Now Playing at TGE: June 2018
Now Playing at TGE is a collection of short reviews regarding some of the releases we can't get enough of.
words: lauren rearick & gordon phillips
Kississippi - Sunset Blush
Growth is always expected, but years after Kississippi first landed in our Bandcamp feed, and the music of Zoe Reynolds has never sounded so self-assured. Reynolds has an obvious knack for exploring the hardest moments of life with grace and softness; "Red Lights" is a beautiful dizzying whirl into the anxiety of romance, complete with starry instrumentals, while "Easier to Love" ends in surprising calamity, instrumentals ringing out against vocal promises to transform. The album was named for a brand of boxed wine, and whatever memories, if any, that drink may hold for you, Reynold's presentation is one reflective of late night spent with your closest friends, bold secrets confidently whispered into the darkness, their impact felt even by the stars above. // words: LR
Favorite Track: "Cut Yr Teeth"
Remember Sports - Slow Buzz
Breaking up is hard to do, but thanks to the latest offering from Remember Sports, mending your heart has never seemed so possible. The album is recklessly contagious, with their ferocious fun and relatable honesty palpable throughout each and every track. Whether tumbling through feelings of recovery with breakneck speed on "Up From Below" or pummeling every instrument with utter force and finding a means of healing on "Temporary Tattoo," the group bravely ventures into the processes associated with healing and finding yourself. And maybe in the experience of listening to Slow Buzz, you might find your form of comfort; a reassurance that "there's no going back," but you can always move forward. // words: LR
Favorite Track: "Temporary Tattoo"
Charmer - Charmer
I can't stop listening to this Charmer self-titled on No Sleep Records. The whole thing is a super-palatable 24 minutes from start to finish and half the song titles are pop culture references targeted at 90s kids--a little bit of pandering never hurt anybody, right? Jake Ewald produced this and I think the vocals sound like the second Marietta album. There's definitely a mid-fi charm reminiscent of the Tigers Jaw self-titled. // words: gp
Favorite song: Roy's Our Boy
Bogues - Life, Slowly (EP)
If this hype wave hasn't reached you yet or if you're holding out just to be petty, please get hip. Bogues is a solo artist that writes beautiful songs and he's constantly on the road, so you'll be able to see him live as soon as you fall in love with the music. This second EP is definitely more of a "production" than his first EP, but the progression feels natural and sometimes "a change makes sense." Harrowing voice, shimmering electric guitar, provocative lyrics--the closest mortal men can get to Julien Baker. // words: gp
Favorite song: Transcendentalism