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Best Tracks – 4.22.22

Best Tracks – 4.22.22

 

Jane Inc. – “2120”

Not as successful as last year’s Number One, but certainly incorporating more Jane, Faster Than I Can Take at least proves that Carlyn Bezic is an artist worthy of comparison to her U.S. Girls leader Meg Remy. This new album leans heavily on disco but Bezic tiptoes the fine line between worship and regression better than most. “2120” sports some time-sensitive lyrical wit that works especially well against the enveloping baseline, and the fact that Bezic can get away with the “I Feel Love” adlibs is proof enough of her ability as a saleswoman.

 

Spiritualized – “The Mainline Song”

Jason Pierce’s triumphant return after the uncertainty of a possible retirement is marked by the typically euphoric catharsis of most Spiritualized albums. The comparison is obvious, with the train sound effects and chugging rhythm section alluding once again to heroin, but the result is one of J. Spaceman’s best drug songs, which is no easy feat. At six minutes it falls right in the middle as far as these track-length’s go, but with its propulsive energy and immediate hook, it’s the most fun he’s had in about ten years, and a highlight from the best album this week.

 

Kate Bollinger – “Lady in the Darkest Hour”

A singer-songwriter who's been teasing EP and single dumps for four years is nothing new, but Bollinger has been building up a lot of anticipation for this new EP, and for good reason. The tracks are tight and pretty and do their best to showcase the full range of Bollinger’s charisma. “Lady in The Darkest Hour” is Bollinger’s song, a track that could come to define an artist, their signature, and more importantly a song good enough to make the artist proud of that association. A bright and cheery track about the promise of the bright and cheery may be old hat, but it’s exactly the kind of thematics needed to carry a chorus this big, and enough to forgive a little clipping on the back end.

 

Pusha T – “Rock N Roll”

If it wasn’t bad enough that Kid Cudi and Kanye’s newest breakup threatens the future of Kids See Ghosts, Pusha T gave us a reminder of what these three can do when they bring the best out of each other. Overshadowing a Clipse reunion, “Rock N Roll’s chipmunk vocals and stellar performances from all three, offer what could be a fitting swan song for Cudi and Kanye. Beyonce’s cameo on the back end just makes for a nice kicker.

 

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Presumptuous”

How it took this long for KGLW to release a double album is beyond me, although their self-titled compatriots from 2020 and 2021 come pretty close. Regardless, this genre-jumping collection of what essentially amounts to pop songs, feels truer to what people would expect – an album where any track could amount to a “stand out”. Mine is “Presumptuous”, a slick and jazzy jam that’ll probably prove less divisive than the straight-up Hip Hop cuts on the album. KGLW darts all over the place here, starting off with something akin to R&B before ending with a cosmic kind of funk, but the band, to their credit, never let lose of the driving groove they develop.

 

Fontaines D.C. – “Jackie Down the Line”

It’s hard to imagine a more reliable group of post-punk albums than what Fontaines have given us these past five years. Sure, their newest isn’t really that much better than their other two, but with results like this, it's hard to argue with “stagnation”, especially when “Jackie Down the Line” provides such a great lead-off single. The overtly Irish “Bloomsday” and “The Couple Across The Way” are definitely beautiful but “Jackie” cuts the way the best Fontaines tracks do and with a vigor that’s hard to find in rock music these days.

 

Redveil – “pg baby”

If it wasn’t for Pusha T’s dominating Friday drop, Redveil could have really broken through on Learn 2 Swim. Instead, this self-produced bedroom album stands as only the second-best rap album this week, but one still strong enough to get this teenager out of Maryland. “pg baby” is relentless in its flow and its switch-ups, always finding the right moment to turn a corner and change just exactly what you thought Redveil was capable of.

 

My Idea – “Cry Mfer”

Lily Konigsberg and Nate Amos have been on quite a little run lately. With Water From Your Eyes, Amos released one of the best albums of last year, and Konigsberg, released two pretty great albums herself, one of which, as a part of Palberta. Besides all that, they both found time to collaborate on My Idea’s debut EP and are now following it up with a proper full-length that is, unsurprisingly, great. Many of the tracks feature Konigsberg’s laidback charm and are all the better for it, but “Cry Mfer” is the one song on the album where her soft fragility and Amos’ electro-leanings really come together.

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