The Weekend Replay
Oh hey, didn’t see you there. Welcome back to The Weekend Replay!
When I’m going through the countless albums, EPs, and singles that have been released in a week to curate a playlist, I’ll sometimes recognize a pattern or a theme. This week was undoubtedly one of those weeks. Each song that felt like it belonged on TWR this week has such a nostalgic, retro-ish sound to it that really drew me in, and I can only hope you feel the same way, because these are some truly compelling and accomplished songs.
The Lemon Twigs kick things off this week with their LP Everything Harmony. Back in March when they released “In My Head” as a single off of this album, I said it felt very mid-60s inspired, and that energy carried over very well into the rest of the album. Bird Week’s new single “Fingers On My Skin” also maintains a midcentury feeling (with super familiar-sounding vocals that I cannot place). Regardless, I dig what Bird Week did on this track, blending some older, tried and true sounds with some more progressive stylings. And in that same spirit, Vundabar’s double single release of “Digital Forest / Sugar Pill” feels a little 70s rock-ish with a very contemporary vibrancy propelling these tracks. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, the newcomers in Orange Dog Club have shared “untitled”, their third single that jumps ahead a bit and could be found in the ranks of the 2000s garage rock revival.
The Undercover Dream Lovers’ “Scattered Dreams” has a vein of experimental alternative pop running through the duration of the track. It’s groovy and feels like it draws inspiration from just about every genre and era out there. In a way that is both comparative and contrasting with that, Secret Life is a collaborative effort between Fred again… and the legendary Brian Eno. Its ambient solace will absolutely make you feel something and probably a lot. hemlocke springs shared “sever the blight” this past week. This marks the fourth single from the artist who is just sweeping the world of indie pop with such an interesting experimental sound with unbelievable depth. While we’re in this pocket of emotive and progressive sounds, Claud was the first artist to sign to Phoebe Bridgers’s Saddest Factory Records in the fall of 2020. Their third album, Supermodels, is set to be released in July, and they shared “Every Fucking Time” as the lead single from it. Claud’s music has long fit into the indie pop sound, but this track amps up the indie and pop equally. Emily King’s Special Occasion absolutely plays into the emotive aspect of that pocket, as well, with a soft singer-songwriter sound and themes of the inter and intrapersonal worlds.
Jumping back to the retro theme from earlier, Kenny Segal and billy woods joined forces again on Maps. This album has an older school hip hop sound, and it is beyond impressive on its own, but the features on a handful of tracks just elevate the album to a whole new level. Also, Conway the Machine just shared WON’T HE DO IT, an LP with such vast creativity in lyricism and gorgeous instrumentation and keeps the 90s era hip hop thread in there while developing it in a beautiful and genuinely eloquent way.
Leading us into the end is Vermillion with “SFCL”. While I was initially listening to this and taking notes, the only thing I wrote was “hHOTT”, and I really don’t think any elaboration is necessary. Just listen to this song, you’ll see what I mean. Angel Du$t also just two new tracks, “Very Aggressive” and “Love Slam” (the former features Mat Kerekes whose new album You Look Like a Stranger was just featured on TWR last week). “LosT” is the latest from Bring Me the Horizon. It’s super fun, it blends hyperpop elements with BMTH’s very recognizable sound, but I think my favorite part of this single is the bracelet that says “RAWR XD” on the artwork for it. LIVING PROOF from DRAIN is fresh this week, too. Their debut came out in 2020 and this LP highlights their exponential growth as a group. Flasher’s EP In My Myth is super fun! dreamy! exciting! while being fairly tame (but maintaining some harder elements that keep things really fresh. And closing us out is “Backwards Directions” from Abby Sage (with a version featuring Porches). This track offers a lot of contrast between vocals and instrumentals backing the track, making for a really interesting listen.
But really, everything this week is an interesting listen. Dare I say…this has been my favorite collection of tracks this entire year (so far, at least). Check this week’s blend out! Maybe you’ll love it as much as I do.
Got new music to share? Send it along: ashhausrath@doorsatseven.org
