on the pulse - 2020 - week 18: beer for armor

It’s bizarre, I feel like I caught a breather with this week, where I wound up just ahead enough on my schedule that I was able to make some welcome headway on other projects - and hell, that might be true in weeks ahead as well. In the mean time, though, might as well get going On The Pulse!

Alice Bag - Sister Dynamite - I was not expecting to have to do as much research with Alice Bag as I wound up doing. For starters, she’s in been the California punk scene since the mid-70s as a member of the Bags, a group that didn’t even put out a full-length album but was there around the same time as the Germs, X, and Black Flag. And ever since she’s been part of a half dozen different bands and been a real fixture in activist and feminist circles for decades. In 2016, though, she started releasing solo albums with a modern punk and indie rock flair with a splash of 70s glam, and they’ve been pretty solid, arguably with more memorable writing that compositions. This is her third album and it’s probably her most straightforwardly punk to date… but again, it feels a lot like her previous work in that the writing is what makes these songs more distinct than composition or production or delivery. I like the understated kinkiness of ‘Switch Hitter’, I like the questions of gaslighting on ‘Identified’ or how people wall themselves away from truth on ‘The Sender Is Blocked’, and while ‘Lucky’ is a pretty heavy-handed slap against privilege, it comes from a real place and can hit. The unfortunate problem is that it rapidly starts to run together in terms of its sound, and while that’s fine when the guitar-driven hooks and grooves are punchy with the splashy keyboards, when it slips towards minor keys and a slightly more sour delivery, I found myself wishing the anger and edge was more pronounced, because the moments don’t quite cut as deeply as they should. Couple with how I’d struggle to say there were outright standouts, and I wind up liking this but not really coming back to it in comparison with punk and riot grrl that have trodden these grounds deeper before. In other words, strong 6/10, certainly likable and good, not quite great though.

Ka - Descendants Of Cain - I’m still kind of kicking myself for not covering Ka’s last project in 2018 as Hermit and the Recluse called Orpheus vs. the Sirens, a pretty low-key but great project that following into this album is showing a fascinating stylistic lane: exploring and contextualizing hard-edged gangsta stories opposite classic history. Samurai, Greco-Roman myth, and on this project, Ka gets outright Biblical in both his choice of samples and his hard-bitten parallels, this time highlighting a descendent of Cain who must sin to survive in a hard and brutally unequal world. But Ka has the wisdom to see not just police corruption but the flaws among OGs who couldn’t break the cycle, where it might be a grim reality of his past but far from where he wants to be - when the summers are bloody, he wishes they were shorter. And the Biblical parallels are an apt fit, not just for how unforgiving Old Testament stories can be, but for how vocational Ka seems to treat his art and hustle, in his serious-minded pursuit of higher minded goals, but also aware that it’s done through the same street-level storytelling and reality that serves as a harsh juxtaposition to the literature he’s sampling, referencing, and quoting. And there’s an irony in how he says he’s not that creative in telling those street-level stories - half to intensify their reality, half because there are some who’ll see his repeat of classical literature, dusty samples touching horns and ominous guitars, slow flow, and limited percussion as formulaic, and yet half because with nearly every single line there’s a double meaning or interweaving metaphor, where the flow has to be slower to absorb and meditate on every point. And just when you think it’s starting to get stale - even though it is pretty short - or at the very least monastic to the point of emotionlessness - although the tension and restrained emotion in his delivery and writing comes through with repeated listens - we get the closing track as an ode to his wife, mother, and late friend, and it recenters a lot of that human element. Now like a lot of Ka projes, this does feel a bit niche - it’s slow, meditative, short on hooks, there are a few points where it can start to feel repetitive, and as someone who knows way too much about the Bible I think there was more he could have tapped, especially in highlighting some of the moralistic hypocrisy - but like with his past couple albums, there’s little else that fits this mold so well, and it absolutely rewards a lot of repeated listens. So yeah, light 8/10, absolutely recommended.

The Hirsch Effekt - KOLLAPS - I mean, queue the usual spiel about me not knowing much about the subgenre, but seriously, this is German post-hardcore/mathcore, I think I’ve got a bit of an excuse for not having the greatest depth with this band here! But the Hirsch Effekt have gotten some attention over the past decade - they got some critical attention for their Holon series of albums… and despite this not at all being my thing, I kind of hear it? There’s a melodic complexity and flow that got refined on Anamnesis, and while their first album away from that series, 2017’s Eskapist, faced some fan backlash for getting more accessible, I can come here and say even though there seems to be more hooks and it embraced its goofier prog side, it’s not close to the definition of ‘accessible’. Now KOLLAPS… the strange thing is that on a structural level, it seems more accessible than ever - the groove patterns are more established, and even if it feels a fair bit darker as a whole in terms of chunkier riffs and bleaker atmosphere, I’d argue to a certain demographic this’ll go down even easier. Unfortunately, as I already implied, I’m not really a part of that demo - you can tell a lot of the brighter guitar leads and solos were pushed back into the charging, frenetic murk of pounding, downtuned breakdowns, and while the basslines and drumwork is impressive, it runs together fast and especially on the back half, the monochromatic tones start to lose their vibrancy or punch even with the attempts at orchestral swell. It feels like a muddier, bleaker experience overall… which of course, is the point, as once you translate the lyrics, you realize this album is centered in the desperate rage of seeing the world change and collapse thanks to climate change, especially behind leaders who do nothing, a populace that can’t be primed to action, and no exit strategy. And this leads to some potent moments, like the flash forward to a post-apocalyptic scene on ‘DOMSTOL’ where children ask why previous generations didn’t do something, or the call for some form of urgent ‘what do you have to lose’ action on the more atmospheric final songs… but on the flip side, this is an album that tips towards nihilism a little too often and there’s the odd anti-automobile song ‘BILEN’ which feels hamfisted but also missing the mark. Again, I feel obliged to mention that between the language difference and this not being my genre, I might be out of my depth again… but I don’t think this The Hirsch Effekt’s strongest work and the appeal is definitely lesser, so… light 6/10

Sojourner - Premonitions - Going back into black metal for this one, a relatively new Swedish group that you can tell is both deeper into the fantasy and folk inspirations with a slightly cleaner, melodic sound. Won’t say I especially liked their debut - some really pretty female vocals and interludes but the tinnier edge around some of the lead work and flutes could get grating and this is an act seriously short on groove - I did think their 2018 follow up embraced more synths and diverse textures and showed at least a better produced sound. That takes us to this album, and let me start by saying it’s easily their best: the melodies are more striking, the blend of keyboards and tin whistle and folk elements are a stronger compliment to both singers, and while I think the production might be getting a little too polished in spots - and still weirdly tinny around some of the strings - it definitely feels like Sojourner are coming into their own with the more pronounced ethereal folk elements, and a potent balance between growls and screams. And I even like a fair bit of the content, too - a lot of abstract, apocalyptic framing touching on environmental themes again, massive gulfs between people that sound damn near cosmic, hidden knowledge and foreknowledge that could well drive you mad, and while I’d argue it starts repeating itself by the end - which has the unfortunately problem of really dragging by the final few songs - it’s still poetic and well-delivered. That said, I won’t say Sojourner is among the best of the black metal I like this year, and this ties into song structures and production. In the former case, outside of the cuts with more defined hooks they have a tendency to meander and lack a really strong crescendo to drive back in off the tin whistle or piano interludes, but I’d also argue the production is crying out for a wilder, rougher edge, or at the very least a bassline that was doing something interesting or more explosive blast beats. Now in terms of black metal, I’d call it pretty and otherwise accessible - not surprising, given they’re signed to Napalm - but a good foundation needs to cut loose a little harder to really grip me, so… very solid 7/10.

Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen - Hold My Beer Vol. 2 - So when these two Texas, red-dirt country veterans teamed up in 2015 for the first of the Hold My Beer series, it was an extremely welcome surprise and among my favourite albums of that year. Not only was it neotraditional honky tonk that sounded rich and fun, but the project picked up real pathos by drilling into its self-awareness: two overlooked artists where their camaraderie made for great storytelling and interplay. But I did get the feeling this was a trick that might not work consistently, and while I really like both of these guys, I did have my reservations for the long-overdue sequel. And I’m not going to say those reservations were entirely founded - the album still sounds great, a pedal steel-and-fiddle-rich slice of solid honky tonk that might default to conventional chord structures a little more than I’d prefer but still hits way more often than it misses, especially as the harmonies between Bowen and Rogers are only getting better. But as a whole, this album does feel a little more slight than the first, and when it’s not as tight, the looseness and breezy sense of humour can feel a bit flabbier than it should. Part of this is how the album doesn’t have the same thematic focus or heavyweight cuts like ‘El Dorado’ that gave the first collaboration real weight - it was defensive in justifying its own existence, but it was proof that worked. Here, the fight has been won more comfortably and the lightweight storytelling on feels more like a victory lap, two stubborn guys winning in a scene even as the world seems to be changing around them, which probably crystallizes the best on ‘This Ain’t My Town’, or ‘Ode To Ben Dorcy’ with Shooter Jennings as a tribute to the roadies. And sure, that can make for a rollicking good time, but like the last Randy Rogers Band album it can start to feel a bit formulaic and self-satisfied, especially where they’re playing the ‘take your girl’ parable with ‘Her’, and a lack of greater melodic and production diversity means some songs run together, even if the band once again shows a lot of flair and style; I’m confident this’ll kill live. As a whole… look, I’m an easy mark for a sound like this and I do think this is a very good project, but the beer I’m holding is starting to lose a little carbonation, that’s all. very strong 7/10

Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor - I’m not sure there’s an easy way for me to approach this new album, the first solo project compiled from EPs Williams has been releasing the past few months - mostly because I’ve always had an odd relationship with Paramore and it’s a questionable release strategy to drip-feed EPs, which usually is the approach labels take when they’re testing an uncertain market and not sure how the album will land… or are just incompetent at their jobs. Certainly from the sound of the initial singles it sounded like we were getting an interesting fusion of 90s alternative rock and pop with more modern indie touches and electronics, but given how lukewarm I can feel on Williams’ work, I didn’t really have much in the way of expectations with this. And that was probably the right attitude, because I can’t say I cared much for this - and I hate to bring up the EP release strategy of this given that it was probably forced on her by the label, but it doesn’t remotely help the cohesion and flow of an already scattered and now overlong album; this is a project that absolutely could have been trimmed back. I cited 90s alternative as an initial influence, but that actually fades pretty quickly in favour of some of the jazzier side of mid-2000s adult-alternative, a bit of new wave, some striking parallels to the percussion-heavy cuts from Fiona Apple, but most strikingly a lot of sophisti-pop. And the collage of influences lead to an odd fit - it doesn’t have the edge or smolder of any rock angle, but the thick, often overwhelming bass presence against an almost buttery mix doesn’t really develop much in the way of subtlety… which doesn’t often match compositions that are clearly going for restraint. It doesn’t help that the majority of the lead melody lines are confined to Williams’ voice, and I’ll admit at the subtler moments she sounds potent… but she’s not exactly a tight or intense vocal presence, and the louder, yelpier moments don’t flatter her delivery, or just leave me wishing the guitars had actual bite. And I could go on with how the production feels kind of jerky and uneven - nearly all of the filters layered over the percussion and vocals feel like mistakes and only serve to detract from a promising organic vibe - but you don’t focus this much on the lead without looking at lyrics… and I’m not wowed. This has been a consistent issue I’ve had with Paramore for years in how the writing can feel pretty basic and arch - and there’s a lot of Paramore still surrounding this release in terms of production and cowriters - but the feel I get here is more that the basic poetry carries more internal weight for the author than comes through to the audience. That’s not to say there isn’t an arc here: it’s an album that focuses a lot on healing and renewal and fighting depression and angst from her divorce, and the symbolism we do get is coaxed through a softer, feminine lens - the title was pretty on the nose there. But as I said, it can feel a bit basic at points and underdeveloped if you’ve not bought into Williams as a performer - I cited Fiona Apple, but the more exact parallel might be Choir Of The Mind by Metric frontwoman Emily Haines from 2017, which captured a similar meditiatve arc with more robust poetry, better production, and even better hooks and melody. That said, for a first time solo venture, I don’t dislike it… just kind of lukewarm, which paradoxically might fit the vibe of this even more. 6/10

Kehlani - It Was Good Until It Wasn’t - I’ve got a lot of conflicted opinions about Kehlani as an artist, mostly because I think her label doesn’t have a clear idea how to tap into her strengths. She’s a good songwriter and can be a unique presence on features and verses and especially her mixtapes… but I was lukewarm at best about her debut album SweetSexySavage, mostly because I thought Pop & Oak’s production didn’t flatter her delivery whatsoever. But given the teasers I have heard from the newest album, there looked to be some potential and a broader range of sound that was closer to the mixtapes… and while that’s true, I’m not sure it’s close enough, because this is still not clicking as strongly as it should. Now I’ll admit some of this is tied to my preferences in terms of R&B tones I like - it’s not as organic, the grooves are more leaden and clunky in comparison with the sinuous vibes, and no amount of washed out layers can disguise how the drum machines can sound clicking and thin - but it’s still frustrating how instead of letting her natural raspiness come through or give her the space she needs, producers will warp or flatten Kehlani’s voice against a watery mix, which can sound really cheap and thin, especially when added to backing vocals that are as loud as her lead. Hell, compare how Jhene Aiko’s vocals are mixed and mastered on ‘Change Your Life’ versus how she sounds on Chilombo, and considering how similar their lanes are in R&B, the more metallic tones Kehlani is stuck with just don’t have the richness. And this doesn’t help the project’s flow, which can seem jerky and lumbering in spots without a natural arc in the content, most of which features an ugly back-and-forth betwee Kehlani and various exes - which doesn’t mean the writing is bad. In fact, Kehlani’s quiet strength comes in the added subtext of being very much aware of the messiness around her and almost daring the audience to judge her humanity and insecurity, especially given how hard she judges herself and the roots of their insecuirty that’s projecting! That said, good writing and vivacious performances and even a few nice instrumental touches like the sax on ‘Hate The Club’ are still stuck behind production that can’t elevate them the way it should, not as loose and textured as her best mixtapes but not as composed, structured, or punchy as what you’d hope an album would be, even if I do think the majority of guest appearances outside of Tory Lanez deliver pretty well. In other words… light 6/10, just kind of okay, should be better.