by Tech Librarian Josh
- Madison Cunningham – Revealer | CD
- Sometimes I find a musician who releases such an amazing album that I feel required to listen to all of their subsequent albums. Madison Cunningham released Who Are You Now in 2019 and I was hooked. You can imagine my excitement when she announced Revealer would be released in 2022. The barebones of her songwriting feels familiar and entrenched in 60s or 70s pop, but especially with this album she takes some big swings in terms of arrangement and production. You’ll hear it in this song Sunshine Over the Counter, with its bubbly arrangement made up of woodwind instruments, guitar with these otherworldly effects on and this perpetual rhythm that pushes the song forward.
- Wilco – Cruel Country | CD
- Wilco has become somewhat of an institution at this point. They’ve been playing their brand of indie, singer songwriter, alternative rock for almost three decades. For their newest double album they lean into country as a musical style as well as making America the subject of this album, which I think is very clever. A rarity these days: it was recorded with the whole band playing live in the studio and the song I’m highlighting today Falling Apart (Right Now) has a lyric I’m very fond of “Don’t you fall apart while I’m falling apart.”
- Natalia Lafourcade – De Todas Las Flores
- A friend recommended Natalia Lafourcade (la-four-ca-day) to me recently and I was sad to say I’d never heard any of her music. She’s a singer-songwriter from Mexico who has been releasing albums and winning awards for the last 20 years. What hit me first was her dynamic voice. She has this way of luring me in with a hushed lyric (that I don’t understand by the way because it’s in Spanish) and then punching me in the face with a beautiful belting tone. Parts of the record, as you’ll hear in the title track, pull from bossa nova which is a soft spot for me, with Jobim-esque melodies, Sergio Mendes like arrangements, and certified Astrud Gilberto coolness.
- Julian Lage – View with a Room | CD
- Lastly, Julian Lage’s new album View with a Room is another great jazz trio release with amazing musicians. I’m very fond of the drummer Dave King who has a unique style and sound I don’t hear often. The headliner is obviously Julian Lage and he is, without a doubt, one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time. He has vaulted himself with the likes of Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Django Reinhardt, and Pat Matheny in his relatively short career. It’s all on showcase in their tune, Chavez.