Quick Hits, Vol. 87 (Lissie, The Struts, M. Ward, Lucius)

So, I had been scheduled to go see My Morning Jacket last night at an ACL taping, and was really looking forward to it.  Sadly, the hookup we had for the tickets fell through, so we missed out on that one.  But, I fired up the Austin City Limits YouTube channel and watched about an hours worth of the taping through their live stream, and it was awesome.  Zero buffering or lag on the music, crystal clear picture, and the band sounded top notch.  Jim James doesn't get enough love for his voice, but he can truly be gorgeous.

Lissie - My Wild West.  Really nice album.  My first time though, I kind of quit paying attention and lost the thread on the music until the dove calls on "Sun Keeps Risin'."  This is going to sound weird, but I'm a sucker for the sound of a dove coo'ing.  My elementary school had an aviary attached to the library, so when my bookish young self was reading in there before school, I used to love the sounds of the dove as ambient noise.  And that song starts with the soft dove sample, and then cranks up into a beauty of a sad song.  The hit off of this album is a catchy, pop tune, called "Don't You Give Up on Me" with just over 700k listens.

That is a fine pop song.  The rest of the album doesn't go that hard for the pop hook, it feels more like an old Sheryl Crow album.  Not that it is all soft focus, see "Daughters," but it has more of a chilled vibe overall.  Stuff like "Stay" also straddles a line between torchy Lana Del Rey type singers and a more country sound.  Oh, and not on this album, but Lissie also covers "Go Your Own Way," which is an awesome cover.

The Struts - Everybody Wants. So, you may remember (although I doubt it) that I reviewed these guys a while back after listening to their four song EP.  And I loved it.  Well, this is the full length, and its got those four songs and then a blast of other awesome ones as well. From my last review: "Could Have Been Me" is a wide-open fist pumper that should be used at every stadium in the world to get the crowd on their feet, clapping over their heads while tears stream down their faces.  Very Freddie Mercury, especially with the hoots and hollers during the crowd-sing-along portion.  "Kiss This" is a strutting peacock of a funky dance kiss-off. Very different from the first track, but just as appealing.  "Put Your Money on Me" cranks up some 70's guitar licks and tambourine for a sunny hand-clapper straight out of K-Billy's Super Sounds of the Seventies.  "Where Did She Go" is immediately cranked up to 11 as well, a pub sing-along fit for any soccer pitch across the world."
That last one is now the album closer and its perfect.  I put in the video of "Could Have Been Me" last time, which is probably the top song on the album, but let me show you the awesome bounce of "Put Your Money on Me"

Seriously.  That is so kick ass.  I know it is derivative and cribs off of years of other artists, but just revel in the pure joy of that track.  Do it.  Give in and have some fun for once in your miserable life.  The full album also adds the fun of "Dirty Sexy Money," that includes a great line about a lady being "so shit hot," which also must be enjoyed.  This is fun stuff.

M. Ward - More Rain.  I must just be in a good damn mood right now, because everything is sounding like magic to me.  Instead of the fun from the Struts up there, this one is relaxed and beautiful.  Like a slow drive through the redwoods listening to the Beck songs that channel Nick Drake.  He's got that same soft-focus, laid back Americana sound that just feels so comfortable.  Some gets a little more excited, a little more of the Wilco chug, but he keeps that soft tone in his voice and its just lovely.  The top track from this album so far on Spotify is "Pirate Dial," with just under 200k listens.

Right?  Just slip down into that comfy groove.  I'm going to fire this album on this weekend when it is supposed to rain a couple of inches, and lull the kids into this wonderful, relaxed, complacent paradise where no one will hit anyone else and they'll happily brush teeth and go to bed.  Or, "Time Won't Wait" will kick in and start chugging and they'll decide that Saturday night's alright for fighting.  Anyway, I think this album sound great - keeping it around for a while.

Lucius - Good Grief.  I remember listening to this band back for the 2014 ACL lineup, and liking them a lot.  If you are a fan of remarkably strong female voices and sweet harmonies with rock and roll/electro-pop/soul backup, then you should be all over these guys.  Fun music, excellent singing, good times.  The most-listened to track is called "Born Again Teen," with 1.174 million spins.

Rock and roll, right?  And the video is kind of a weird Uber-ride-from-hell-but-running-from-the-cops-for-no-discernible-reason thing.  I had the deluxe version of this album in my Spotify queue for the past few weeks, and it started to wear on me - the extra songs are just a little too damn much.  But if you cut this down to the original 11 songs, it is a much more concise and enjoyable album.