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Best Tracks – 3.25.22

Best Tracks – 3.25.22

 

Aldous Harding – “Leathery Whip”

Probably the simplest song on her new album, but that’s never been a problem for Harding. Besides, her duet with Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson can hold its own with all the other “voices” on the record. Lyrically, Harding is still musing with her free association, but at least this time the S&M/life metaphor is upfront. Regardless, Harding herself is the draw, and as an album closer, it’s both her strangest and most approachable entry on Warm Chris.

 

Destroyer – “June”

Every few years since his debut, Destroyer has seemingly come out of nowhere to outdo himself. Most fans can sight either Streethawk, Destroyer’s Rubies or Kaputt as a favorite without much pushback, and I’m sure Dan Bejar’s newest acolytes will flock to Labyrinthitis in equal measure. That’s deserved praise, his last few albums are certainly all great, but his newest is something else, and no one track can really stand above the rest. “June” however, just might be the most representative of the kind of bugged out charisma that ties this album to Kaputt. Everything starts out sweet enough, shimmering disco with a soft and casual edge, but Bejar’s lyrics slowly grow more aggressively free-form and the instrumentation more cacophonous. At the end the track simply cuts out, as the more restrained “All My Pretty Dresses” comes in, as if someone finally pulled out the aux cord.

 

Denzel Curry – “Walkin”

Maybe the best rap album of the year so far. Curry is unrelenting throughout: accessible, technical, and fresh in his pursuit of unrelenting purpose. As great as the T-Pain feature is, “Walkin” is both the most impressive and important track here. Curry sets the pace for the record, establishing a dominance that sets every feature in its place. A simple track, backed by Keith Mansfield’s “The Loving Touch” a ’la Kal Banx, Curry uses it as springboard to present every kind of flow and delivery he can muster. On Melt My Eyez See Your Future, Curry can be more cerebral, celebratory and restrained, but on “Walkin” all the anger that permeated his previously releases has been focused into something more personal.

 

Guerilla Toss – “Live Exponential”

If Animal Collective’s newest was too breezy for some (not me), you can find your fair share of bristling synth work on “Live Exponential”. Guerilla Toss is still as energetic and fun as they’ve always been but now, they’ve teased a bright sheen out of their bombast. This is how a band is supposed to evolve; Guerilla Toss never lost sight of their early punk enthusiasm and instead have made the kind of music they’ve wanted to on each release. Their response on Famously Alive, as before: take it or leave it. Even with that special/exponential line.

 

Camp Cope – “Love Like You Do”

 Australians Camp Cope have pushed towards Americana on their newest LP, with much being made of a new Taylor Swift influence. It’s there but so is their alt-rock angst, and the best tracks on Running with the Hurricane find the right balance between the band’s new tender sway and Georgia Maq’s frustrated vocals. “Love Like You Do” doesn’t exactly seer with Maq’s resentment, but it’s right there in the lyrics and the song (like Maq) simply has to force a smile. It might not be as biting as their last album, but the sentiment is just as strong, and more digestible.

 

Barrie – “Concrete”

The word would be that losing all her band members following their great debut would leave this project untethered. Afterall what could disintegrate a group quite like living up to the promise of all their pre-debut hype. But Barrie did live up to that hype, did move on without the band and now Barrie Lindsay is making just as much of a wave on her own. “Concrete” delves straight into the synthy new sound with hushed dream pop vocals, drum machines and a huge, layered chorus. Lindsay tries on a few different styles but like the song, this album works because its unflinching in its manifestation of purpose, a move forward.

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