Hello everyone! We’re almost halfway through the semester, and I know everyone is bogged down by soul-wrenching midterms, but keep pushing. Something I’ve been doing to stay sane is listening and getting excited for current and future albums, respectively. Rather than do my traditional review of just one album or concert, here I’ve compiled a list of some of the standout albums and tracks released this fall. Additionally, I also thought that some upcoming albums were worth mentioning as well. To that end - here is a list of my favorite albums released thus far:
Mac Demarco - “Old Dog Demos” - April 21
As per tradition, Mac released all of his unproduced demos for his 2017 album, “This Old Dog,” on Record Store Day, which is April 21. However, it has only been recently available for streaming and download purposes. It’s not just a mismatched collections of demo. Rather, each song is barebones and features Mac on all of the instruments. Not only that, but it also features a few instruments near the tail end of the album that are not to be missed.
Courtney Barnett - “Small Talk” - Oct. 4
Courtney has had a big year. She headlined Pitchfork Music Festival this past summer, following the release of her sophomore album, “Tell Me How You Really Feel,” after a collaboration between herself and Kurt Vile in “Continental Breakfast” (2017). This single is one of the tracks that didn’t quite make it to the album; however, that is not to dismiss this track as a throwaway. The song is very conversational, and as the title would suggest, Courtney dislikes surface level conversation: “I like very much being here with you. But you see, all this small talk is killing me, yeah.” Simplistic lyricism for Courtney, but there’s a killer bassline that makes this song shine.
Noname - “Room 25” - Sept. 14
Fatimah Warner had a tough act to follow with her debut album, “Telefone” (2016), herein she explores her own insecurities and tries to achieve a sense of self throughout the album’s runtime. In “Room 25,” she somehow manages to dig even deeper,delivering a more mature sophomore release. She delivers biting commentary on the world around her, acting as narrator, but also the lyricism is self-aware in her acknowledgment of her own imperfections as the subject. Expert lyricism is supplemented her by spacy, soulful, jazz arrangements, which keep you entranced in this great record.
Now, for my most anticipated albums coming up later in 2018 and beyond. In no specific order in particular, these are the albums that have me giddy amidst a seemingly endless grapple with my own midterm scaries.
Vulfpeck - “Untitled fourth release” - TBA
Vulfpeck has released three albums since they formed in 2014: “Thrill of the Arts,” “The Beautiful Game” and “Mr. Finish Line” each deliver extremely listenable funk-rock arrangements and each of them are more fun to bop along to than the last. If you aren’t already listening to Vulfpeck, do yourself a favor and start grooving. The single they released in Sept., “Soft Parade,” shows these guys aren’t slouching and are aging like a fine wine indeed.
Vampire Weekend - TBA - TBA
When is this album going to release? It’s been five years since their impressive third studio album, “Modern Vampires of the City.” Their new project been in the works since 2016, after former backup singer and keyboardist Rostam went solo. Vague updates from Ezra Koenig indicate that the album is “94 percent done,” and that the working title is “Mitsubishi Macchiato.” Ezra Koenig and Rashida Jones (“The Office,” “Parks and Rec”) recently welcomed their first child, Isaiah, just a few weeks ago. Will “Mitsubishi Macchiato” release in 2018? Maybe? Will Isaiah be featured on some of the tracks? We simply can’t know for sure. Will it even be called “Mitsubishi Macchiato”? All we can know is this album has a lot of hype to live up to. But for now, keep listening to WGRE 91.5 Your Sound Alternative, featuring new music every week.