Album Recommendations - May 2023
Hello netizens! After a brief sabbatical, I am back on the album review grind. April was a beast of a month with final projects and presentations, but May treated me well. I got to spend two unencumbered weeks in Bloomington hopping around the best outdoor spots with friends. I’m now back home in Virginia, and got to relax for a solid week before jumping into summer job and internship work. And I had an incredible selection of music to accompany me through all of this! Here are my top five albums from the month of May.
Antartica
〰️
Antartica 〰️
Album: Antarctica
Artist: waveform*
Release Year: 2023
Length: 37
Why you should listen: Antarctica was my introduction to waveform*, a Connecticut duo that have been making music since 2018. waveform* artfully fuses the sound of shoegaze and lo fi-electronic music, making a gloomy, grimy, yet irresistibly catchy album. My favorite song, “Ballroom,” feels like a ghostly waltz, driven by bell-like synths in ¾ time. Fans of Horse Jumper of Love and Alex G (their tourmate and inspiration, respectively) will appreciate Antarctica.
Rat Saw God
〰️
Rat Saw God 〰️
Album: Rat Saw God
Artist: Wednesday
Release Year: 2023
Length: 37
Why you should listen: There’s a reason why Pitchfork rated this album an 8.8. Wednesday, an alternative rock band from Asheville, North Carolina, paints a colorful, sometimes unsettling portrait of the forgotten corners of America in Rat Saw God. I live for the lyrics, which in a song like “Quarry,” jump around from house to house to candidly depict a neighborhood’s inhabitants (“The Kletz brothers' parents fight in the yard in their underwear/Bobby and Jimmy sit in the baby pool with lice in their hair”). Their instrumentation is heavy, with the song “Bull Believer” ending with close to 2 minutes of gut-wrenching sing-screams from front woman Karly Hartzman over crashing drums and noisy guitars. There is so much to appreciate in this project, which adds to their already impressively large discography.
Somewhere City
〰️
Somewhere City 〰️
Album: Somewhere City
Artist: Origami Angel
Release Year: 2019
Length: 30 minutes
Why you should listen: Even though I listened to Origami Angel for the first time a week ago, I already feel a sense of pride knowing they’re from D.C. Somewhere City is quintessential Midwestern emo—complicated guitars, unflinchingly positive lyrics, and a sound constantly in motion. If you’re a fan of this album, listen to Pool Kids, whose self-titled album ranked in my top five for February and Leisure Hour, a local emo band.
Ram
〰️
Ram 〰️
Album: Ram
Artist: Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney
Release Year: 1971
Length: 43 minutes
Why you should listen: Widely regarded as one of Paul McCartney’s best solo albums today, Ram was panned by critics upon its release. I think Beatles fans and non-fans will find something that speaks to them here—the delightful “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey” shares the fantastical characterization that appears in songs like “Octopus’s Garden,” while the hauntingly beautiful ukulele song “Ram On” is very much a Paul standalone. Paul (and Linda’s) vocals are sometimes weird, sometimes nasally, sometimes exaggerated, but refreshing and enjoyable throughout. Ram feels very much like a home-grown album, and is interesting at every turn.
Mind Palace Music
〰️
Mind Palace Music 〰️
Album: Mind Palace Music
Artist: @
Release Year: 2023
Length: 29
Why you should listen: This album is one of the most unexpected, delightful finds of this year. Originally released in 2021 but reissued in February of this year by Carpark Records, Mind Palace Music is a slightly weird, seriously good folk gem. Duo Victoria Rose and Stone Filipczak aren’t afraid to create tension with dissonant harmonies and unexpected pockets of quiet, but the melodies throughout are extremely catchy. Each listen revealed something new to love- I can’t wait to see where @ goes next after this incredible debut.
Those were my five favorite albums of May! Interested in following along with my music journey? Then follow the playlist down below to see what I’m listening to each day.
