Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend is here! As I mentioned last week, I have a ton of albums that I need to talk about before the end of the year, but I never like to make a list of only new releases. The reason for that is simply that there is a century of great music out there and I like to discover both from the past and the present. In an effort to get sort of caught up though, the majority of this week's albums are from this year, with a few '70s gems thrown into the mix. Enjoy.

Belle and Sebastian - Days of the Bagnold Summer: The first album in four years from the Glasgow indie pop legends, though they did release a three-part EP about a year and half ago. This album (a soundtrack) fits right in with their extensive catalog. They have changed very little since their debut in the mid-90s. Perhaps their are a little less torn by the dreams of youth and more rooted in the realities that set in, but their music is still hopefully sad. "I Know Where the Summer Goes," "Did the Day Go Just Like You Wanted?," and "The Letter" are my personal favorites on this solid album that feels very Nick Drake inspired.

Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?: The debut full length album from the 17 year old Cali native is not only a hit record, it's a great record. Billie has been on my radar for quite some time, but it was only recently that I got clued in for real. "Bad Guy" was a song that got stuck in my head, and I was blown away with the varying elements and genres contained in that tune. The entire album is like that, mixing trip-hop, electro pop, dance rock, chamber pop and even R&B into an album that feels fresh and intelligent. It feels to me like Lana del Rey meets Tricky, and that's a good place to be. 

Mountain - Avalanche: The fifth album from the heavy psych NYC band that played at the original Woodstock is the last from the first phase o their career, going on a ten year hiatus afterwards which saw Leslie West release a solo record. Released in '74, there was a three year pause between this and the previous record, a pause that may have contributed to the band never reaching the same stratosphere as Led Zeppelin, the band whose sound is closest in my opinion. In many ways, this is a bit of swan song, and as such, it's pretty damned respectable and show the band's growth. "Sister Justice," "Swamp Boy," "I Love to See You Fly," and an intense cover of "Satisfaction" are standouts on this record which I needed to complete my early Mountain catalog. 

Ride - This Is Not a Safe Place: Released at the end of summer, this is the UK band's sixth album, and their second since reforming a few years back. A legendary shoegaze and Britpop band of the '90s, then Alex Bell joined Oasis and Beady Eye before jump starting this project again, Ride has always been a band that I've enjoyed thoroughly. More upbeat than "Weather Diaries", this owes more to their jangly Britpop sound than their shoegaze sound. "Future Love," "Fifteen Minutes," "Dial Up," and "Shadows Behind the Sun" are standouts on a decent effort. 

Slade - Slade in Flame: Released in '74, and the height of the band's popularity, this album is a soundtrack to the movie Flame starring the band as a fictitious rock band. As with their other early '70s albums, this is a hard rocking glam record with lots of killer tracks. "Far, Far Away," "This Girl," and "Lay It Down" are the first three tracks on the second side and they are three of the best. This is a band's whose influence is now heard more often than the their inspiring music. Great stuff, this. 

P-Lo - Shine: This is the third album from the Cali rapper. Having released three albums in three years, this doesn't really show signs of fatigue. This is actually a tighter album than it felt at first listen. There are a ton of hip hop albums coming out these days with really low production value, being treated as completely disposable. There is clearly some talented people behind this one, making it flow professionally. P-Lo isn't the most dynamic rapper out there, but he has a good flow and when he actually decides to sing a little, he actually can. A really good Cali kind of album, bumping it in the car or in the yard.