· details

Pokey Lafarge • In the Blossom of their Shade

New West • released 2021-10-15

If the name didn’t give it away, this is suitable for slow-dancing cowboys, at least as they exist in our imagination. The crooning voice floats lithely over western swing and doo-wop influences to make you either start or stop howling at the moon.

Archives

Approximately Relevant

View Archives »
Los Lobos &bull; <i>Native Sons</i>

Los Lobos • Native Sons

The cover album is trite and cliché by now, but when the kings of Los Angeles release a tribute to the music scene that made them who they are, it’s definitely worth a listen, as both a rock show and a history lesson on what made LA sound that way.

Josh Caterer &bull; <i>The Hideout Sessions</i>

Josh Caterer • The Hideout Sessions

Caterer was the unmistakable voice behind the Smoking Popes, and his post-Popes career has taken many interesting turns, something reflected in this collection of croony standards and revisited songs from his previous band.

Andrew Bird &bull; <i>Panthology Songs II</i>

Andrew Bird • Panthology Songs II

Years from now, the early 2020s will timestamp short albums recorded and released during isolation the way protest songs on the pop charts mark the late ‘60s. This one would be near the top of the heap, intimate yet meticulous.

The Nude Party &bull; <i>Midnight Manor</i>

The Nude Party • Midnight Manor

The word “party” is right there in the name, as is the word “nude”, and it might be a coincidence, but this is rowdy, horny, let-it-all-hang-out rock and roll music.