Lady Lamb - Without a Name
Lady Lamb, the fantastical moniker that came to Brooklyn singer-songwriter Aly Spaltro in a dream, already alludes to a talent for constructing worlds through the use of nuanced imagery. On her newest record, Even In the Tremor, Spaltro continues to do so utilizing a newly inward turned lens to expand her memories into poignant and sometimes wry musical recollections that flutter with her unique instrumentation and cadence. The mid-record track, "Without A Name," is a somber, shape-shifting thing that feels a little like heartbreak and a little like home. A reimagining of an older tune that has now found a place amongst her most recent works, Spaltro pierces the sanguine ache that comes with the realization that your love might be misaligned with the canon of time. Concise, heartbreaking observations—“wouldn’t it be grand to hold your hand out in the snow and not feel how cold it all is?”—are accompanied by swells of violin, piano and reverberant harmonies. The tune ultimately evades pessimism. It finds buoyancy in sweetly optimistic melodic turns at the bridge. Culminating with an overarching sense that the joy that love brings us will always prevail, even in the face of a less than desirable reality.
— Emma Bowers on April 15, 2019
Henry Jamison - The Wilds
Henry Jamison is a storyteller at heart. It may be in his blood — his father, a classical composer, and his mother, an English professor — but Jamison is a writer and artist in his own right, evidenced by his debut album The Wilds (released October 27th). Beyond writing, recording and arranging the album all on his own, Jamison has a special ability to bring each track to life. Take his song, “The Wilds”: it’s instrumentally rich without being overbearing, letting Jamison’s narrative whisk you away. “The Wilds” sounds like an old-time American love story - unassuming and familiar, but nevertheless, still surprising.
— Natasha Cucullo on January 7, 2018
Moses Sumney - Plastic
Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.
— Dara Bankole on October 22, 2017
