Florence + The Machine - Everybody Scream. I wish that there was a single on this. Because her voice is freaking magic - definitely one of my favorite female singers - and I think some of that comes from the time I saw her live and it felt like I had the top of my head blown off. She can wail or croon or whisper or bray and all of them swaddle me like silk. The opening/title track is a little odd to me, in that it feels like she is making fun of how the crowd reacts to her show. I guess it isn't making fun so much as finding comfort in it, but it also seems to cheapen the pleasure of freaking out at a show. But the second tune, "One of the Greats" has stuck with me some, just because it builds in a really great way until it all falls out for the orchestral outro. The opening clicking and tense vocals of "Witch Dance" is also cool. But I don't feel like there is one that just jams - lots of thickly layered songs with heavy lyrics and style shifts throughout. Maybe I'm vacuous, but gimme a "Dog Days Are Over." The top track is the title track with 23.2 million streams.
As someone with a tiny tattoo on my lower gut, the idea of a tattoo on the Achilles region seems really painful to me. But watching them all freak out in the little pressed-tin ceilinged room gave me the goose bumps anyway. Feels like this song will be great when they play live, just to get the whole crowd doing as they are told. Some clever boffin is going to figure to scream FLORENCE when she tells the crowd to scream her name and will be very proud of him or herself. I like the album - this is good music - I just wanted something more catchy if I could get it.
JID - God Does Like Ugly. I have talked about J.I.D. before, and I find him to be one of the best-sounding rappers around right now. He's got a deep tone like Pusha T, and wildly inventive lyricism like Kendrick. High praise, I know. My personal issue with this album is that it is not very fun. I want my rap to be a good time, and this is some time-consuming, deep-dive-listening type stuff where you really need to sit down and listen carefully for it to mean anything. So much work! Jeez! But like, "Glory" is somewhat accessible with all of the beat switches and the gospel singers getting after it in the background. "WRK" is the top streamer, and feels the most like a traditional catchy rap track aiming for popularity. 16.4 million streams and a good groove.
Get yo ass up! The next song features Clipse and is cool, to hear all three of these guys on one track, just trying to outdo each other. For me, personally, I could do without the pop angle it seems to go in about halfway through the disc. "No Boo" with all of the Spanish language bits can go, "Sk8" with Ciara and Earthgang isn't doing it for me, but the Don Toliver track "What We On" can stay even if it is kind of slow. Thankfully, "On McAfee" pops back with a brawny beat and some dexterous vocals to get me back into the mood. Mereba sounds like Janet Jackson ("comin' out the car lookin' more like Freddie Jackson!") but once she is done, "Of Blue" gets better. Uneven album for me. I wish it had more real bangers.
Goose - Chain Yer Dragon. I am becoming a bit obsessive with Goose. This week, my youngest walked into the living room/kitchen area as I was cooking dinner and jamming to a very weird Christmas-time Goose show on YouTube, raised an eyebrow at me, and asked who my favorite band of all time is. I said, as I have always said since about 1988, R.E.M., and then went into a longer explanation that she promptly tuned out. Good times. But I will definitely say that I have been listening to this band like crazy over the past few months. And this disc is a big reason why. This album rules. You may hate jam band music, and that is totally fine, but the opening track just makes me happy with its goofy ass lyrics and funky strut. "please don't groove in the middle of my love connection" is just a wonderful lyric. I like how the disc gives you multiple facets - funky groove nuggets and chill balladry and all of the points in between. Just makes me want to reach for it again each time it is time to play music (which annoys the crap out of my lovely wife). Criminally low stream count, so maybe I'm just out here on an island jamming by myself... "Madalena" is the top track with 1.4 million streams.
That's your piano ballad side, but it is really nice. Makes me think of some smooth 70's AM gold - if James Taylor used more instruments and liked his bassist to funk it up. "Royal" kinda rules too. I think they just do a great job of allowing a little bit of jammy wandering, but still keep the overall songs themselves cohesive and tight enough.
Margo Price - Hard Headed Woman. Pretty straight-forward, classic country thing. I don't hear any obvious hits or lyrics that really turn my head, but bumping along with "Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down," which sounds like it could have been an old Waylon tune from back in the day being covered now, is entirely pleasant. Sadly for her, the top song, by 3x, is the one that features Tyler Childers. "Love Me Like You Used to Do." 1.5 million streams.
Again, that could be a classic tune from 1975 - and nothing is wrong with that at all! If you want to hear a really well-sung country ballad, then you are in the right spot! I generally like it, but I am also generally ready to quit hearing it. When I want some country music, this will be a sweet spot. But most days, I would prefer other things.
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