I am not very good at writing about music. I write about balls, bats and such for a living.
The more serious I try to get about songs I like, the more I want to hurl my computer against a wall and never open a word-processing app again.
So instead, here are just some quick-hit thoughts on my favorite songs of the year so far.
Welcome To My Island - Caroline Polachek
This song/album as a whole was a grower for me. And us -ek last names have to stick together.
Hollywood Baby - 100 gecs
I keep debating if I’m too old to go to a 100 gecs show. Considering how terrified I am of breaking my glasses, the answer’s probably no. I’ll just settle for listening to this song at the gym for the next 10 years.
She’s On Fire - Strange Ranger
Rot Forever is one of my favorite albums of the 2010s, but I haven’t always been able to click with Strange Ranger’s discography since. But if they’re shifting away from the guitar rock and purely into the Third-Eye Blind, this is the exact frequency I want them at.
Adderall - Shame
This dude might have the most British-sounding rock vocals outside of IDLES. I have no idea what the lyrics are and don’t really care too either. Good song.
Turkey Vultures - Wednesday
I am such a sucker for a good-ass crescendo. This is a good-ass crescendo. Also an excuse to share one of my favorite band T-shirts I’ve seen recently.
Borrow Trouble - Feist
If Feist didn’t exist, would Starbucks just be a soundless singularity of just boiling water and coffee beans? Whatever. She’s still got it, this is basically a Destroyer song.
The Alchemist. - Lil Yachty
I wouldn’t have taken +5000 odds I’d have a Lil Yachty song on any list. But I was one of those annoying “wow this Yachty album is actually good!!!!” people. I go back and forth on the genre-hopping thing but thought it worked well here.
All I Do - Bully
She still sounds like she’s fronting a Courtney Love cover band. Fortunately, Courtney Love rules, and so does this song.
smiley face - Sydney Sprague
What if Olivia Rodrigo fronted Bloc Party?
Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he's deep-sea fishing - Lana Del Rey
Just going to keep typing words until I write a blurb that is longer than the title of this beautiful song by America’s finest songwriter of the millennium. Okay I did it.
Karma - Taylor Swift (ft. Ice Spice)
I just called Lana Del Rey America’s greatest songwriter of the 2000s, so I guess I had to include one of the other candidates: Ice Spice.
waterlily- Crushed
Some of the best synths since Fallout 4.
Infinite Spring - Superviolet
I saw the Sidekicks play a house show in college. They’re fine but I enjoy this song and album infinitely (no pun intended) more.
Polaris - Parannoul
Real shoegaze still exits and it is exclusively being created by an anonymous dude in South Korea. What a banger.
Miami - Caroline Rose
Considered not including this song because I’m still extremely pissed about the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
Barley - Water From Your Eyes
Any song that begins with a countdown is automatically good. I call this the Vertigo Protocol.
patience (I like you) - Career Woman
Feel like this is a space that is going to quickly get oversaturated, but as far as "IYL Phoebe Bridgers” artists go this is pretty good.
Emily I’m Sorry - boygenius
Speaking of Phoebe Bridgers. I didn’t really like the boygenius record like I thought I would. But this song is nice, and I know a lot of Emilys so it may be useful at some point.
Eucalyptus - The National
This is on here because when we saw The National in November and they played this song, introducing it as a new one, my friends and I were… inebriated… and figured out the refrain and started singing it very loudly. It was great.
Aselestine - Yo La Tengo
YLT always felt like a band I should like more than I do, but whenever they get to this almost-Antlers level of dreaminess is when It really clicks for me.
Lunette Fields Speak - Bruiser and Bicycle
I compared this to Animal Collective, a band I don’t like, and my friend who likes Animal Collective got upset. Whatever. I won’t say how it compares to AnCo’s recent discography in case he reads this.
Still Here (with the ones that I came with) - Skrillex, Porter Robinson, Bibi Bourelly
Skrillex is good?
The Weakness - Ruston Kelly
Kacey Musgraves’ ex has some goddamn feelings! This song is a bit much. But I can sometimes get behind muchness.
So Clear- Miya Folick
I can’t keep track of when this album is coming out. I swore half of these songs were an EP, but maybe it was just me misunderstanding Spotify labeling. Either way: awesome song by a great singer.
You Can Be Mean - Indigo de Souza
She made my 2021 album of the year, and while this album didn’t quite reach those overall peaks, I still love this song, and love the permission it grants me.
Boys a Liar Pt. 2 - PinkPantheress, Ice Spice
As I wrote earlier: our finest songwriter.
My Blood Runs Through This Land - Black Belt Eagle Scout
Have always thought BBES reminds me of the Cranberries and this song in particular crystallized this.
Weightless - Arlo Parks
Pretty song. Don’t really get the horse imagery. But pretty song.
Dare Me - Beach Fossils
There’s an active debate as to whether this song reminds me more of DIIV or Real Estate. Either way, it’s very good.
The Answer Is Always Yes - Alex Lahey
I’ve been an Alex Lahey fan for a minute. But she hasn’t really had a chance to pull off a sweeping, ballad-type song. I think she nailed it.