on the pulse - 2022 - #14 - drake, bartees strange, brett eldredge, jordana, in aphelion, pure wrath, cola, nilüfer yanya
Nilüfer Yanya - PAINLESS - so I had heard this English singer-songwriter pick up traction the past few years, so I went back to check out her 2019 debut and I really liked it; the sort of low-stakes, trip-hop infused indie rock and sophistipop balanced out with Yanya’s throaty delivery and nimble ability to bounce across genre experiments. So this sophomore project… it’s a lateral shift into more immediate but also rougher 90s alt-rock and even post-punk textures in the shaggy guitars and scrabbling drums, an album that’s all about constant motion and “change” where tension ramps but can never find escape, the other side of emotional inertia where you have to reconcile with cyclical patterns of trauma you haven’t allowed to heal. It leads to a solid slow burn, a meditative album even with the rough textures… but one without much climax, attempted or otherwise, even if the closer is a solid attempt. Agreeable and worth hearing, but it might not stick.
Cola - Deep In View - I was dispirited when Canadian post-punk band Ought broke up, but frontman Tim Darcy wasn’t done just yet, so with bassist Ben Stidworthy he hired a new drummer to hammer out a quick album clocking just over a half hour as Cola. And unfortunately it’s continuing towards more dreary, by-the-numbers post-punk, stripped down even further - terrific basslines, but Darcy sounds even more disengaged and there’s little in the guitars or muddy percussion to add any of the old wild punch - the cymbals especially. Now the reclusive disaffection is intentional - no kafkaesque horror at being caught in the system, this is the weary, detached resignation of giving in, its own self-defeating prophecy.of commodification where to stay sane you hold it all at arm’s length. It may have worked more in the bleary stasis of 2020 - nowadays for me it only really clicks if I can sink into the grooves. Decent but unremarkable - at best.
Pure Wrath - Hymn To The Woeful Hearts - alright, one-man Indonesian atmospheric black metal recruiting the former drummer of White Ward with occasional folk metal passages, with this album as a direct sequel to their 2020 EP which explored the slaughter of communists in the country in the mid-60s, which has also been explored in horrifying detail in the 2012 documentary The Act Of Killing. This album aims to dig into the generational trauma decades later, where those who lost family struggle to move on, where vengeance can never materialize against the murderers, but the primal legacy of rage shrieks out to not be forgotten. For the music, it’s riff-heavy black metal with consistent intricate guitar work - the low-end could use more meat, and the vocals aren’t great, especially clean, but for killer shredding with a haunted edge, this’ll deliver in spades.
In Aphelion - Moribund - Look, if there’s a blackened death metal debut that I get onboard with, it’s worth hearing, and this debut from a few ex-Necrophobic members actually caught my ear! The guitarwork is manic and colourful across so many solos, when the grooves materialize they give the flashy if underpowered drums some coursing foundation, and there’s a tuneful flair that gives the hooks more punch, with a classic heavy metal foundation that helps songs like ‘Luciferian Age’, ‘This Night Seems Endless’ and ‘Requiem’ pop, albeit a bit too clean in the production overall. I’m also not a huge fan of the guttural vocals playing to melodic black metal without convincing power, and the Satanic lyrics can feel a bit goofy - hellish in the details but not exactly menacing or deep - but if you like flashy shredding and your blackened death metal to be, dare I say, fun, you’ll dig this.
Jordana - Face The Wall - Yes, went Bandcamp diving again, and found an artist who seemed to have a better grasp of subtlety, emotive songwriting, and bedroom pop composition - initially shaky with production, with this project as her most polished and accessible especially with the strings touches… but also her most percussive and jagged, relaxed late 90s / early 2000s pop rock melody against drums looking to crack the tension. Burnout and pressure slips around husky vocals, and while some call it “wallflower music”, the deeper conflict isn't yearning shyness but an inability to communicate, especially when she's pushing so hard against anxious introversion and her independent streak. It's so briskly paced and sharp - almost to a fault, as it feels a bit basic in lyrical detail and lacking climax, even if just living with it is part of the point - but for low-key indie pop, definitely worth a shot.
Brett Eldredge - Songs About You - I’ll skip my rant about how Brett Eldredge got robbed with the poor promotion of Sunday Drive - let’s focus on his follow-up, which actually doubles down on the country soul! And while it’s not better than Sunday Drive - he’s not topping that title track, and leaving the production duo behind Golden Hour for conventional Music Row ringers doesn’t give this album the same flair, although Dave Cobb produces ‘Holy Water’ and it sounds phenomenal - Eldredge leans on organic warmth and his rich soulful delivery, making him nearly country’s answer to Michael McDonald. And while it can feel goofy in patches, and a few neo-soul moments fall flat, his swagger allows him to balance the surprisingly varied songs to ‘you’ effectively, be they love songs or a surprising number of nuanced breakup songs. Just a great little collection here and a lot of fun, highly recommended!
Bartees Strange - Farm To Table - I missed Live Forever in 2020, and I regret it; Bartees Strange’ debut was a whirling blur of indie rock, soul, emo, and rap where the careening ideas and terrific delivery showed so much potential that you could overlook iffy production, which still led to critical acclaim. This plays like a sequel: with newfound attention, it’s ‘now what’, where the emotional kaleidoscope spans winking flexes, imposter syndrome anxiety, overworked tension amidst late capitalism, and the angst it could make him lose track of his family and parents, even as he feels himself becoming them; he wants to build something that lasts, and cuts like ‘Hold The Line’ show he knows fellow Black folks who’ll never get that chance. Shame after ‘Wretched’ the project’s momentum flags and the excellent guitarwork and groove can’t punch through the still cluttered production even on ‘Escape This Circus’, a late standout. It’s pensive yearning that starts so strong… just can’t sustain it. Very good, not great.
Drake - Honestly, Nevermind - I'm not against Drake changing up his sound, especially working with credible house or dance producers and making spiritual successors to “Passionfruit”, even if nothing here has a hook that good or feels forward-thinking in electronic music, generally just melodically underdeveloped. And while there are moments I like - Spanish guitar on “Ties That Bind”, afrobeat of “Down Hill”, guitar sizzle on “Overdrive”, the classic house grit and pianos of “Massive” - Drake is easily the worst part of his own album. The vocals and vocal production are a mess, Drake’s concern trolling is just stale with the braggadocious trap songs feeling very out of place, and sinuous, bassy grooves don't redeem repetitive, lightly toxic, or just embarrassing lyrics you’ve all heard before. It’ll rule this summer - you’ll forget it exists by fall.