Quick Hits, Vol. 258 (Zach Bryan, The Weeknd, pile o' singles)

Zach Bryan - DeAnn.  I have a relatively new Nephew-in-Law (is that a thing?  I'll assume that is a thing, I will call him Nephew-in-Law) who suggested this guy to me, and I like it.  Very stripped down singer-songwriter type stuff - just a guy and his guitar - but some of these have good turns of phrase that make the guy appealing to me.  I won't say he's as good as Tyler Childers, but he's in that same wheelhouse.  He doesn't have a bio on Spotify, and his photos look like he was a Young Life counselor in a prior life.  This article makes it sound like he's been blowing up because of this album, released without a label or publicity.  He says he is on active duty with the Navy (which is pretty damn boss), but threw this together when some friends encouraged him to let his stuff see the light of day.  "God Speed" has a few great lines, like "And I wanna love a girl who doesn't worry about the pictures when we kiss ... lay in bed all day and call that shit pure bliss."  That's the song I'll give you - 1.9 million streams.

I can imagine that these tunes would be even better with a full-on band and arrangements backing them up.  They're good as they are, but adding in some drums and banjos and a children's choir and digeridoos and BASS DROPS would complete the package.  Cool story, good stuff.

The Weeknd - After Hours.  It actually bums me out that I'm so hard up for new music that I'm having to listen to this album repeatedly.  I know I'm not going to like it, and yet its the last full album in my new music queue.  What do you expect you will get from this album?  Some Michael Jackson level falsetto vocals?  Check.  A few very good Metro Boomin' beats?  Check.  An hour of almost exactly the same sound invading your brain until, at one point while just going through this again, I had to pause it because I thought I was going to lose my mind?  Check.  Just FYI, his song from a few years ago, Starboy, has 1.3 BILLION fucking streams.  And the top on from this album, which sounds like they made a computer listen to all 80's synth rock for 100 years and then create a new track for him, is "Blinding Lights," and it already inexplicably has 592 million freaking streams.

"Self-Control" (Laura Branigan), "Take on Me" (A-Ha), "Maniac" (Footloose soundtrack), "I Ran" (Flock of Seagulls), and "Young Turks" (Rod Stewart) would all like to file a copyright claim against your song right this second, but they're all too busy not dying from COVID-19.  Actually, I keep hearing that "Self-Control" song repeatedly, in so many of these tracks.  I do not enjoy this album, and it can go away.  I'm sure it will be the hit album of the year and I'll have to listen to this crap all the time anyway, but I'm good without it.

Singles:

• The Strokes - At the Door.  The opening little organ grind of this one makes me bummed out each time it starts, but in the end, I actually kind of like the song.  Sooner or later that squelchy organ goes away and it sounds nice, then they have a good solo bit later on.  Actually not bad!
• Jason Isbell - Be Afraid.  I'm falling more and more in love with Isbell.  This one is more of an alt rock track than country/Americana, but obviously that isn't an issue for me.  Between following him on Twitter (very good follow) and diving back into his older tunes, I'm digging it.  This track is a good taster of the new album to come.
• Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus - This is Us.  Never heard of Allen, but I liked a track by Miley's little sister a few weeks ago, so I thought I'd give this one a shot.  It's fine, kind of a generic country pop thing.
• Slander - FEELING GUD.  A guy in my office told me (through a very convoluted story about someone he knows who plays video games or something) that this guy would be coming to ACL this year.  This is an electro re-make of a Nina Simone track, and its not great but it isn't terrible either.
• Skegss - Save It For the Weekend.  Yeah baby.  I dig the band name, dig the raw rock and roll jams.  Got a FIDLAR meets Strokes sound and I'm liking it.  I think this one was written up in a short blurb in Rolling Stone.
• Skegss - Up in the Clouds.  I wish this was my band.
• Dixie Chicks - Gaslighter.  Okay song.  I was pretty excited to have a new one from them, but I wouldn't say that this kiss-off-to-an-ex tune vaults up into the rarefied air of their classics.  Although I wanna know about what happened on her boat.  I want more of the banjo and mandolin too.
• Nothing But Thieves - Is Everybody Going Crazy?  The answer to your question is yes.  The track is pretty solid, but nothing special - hopefully their new album will be good.
• Wallows - OK.  Very tight pop rock nugget right here - I really like it.  Got that Two Door Cinema Club vibe going in here, along with a heavy dose of 80's synth pop, and the catchy groove in here is undeniable.
• The Killers - Caution.  I've been underwhelmed by some of their more recent tunes, but this one has just the right amount of catchy pop and bombastic, soaring rock.  Full on Molly Ringwald-dance time with this one and those massive synth solo licks in the middle.  I like it.
• Run the Jewels - Ooh LA LA.  HELL YES, GIVE ME MORE OF THE RUN THE JEWELS STUFF RIGHT NOW!  If anything is going to get me through shelter-at-home, its more of this brawny, sample-stacked fire.  Like a slo-mo asskicking of my eardrums.  Release the album!  Save us all!