Issue 41: Music's Greatest Decade
Reviewing my favorite May albums, plus a mystery solved!
Welcome back to Band Practice where we have returned to 2024 and are ready to dive into my favorite albums from May. But first, thank you for taking a journey back to my high school years in the last issue. ICYMI, I wrote about formative albums from the time including blink-182’s Enema Of The State (which I coincidentally wrote about the day before its 25th anniversary) and Jimmy Eat World’s Clarity (you have to listen to it if you haven’t already. It is such a beautiful album that words can’t do justice).1 You can still read the issue here if you like.
Thank you to the readers who reached out with your favorite albums and artists from high school. It has been so fun to learn about your taste in music. Please keep the recommendations coming! I’ll gladly accept playlists, too.
Thank you, also, to the several of you who surprisingly had intel on the record store in Issaquah, Washington from the early 2000s (this will make sense if you read the issue). I am happy to say—for any remaining person who cares—that we have solved the mystery! It was a Wherehouse Music, which is what my mom had said initially and I wrongly scoffed at. She was right! See below for photographic proof from a Google deep-dive.
All that nostalgia has been a lot of fun, but we’re not done with it yet! Well, not quite. I found something super interesting to share with you that ties in nicely with the four new albums from May that I have chosen to write about (they’re so good!). And, since I’ve had some longer reviews lately, I’m keeping these shorter and sweeter. So, let’s get to it, shall we? (We shall)
Intro
What was music’s greatest decade? Take a minute to come up with an answer. Researchers recently tried to answer the question themselves and what they found was surprising. A survey conducted by YouGov asked 2,000 American adults what decade had the best and worst music, movies, economy, etc. It’s all fascinating (you can read the full article here), but when it came to music they found that there wasn’t a consensus on a particular decade unless you broke it down based on age. Then, a pattern emerged: the nostalgia factor.
They found that “Americans feel nostalgia not for a specific era, but for a specific age…The good old days when America was ‘great’ aren’t the 1950s. They’re whatever decade you were 11, your parents knew the correct answer to any question, and you’d never heard of war crimes tribunals, microplastics or improvised explosive devices. Or when you were 15 and athletes and musicians still played hard and hadn’t sold out.”
So, roughly, what we loved in our teens we hold in our minds as the greatest music of all time.
Does that fit the answer you thought of earlier? Not for me. As much as I loved the music of my adolescence (as strongly evidenced in the last issue), I do not think 1990s or 2000s music holds up to the music of the 1960s or 70s. Do you think I’d put the Backstreet Boys up against The Beach Boys? As if! But then again, there was Radiohead so…I might have to keep thinking about it.
For someone as obsessive about music as me, time knows no bounds, which is probably why I love the following four albums so much. They trigger nostalgia not because they’re from the past but because they feel like the past. If you loved music from the 1960s, you’ll be wowed. 1970s? I’ve got you covered. And if you want to stay in the present, there’s something for you here, too. (But if you’re looking for the future of music, scroll all the way to the end of the issue *ominous wink.*) They may just convince you that this is the best decade for music.
If you lament that nothing is as good as the classics…
Jessica Pratt — Here in the Pitch
Folk [Released 5/3/24]
“Where did this come from?” And, more importantly, “When did this come from?” are questions you will ask yourself when listening to Here in the Pitch. Luckily, I have answers. Jessica Pratt’s pristine revival of 1960s folk-pop has taken the collective breath of music critics and listeners alike—for good reason. It only takes a mere 30 seconds of listening to recognize it as an instant timeless classic.
The millennial singer-songwriter was inspired by “the dark side of the Californian dream” while making this album, and that is precisely the vibe.2 Its blend of pop, psychedelia, bossa nova, and folk takes the listener from lounging poolside in a muumuu with a Mai Tai in hand (Better Hate) to lingering after last call with a half-empty Glenlivet and a half-full serving of existentialism (The Last Year). It is prime mid-century melancholy fit for Mad Men needle drops. Pratt’s voice—mixed with simple acoustic arrangements and haunting reverb—sounds partly from another decade and partly from another world. When she sings, it feels as if the past has only just begun.
This album is one of the most wowing listening experiences I’ve had this year. Just give it that 30 seconds and come back and prove me wrong. I’ll wait here. In the meantime, someone pass the Mai Tais.
Tracks on repeat: Life Is, World on a String, The Last Year
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
If you are ready to dance into a new chapter…
Dua Lipa — Radical Optimism
Pop [Released 5/3/24]
The latest from pop singer-songwriter Dua Lipa (aka Dula Peep for those who know) is not a breakup album, it is an empowering exhale of closure—set to a blissful disco-pop soundtrack. Its romantic and transportive celebration of singledom is cathartic both musically and lyrically. You might dramatically clutch your chest as you sing “It’s not supposed to hurt this much,” along with “These Walls”—a song that could very well be sung by a 1960s girl group complete with matching outfits and bouffants. Or you could find yourself dancing to “Houdini” and “Training Season” until you’re a sweaty gym rat straight out of a 1980s movie training montage (I know I have). Lipa/Peep gives plenty to connect with in tightly packaged three-minute songs, only lingering a while (and I’m glad she did) in the closer, “Happy For You”—a gorgeous synthy sensation full of passion and stadium-worthy grandeur.
If we have learned anything this year, it is that not every big pop album is worth our time. This one is. Unlike others (I won’t name names), it is cohesive, compelling, and gives exactly as much as is needed for a FUN half-hour of listening. Go ahead, dive in, and start dancing. You’ll be glad you did.
Tracks on repeat: Houdini, French Exit, Happy For You
Available on Spotify, Apple Music
If you’re looking for a new rock legend…
Mdou Moctar — Funeral For Justice
Rock [5/3/24]
Often when I write about albums I love, I start by screaming, “AHHHH! This is so good!!!” into the keyboard before deleting and writing something substantial. This time I’m going to break the fourth (or whatever) wall and leave that in. I also yelled, “Yeah!!! This is how rock and roll should be!” as I high-fived the air. I promise that anyone who listens will be high-fiving right along with me, and you’ll soon see why.
Mdou Moctar is the moniker of Mahamadou Souleymane—a Taureg songwriter and musician from Niger who performs with a full backing band. A self-taught guitarist, he built his first guitar using bicycle cables for strings. (Astounding!) His sound is partly influenced by African music styles like takamba and assouf and partly influenced by Eddie Van Halen, which mathematically equates to a fusion of “desert blues” and ferocious rock and roll. The sound is frenetic and gargantuan—Moctar shredding his guitar faster than Edward Scissorhands through a topiary, with pummeling percussion keeping up alongside him. But one could easily get lost in the music without awareness of its strong anti-colonialist message. Right off the bat, Moctar calls out Africa’s leaders for serving the interests of France and the U.S. instead of its people in the opening title track. His conviction is as sharp as his musicianship.
My only complaint about this album is that I wish it was twice as long; I could listen to the band jam infinitely. It begs to be performed live, and I hope to see them when they come to Portland.
Tracks on repeat: Imouhar, Takoba, Oh France
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
If Cowboy Carter made you thirsty for more good country…
Shaboozey — Where I’ve Been isn’t Where I’m Going
Country [5/31/24]
I did not plan on writing about country music this much this year. Blame it on Beyoncé! But if it wasn’t for her, I don’t know if I would have discovered Shaboozey. The country singer-songwriter (born Collins Obinna Chibueze) has launched himself out from under her wing and is creating his own buzz with more genre-bending country.
Shaboozey’s bending and blending of pop, country, and hip-hop is slightly more subtle than the project of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. The album has all of the trappings of country music and some of the trappings of trap music. Acoustic and slide guitars, banjos, and fiddles are bolstered by beefy pop production (tastefully!) with a hint of auto-tune glitching his gruff baritone. Stomping bar songs and outlaw ballads boast catchy melodies and smart lyricism. (The tongue-twisting, “Life's a trip and when it trip you up, you lace up and go run it up” from “Let It Burn” lodged itself in my brain.) While there are no appearances from the queen bee herself, he is joined on “My Fault” by my favorite member of the Cyrus family: Noah. I’ll take it!
Shaboozey’s wholehearted songwriting and unique sound keep me coming back to this album like I’m an old regular. In the last song, he sings, “I’m cool if it’s all over,” but, I hope it never ends.
Tracks on repeat: A Bar Song (Tipsy), Anabelle, Highway
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, bandcamp
Coming up
Coming up, I’ve got TWO banging summer playlists for you: one to bring the heat and one to cool you down. The only other thing you’ll need to be set for the summer is sunscreen, of course. And water…please stay hydrated! (But not too hydrated, because apparently that is also bad.) After that, it will be time for June favorites, and, boy, do I already have a great one on deck for you. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss any of it.
(Subscribing will not improve water consumption)
The playlist!
If you’re new to Band Practice, I keep a running list of my favorite songs from every new album I listen to throughout the year (one each). The latest batch contains picks from May’s albums and starts with “Happy For You” from Dua Lipa (which I think I’ve made my case for). Other highlights include the ethereal “Floating on a Moment” from Beth Gibbons (of Portishead) and the mind-bending “Echo Lace” from experimental electronic music producer Iglooghost. (Both of their albums are worth your ears.) Happy listening!
Albums of 2024 - Apple Music playlist
Albums of 2024 - Spotify playlist
I love hearing what you have to say! If you have feelings about this issue, questions for me, album recommendations, or any other thoughts, send them my way by leaving a comment or replying to this email. You can also reach me at bandpracticenewsletter@gmail.com
These kids are the future of music!
Another coincidence that only the footnote people get to know is that the special anniversary issue ended up being number 40, which is what I’ll be turning later this year. Seems fitting.
Thanks for the Jessica Pratt rec, she has such a distinct voice. I’m loving her stuff
I'm here for the Dua Lipa album. So good! Now I'll have to check out the other 3. Thanks, as always, for your recommendations and enthusiasm!