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A personal review of some of my favourite albums and songs from the last month.
For January's FotM, I have decided to cover one album and four singles. I hope the inclusion of singles gives people a more accessible glimpse into new artists and gets them ready and excited for future albums. The artists featured are: Mac Miller, Lucy Dacus, Joy Crookes, Black Country, New Road and Japanese Breakfast.
Artist: Mac Miller
Album: Balloonerism
Label: Warner
Genres: Jazz, psychedelic hip hop, experimental hip hop
Mac Miller passed away in 2018 and this is the second posthumous album we have been blessed with. Written and recorded in 2014, my instinct is that a great deal of production effort has been made in recent years, making it Miller’s most eccentric and experimental work yet. Furthermore, the extended passages of instrumental may indicate a lack of recorded material from Miller.
This may sound like negative feedback, but that isn’t my intention. I have found myself completely absorbed by this album’s production on several occasions, and the beautifully poetic verses serve as oases in the desert of psychedelia. Some highlights include the piano in “Funny Papers”, Thundercat’s bass in “5 Dollar Pony Rides”, SZA’s vocals in “DJ’s Chord Organ” and Miller’s vocals in “Shangri-La”.
If this is the last set of new music we hear from Mac Miller, I don’t believe he could have gone out on a higher high. Balloonerism does his legacy justice.
Artist: Lucy Dacus
Song: Ankles
Label: Geffen
Genres: Indie rock, indie folk
I’m a big fan of Lucy Dacus’ vocal tone. It lends itself so well to her folky, indie rock sound and never becomes unpleasant. I’m an avid follower of all the projects she’s involved with, particularly her work with the supergroup Boygenius. Her solo work has previously been underappreciated, but this album cycle is shaping up to be her breakthrough, having performed “Ankles” on multiple chat shows in the US. Watch this space!
Artist: Joy Crookes
Song: Pass the Salt
Label: Insanity/Sony
Genres: Neo soul, alternative R&B
Joy Crookes is another artist whose voice I can’t get enough of. 2022’s “Skin” is a stunning tapestry of her upbringing and heritage and is one of my favourite albums. “Pass the Salt” may signal a move towards grittier tracks and follows the recent trend of producing instrumentals from scratch that sound like crispy 70s samples. Vince Staples’ feature is also nice but disappointingly brief. Overall, I’m undecided on her new direction but I’m keen to hear some more singles.
Artist: Black Country, New Road
Song: Besties
Label: Ninja Tune
Genres: Experimental rock, post-punk, post-rock
Black Country, New Road have my heart. In 2022, their lead singer left the band days before the release of their second studio album. This led to them touring an impromptu live album, sharing the singing responsibilities between them, which I was fortunate enough to see live later that year. “Besties” evokes the same emotions that I felt during that show and makes me crave long walks and road trips in Summer captured on a 35mm film camera.
Artist: Japanese Breakfast
Song: Orlando in Love
Label: Dead Oceans
Genres: Indie pop, indie rock, dream pop, chamber pop
At Glastonbury 2023, I was sat on the grass at the Other Stage with 15 mins to go before Japanese Breakfast’s set when it was suddenly cancelled. “Orlando in Love” is the band’s first new music since 2021 and serves as a slow-burning teaser for their new album, “For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women)”. The track doesn’t give much away but is less danceable than much of their most popular work. Could this be a sign of things to come?
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