Peppers and Onions. This track, like all Tierra Whack songs, makes me purely happy. The mouth clicking and whistling combine to make me grin, the bass makes me wiggle, and clever lyrics about gum stuck to her shoes keeping her from reaching the sun. Nice one.
- Cornelius - Drop. Reminds me of that Superorganism group - quirky use of odd sounds to make poppy tunes. I found it because someone called him the Japanese Beck, which I don't think I'm hearing. Not anything amazing.
- Local Natives - Statues in the Garden. Starts like the psych version of the Beatles. Nice enough tune, just not very interesting.
- Travis Scott, Young Thug, & M.I.A. - FRANCHISE. Another ominous beat for Scott, but I kinda like this one. It really doesn't give MIA much room to shine, but it's kind of a cool track.
- The Glorious Sons - S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun). Solid rock barroom singalong candidate. "Yeeeeeeeaaaaaah, they sent the taxman, I lost my job and, you got hooked on Oxycontin, they shut the lights off, they took the car and, I bought a sawed off shotgun!" Yeah buddy.
- City Girls - Jobs. Salty ladies rap with solid lyrics and a middling, basic beat. if the beat was more interesting, I think the track would be better. I like when they tell me that they are going to whip my ass like my momma do.
- Pearl Jam - Get It Back. Yeah buddy. Pure Pearl Jamminess right here - quiet/loud in all the right ways, along with totally inscrutable lyrics that might be about whatever you want them to be about.
- Too Free - ATM. When this came on again, I thought it was probably a Disclosure track. Quirky electronic tune with some gentle vocals.
- Polo G - Pop Out. I really like that he tells people to "tuck your chain," as that makes me think of Friday, and anything that does that is cool. The guest verse by Lil Tjay is bad though, it takes the track down.
- BMW KENNY - #WIPEITDOWN. Crap track. Sounds like he's trying to create some sort of dance move by saying "wipe" over and over, and then telling people how to do the dance. Which I hate. Probably big on tiktok. Bad beat too.
- Greta Van Fleet - My Way, Soon. The guitar licks on this one sound like they are trying to emulate Pearl Jam instead of Zeppelin. I know these guys are a flashpoint of anger for a lot of people, but I dig the schtick.
- Zola - Hold On. Great track. She's got some of the Highwomen on here crushing the harmonies - super pretty and a lovely sentiment. Love it.
- YG - FDT. Such a great thing that this exists. I just wish it didn't drop the N word so much so that I could sing along to it without so much self-censoring. This one was from 2016.
- YG - FGT 2. I mean, I'm still FDT all day, but I'm also FG-Eazy all day as well, so this one doesn't do as much for me.
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