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New music — 8 tracks

(But first: a short update on the last post—I did end up going, I made him make a finger heart, I wrote about it, and I gave him a book.)

I’m not sure when it started, but I’ve been making an effort with regards to listening to new music as they come, instead of waiting for the songs and albums to turn into toddlers. I don’t usually talk about new music anymore, aside from unabashed gushing, but here’s… something. It’s an exercise in writing about music and things I enjoy… or more verbose unabashed gushing, probably, I don’t know.

“The Louvre” by Lorde

Easily my favorite track off of Melodrama, which I love despite all the Jack Antonoff, “The Louvre” is deceptively playful and upbeat, betraying a tangible sheen of melancholy that runs all throughout the album. “The Louvre” is big, grand gestures and dangerous all-consuming love, but it’s also about the loss it leaves behind when the fire burns out. (Listen here.)

(If you’re curious, my second favorite is “Hard Feelings/Loveless,” which has a pretty amazing Vevo x Lorde session. The bridge kills me every time.)

“Appointments” by Julien Baker

Pleasantly surprised that the first single off of the to-be-released sophomore album, Turn Out the Lights, is one that I hadn’t heard yet. “Appointments” starts off slow, a bit like it’s leaching into you, bit by bit, and when you resurface, you realize how much of you it already has in its hands. At the end, she sings “Maybe it’s all going to turn out alright / And I know that it’s not / But I have to believe that it is,” and it’s super fucking bleak, but the way she sings it, you’d sing along, thinking it was a hymn. (Listen here.)

“Can’t Get It Out” by Brand New

The second track off of Brand New’s surprise album drop (so surprising that I only found out about it because Petra sent it to my email), “Can’t Get It Out” is the one that’s stuck to me the most and it’s the song that I “bonded with” immediately. Jesse Lacey, with fuzzy guitars and an ominous whistle, managed an approximation of how heavy-laden I feel on most days. (Listen here.)

“Carin at the Liquor Store” by The National

So far, The National’s released four new tracks off of Sleep Well Beast, which they’re aiming to release by the 8th of September. This is probably my favorite, and it’s not because it has all six letters of my name in the correct order; it feels the most melodic, the most intimate and personal. Like an end-of-the-day song, the soundtrack to you, taking off your day-to-day masks in front of someone you love. (Listen here.)

“Minimize” by BP Valenzuela

I’m patiently waiting for BP’s new album, but this is such a gorgeous lead up to it. She’s stated that “Minimize” is about being “resigned to imagining what it’d be like to just want someone happy, whether it’s with you or not.” Her languid vocals are soothing, paired with a sadness she’s come to terms with, like a person who’s used to loss and solitude. (Listen here.)

“Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers

I’ve been waiting for new music from Phoebe Bridgers for a while. Even as she sings about betrayal and a falling out, there’s a steady sad calmness to the song, her rage tempered, somehow, with resignation. (Listen here.)

“Provider” by Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean was someone I’d avoided listening to for a long time, and I’m still not sure what is it about his music that resonates with me. “Provider” sounds like the calmness of a night on a beach washing over you. (Listen here.)

“You’re Dreaming” by Wolf Parade

You know how, when you’re too attached to old music and the artist releases new stuff and you can’t quite get around to liking it right away. Well, this is a super convoluted way of saying that that’s not what happened here with me, haha. Wolf Parade’s Apologies to the Queen Mary is one of the albums I keep harping on and on about until now, 12 years later.

A new Wolf Parade album is coming out on October 6th and if the rest of it’s going to sound like “You’re Dreaming,” I can’t wait. (Listen here, though the video is great.)