New songs for June 20th, 2023

Yesterday was Juneteenth, so I decided to do my blog today instead of yesterday. Here are this week's songs:

"Body" by Briston Maroney: Indie-folk-rocker Briston Maroney has added a bit more of a techno-pop influence to his music and blended it with acoustic guitar music in order to make his latest song, "Body," appeal to a wider audience than his previous material. The song, essentially, is a rumination on how life doesn't last forever, so we should make the most of it while we still can. Amidst slightly psychedelic flourishes midway through, "Body" is a breezy song overall that can really make you think about life!

"Devotion" by Arlo Parks: Arlo Parks' take on neo-soul has been an interesting one. "Softly" involved a trip-hop influence, and her latest song, "Devotion," does as well, but "Softly" wasn't a very guitar-heavy song. "Devotion" actually is one, believe it or not. The guitars start as a supporting instrument before becoming full-blown (as much as a modern alt-pop song can get) midway through. As the title implies, "Devotion" is a love song, but it seems to have its fair share of inner angst as well. Arlo mentions Deftones in the first verse of the song, for crying out loud! Towards the end of the song, though, she also mentions how she used to hate it when people said things like "I love you," even going so far as to refer to it as "that sh*t." Whoa now! But this is what music is. A chance to explore facets of yourself you never thought you'd reach!

"Emotion Sickness" by Queens of the Stone Age: Not sure what a song like this one is doing on so many adult alt radio stations, which normally avoid hard rock music, yet here I am reviewing it. It's not even catchy garage-y hard rock either like "The Way You Used to Do" was. Instead, it just sounds like a modern-day version of groups like Blue Oyster Cult and Thin Lizzy, the way a lot of their music seems to. Perhaps it's the vocal harmonies of this otherwise rough song that are making adult alt radio stations take notice of it, but if that's the case, why didn't "Little Sister" catch on to adult alt stations in 2005, making it mainly onto "hard" alternative stations and hard rock stations instead?! Lyrically, the song is pretty dark, too, referencing lead singer Josh Homme's now former marriage to The Distillers' Brody Dalle and how that has affected him negatively. It's a mystery why I'm reviewing this one, but perhaps it'll grow on me in time.

"No More Lies" by Thundercat (featuring Tame Impala): I know a lot more about Tame Impala than I do about neo-soul bassist, Thundercat, and this sounds instrumentally like it's more of a Tame Impala song than a Thundercat one (if I had to take a guess), blending psychedelic rock, funk, and techno into a single song. As the song's title implies, "No More Lies" is about the deception people face in relationships. However, the song also addresses the flip side of the issue, touching upon how much the truth can hurt in relationships as well. The spoken word part towards the end of the song also adds an interesting touch to it, with the final words being, "I live in L.A., honey, what do you expect?" followed by kooky, echoing laughter. Huh?!

"Nothing Matters" by The Last Dinner Party: This song basically plays out like a cross between Florence & The Machine and Haim, with lyrics and vocal delivery that are slightly angrier than both. The Last Dinner Party's anger seems to be aimed at those who think of polyamory as an invalid way of loving someone. "And you can hold me like he held her, and I will f**k you like nothing matters," lead singer Abigail Morris venomously yet seductively sings during the chorus. The way Morris sings the F word is rather defiant in a way that suggests it's not just being used here as a throwaway word for the mere purpose of shocking people, but rather to make a bold, fearless statement about how she should be free to pursue romantic carnal activities however she wants to with whomever she wants to do so with. 

"See it Through" by Durand Jones: It's not easy being Durand Jones, who identifies as both black and queer. On his acidically blues-y funk-rock song, "See it Through," Jones addresses how these issues affect him. In a world where people are increasingly (and unfairly) demanding uniformity amongst our actually diverse human race, people like him have become more threatened, so the upbeat "See it Through" serves as a song that's both revolutionary and optimistic. In the song, Jones encourages people to stand up for their rights and to have hope for the future while still acknowledging how difficult the present is for people of varying minorities. 

"Tears Run Dry" by Abraham Alexander: A lot of neo-soul tends to focus either on fast syncopation or on emphasizing the "B" (blues) in "R & B." This is where "Tears Run Dry" by Abraham Alexander differs from its competitors. Sounding slightly reminiscent of mid-'60s soul ballads like Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Aaron Neville's "Tell it Like it Is," "Tears Run Dry" is soul music that really bares its soul! Featuring both enough guitar to please older fans of R & B and enough of an echo-y atmosphere to please newer ones, "Tears Run Dry" is a very unique song. It even features both electric rhythm guitar and an acoustic guitar solo, maintaining a vulnerably honest vibe throughout!

"When We Were Close" by Jason Isbell: So many songs this year have been about mourning the loss of a fellow musician. Depeche Mode's "Ghosts Again" and Foo Fighters' "Rescued" have been two of the most notable so far. Joining their ranks this year is Jason Isbell and his song, "When We Were Close." The song is about fellow alt-country-rocker, Justin Townes Earle, who passed away when he was only 38 years old. DM chose the mournful route, and FF went for a melodic upbeat rock song, but Jason has chosen to evoke a rather righteous sense of anger for this song! From the opening "Highway to Hell"-goes country-rock guitar crunch of the song, Jason makes it clear that "When We Were Close" is not one of his sweeter, mellower numbers, though it still remains melodic and midtempo enough for adult alt radio to catch on to it. Still, the force of the song just grabs you by the neck from the get-go, and it's Jason's remorse about the death of a country-rocker who happened to be a close friend of his that really makes this song a powerful one!