Favorite Albums of June 2022
Catching up on some post-vacation listening
The last few months have been weird. I spent nearly a month out of town, which as you probably guessed, led to some interruptions in my usual “production schedule.” In any case, I’m all caught up, so until my wedding in November, we should be running at a normal pace.
June on the whole was pretty solid. It had more to offer on the non-metal side than the metal side, but hey, sometimes that’s just how it goes. You’ve waited long enough for this letter to show up, so let's get into it.
METAL ALBUMS
Terminal Nation & Kruelty - The Ruination of Imperialism
Few things surpass full volume metal. This split from Terminal Nation and Kruelty provides it in spades. The Terminal Nation half kicks off the album with “Curators of Brutality” a fairly straightforward anthem about how the oppressors are outnumbered by the oppressed and all we need to do is recognize our inherent advantages. While the lyrics are inspiring, though not necessarily inspired, the instrumental really stands at center stage here and in the remainder of their tracks. The guitars swirl and roar around a simple set of drum patterns and clattering bass. It’s less an exercise in what sounds good in earphones and more an exploration of modern day war marching. I have no doubt that this would find itself happily being played at a protest featuring way too many metalheads. Kruelty’s half of the record is less approachable than its predecessor, but just as furious. I tend to prefer the Terminal Nation half, but will concede that Kruelty has superior breakdowns, so if you’re here for drop tuned chug fests, make sure to stick around for their half.
https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/the-ruination-of-imperialism
Knifedoutofexistence - Mist Clouds the View
I would never lie to anyone by describing harsh noise music as approachable, but if there were a living artist that could make approachable harsh noise, it would be knifedoutofexistence. In general, they tend to stay away from the more abrasive high end, leaving us with a bassier, scratchier sound, which they supplement with pained screaming vocals. Again, not approachable by any traditional measure, but to my mind, their music is more compelling, cathartic and, dare I say relaxing than a majority of other noise musicians. At the same time, this comparative calmness doesn’t preclude knifedoutofexistence from engaging in serious nastiness. The opening bass rattle on “Wishing to Starve” is a test of willpower, or if you’re me, a delightful reward of intensity. Even in earphones, the bass thrums with enough force to give you a scalp massage, and the increasingly violent screams, whines and rattles in the background slowly overtake the bass until there is only chaos. Harsh noise rarely excites me these days, but even as I drift away from this genre, knifedoutofexistence remains well worth my time, and yours, provided you can handle it.
Patroness - Fatum
For such an extreme form of metal, doom and stoner tend to rub elbows with hard rock rather frequently. On Fatum, Patroness finds a way to make that blend more effective than almost any other band to date. By blending grungy rock vocals with the typically aggressive tones and rhythms of doom metal, the music becomes vastly more approachable without losing its signature edge. And there’s plenty of edge there. Take for instance “Seclusion” which largely forgoes any attempt at clean vocals, trading them out for harsh mid-range screams and pounding guitars. But even this song still harbors a love for hard rock in its middle passage, where the guitars find a delightful, almost southern rock groove to nestle into before clean vocals again take center stage. If you grew up loving hard rock, but have found the current landscape of the genre uninspiring, then Patroness may be the answer to your prayers.
Honorable Mentions
NON-METAL ALBUMS
Grace Ives - Janky Star
Grace Ives made magic with Janky Star. The album finds itself delightfully tucked into the space where the 80s were turning into the 90s. Tracks like “Shelly” fall right into that space, while other tracks like “Back in LA” are imbued with a hazy quality more indicative of modern production styles. The perfect balance ultimately arrives in the closing track “Lullaby” which marries a distinct vocal style with an oddly carnival-esque keyboard groove. If you’re looking for some delightful indie pop that refuses to get drearily heavy, then Janky Star has what you need.
Perfume Genius - Ugly Season
Normally I love Perfume Genius for his impressive ability to marry the thrill of rock with stunning poetry and emotional impact. On Ugly Season, we’re asked to throw everything we know about Perfume Genius into the trash. This album is, for lack of a better term, ugly. It’s sparse, threatening, ominous and deeply uncomfortable at times. But who among us has not had an ugly season, a time in life when the costumes of joy and thrill no longer fit us. If this is the shedding of skin, then Perfume Genius still finds a way to locate beauty in the hideous. Just don’t enter this album looking for something to soundtrack the triumphant realization of a crush in your next indie film.
Soccer Mommy - Sometimes, Forever
Soccer Mommy doesn’t evolve so much as she grows. Chances are that if you liked her previous record, you’ll like this one too. It touches on nearly identical themes of heartbreak and pining as everything she’s done to date, but the instrumentation has grown in complexity, and the production is more pointed and deliberate. Take for instance “Shotgun” the lead single of the record. Its roaring chorus has become an anthem in my home, and there’s a roughly 30% chance that it’s playing in my headphones at any given time. What makes “Shotgun,” and many of the other tracks on this record, so much better than her previous work, is a renewed focus on building toward crescendos and releasing them with pointed effect. This more mature, holistic approach to songwriting has led Soccer Mommy to equal, if not surpass, her previous record, and continues to establish her as one of the most notable indie artists of the modern day.
MUNA - MUNA
Two things give pop the potential to be great. First is the production. In general, more money gets poured into pop music, because much like big movies, they have a better potential of making a good return. The second is the lyrics. Unfortunately, most pop music only nails the first half of the equation, leaving us with senseless fluff that sounds great but is rarely clever or inspiring. Muna’s self-titled record is one of the rare records that marries the two. The driving groove of tracks like “Silk Chiffon” and “Anything But Me” are compelling enough to get roadtrip play from anyone with a pulse. But it’s the moments of comparing your lover to wearing a silk chiffon dress and snide opening lines like “You’re gonna say that I’m on a high horse, I think my horse is regular sized. Do you ever think maybe, you’re on a pony?” that cause this record to stick in your mind for days on end. If there’s pop being done better by someone not named Beyoncé, I have yet to see it.
Regina Spektor - Home, Before and After
Historically, Regina Spektor’s natural theatricality has been a barrier for me identifying with her music. But it’s undeniable that her more theatrical approach is made viable by a stellar mind for lyrics and songwriting. Home, Before and After tones down the bombast enough that we get unfiltered Spektor lyrics injected right into our ears. Even a sentence as simple as “Home is where the light’s on, no matter how long you’ve been gone.” is rendered with devastating effect when buoyed by swelling instrumentals. This incredible dynamism, when combined with these poignant and simple phrases, make Home, Before and After one of the best Spektor projects in recent memory.
Osheyack - Intimate Publics
This year I got to play one of my favorite games a bit earlier than usual. Every year I take a look at The Quietus’ favorite 100 albums and try to see how many I know (this year was 37, worse than usual) but I surprisingly had heard very little of their top ten. Of the records I went back to listen to, Intimate Publics was by far the most compelling. A strange electronic landscape of broken words and stuttering synth work, Intimate Publics makes my brain feel like it’s short circuiting. At the same time, this broken approach to songcraft is utterly compelling in its unpredictability. If music has become banal and rote in recent years, then give this a spin. I’m sure you’ll be caught off guard at least a little.
Honorable Mentions