2021 New Music Roundup
Here’s a recap of some of our favorite records so far in 2021 and a preview of some upcoming releases:
Julien Baker — Little Oblivions
Memphis’s Julien Baker is cut from the same sad girl cloth as her boygenius bandmate Phoebe Bridgers. Baker goes for a bigger, full band sound on her third release, but there’s still plenty of the highly personal, heart-wrenching confession she’s known for. Baker–augmented by Bridgers and Lucy Dacus on “Favor”–adds more instrumentation, most notably a rhythm section, to create a more mainstream, alt-pop sound. Little Oblivions will satisfy her fans while attracting people looking for a little more power.
Barry Gibb — Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Volume 1
The Bee Gees are experiencing a moment right now, due in part to HBO’s excellent How Can You Mend a Broken Heart documentary. And rightfully so: the group’s considerable songbook still sounds great and deserves to find new fans. For his first solo LP since 2016’s In The Now, Barry Gibb, the last living brother, went to Nashville to partner with a variety of Country’s and Americana’s leading lights. As is the case with most tribute/collaborative efforts, the results are hit and miss. At its best, with Miranda Lambert on “Run To Me” and Dolly Parton on “Words,” the album updates and expands on classic Bee Gees material in rewarding fashion. At its worst, it is often overproduced and soulless, especially on “Lonely Days” with Jay Buchanan (from Rival Sons) and “Butterfly,” which may be the most polished recording Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have done. Not surprisingly, more is less when it comes to recording with some Americana artists.
Aaron Lee Tasjan — Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!
Tasjan was born in Delaware but bounced around the U.S. before arriving in Nashville. For his fifth studio effort he went to LA to complete his transition from folk-rock to classic rock. Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!, his best album to date, reads like the script for a movie about Tasjan’s journey. Our hero, a self-described “metropolitan Conway Twitty,” follows “Tin Pan Todd” around learning the tricks of the trade while trying not to make “cartoon music for plastic people,” only to ultimately conclude that the secret is to not “overthink it.” The album features hooks galore and marries Tasjan’s robust sense of humor to the melodicism of The Beatles; you’ll swear you’ve heard these songs before, even though they’re all new. “Up All Night,” the most likely hit, is infectious, funny and evokes the sun-drenched Southern California Tom Petty sound that’s best when played at loud volume on your car radio. When Tasjan sings “It’s really not so sad pretending things are not that bad” at the end, it’s an affirmation of his new-found wisdom and his acceptance that the journey is the reward.
The Weather Station — Ignorance
Toronto’s Tamara Lindeman has been recording as The Weather Station since 2008. Her fifth record is a giant leap forward and considerably more accessible than her previous efforts. Lindeman has expanded from folk-rock into a jazzier, more piano-based pop mix. Ignorance focuses lyrically on accepting and reckoning with climate change and our dysfunctional relationship with the planet, but it cloaks its serious subject matter in catchy melodies that are hard to shake. Lindeman’s semi-detached vocal tone takes a little getting used to, but the heart of this album–especially “Tried To Tell You,” “Parking Lot” and “Separation”–are songs that are powerful, captivating and unforgettable. Ignorance is the best album I’ve heard so far in 2021.
Neil Young and Crazy Horse — Way Down in the Rust Bucket
Neil Young’s cup continues to runneth over with archival releases. In addition to the second round of his Archives Vol. 2, Young recently dropped this legendary, 4-LP 1991 concert from Santa Cruz’s famed Catalyst nightclub. Featuring much of the Ragged Glory material that would inspire the grunge movement, Way Down in the Rust Bucket finds Young emerging from his eighties doldrums and shaking the cobwebs off in long, guitar-drenched versions of new and classic material. If Neil’s quieter side is more to your liking, have no fear: on March 26 he’s releasing Young Shakespeare, a solo show LP/DVD from 1971.
In other music news:
Lord Huron have been doing a series of livestreams and recently dropped “Not Dead Yet,” their first new song in nearly three years. If the song is any indication, the group’s fourth LP should their best yet.
St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) has announced a May 14 release date for Daddy’s Home, her seventh album. Clark has promised an album that is a “tectonic shift” and that draws heavily from the soul and New York glam-rock of the early seventies. The first single, “Pay Your Way in Pain,” was just released.
Valerie June has been simmering under the surface for several years. The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers may be the album that helps her find a larger audience, if first single “Call Me a Fool” (featuring fellow Memphis acolyte Carla Thomas) is any indication.
Warren Ellis is a member of the Bad Seeds and Grinderman, two Nick Cave-led rock institutions. Ellis has kept himself busy during the lockdown making music. He has a new record with bandmate Cave, Carnage, out on May 28, and a collaboration with COVID-19 survivor and Jagger muse Marianne Faithfull, She Walks in Beauty, out on April 30.
Australian rocker Courtney Barnett has just launched a new, extensive online archive of audio, video and posters from her years of touring. It’s a great resource for her fans and is also accepting submissions.
