i know, i know, i’m upset about this too. it feels like a cheat to have two albums as “album of the month”. i mean, “album” is singular, not plural. the jig is up. this is all a ruse. it is why we cannot have nice things.
but here’s the thing: june had too many good albums. it’s a great complaint to have! i barely got to listen to anything non-CT-based because there was just so much good music coming out. so for the past week, i’ve tried to make a firm decision: who would be the “june album of the month”? there are two albums that i would consider works of genius: Them Airs’ echo park bomb city and Snake Oil’s dying of sunsets. i love both, and i love them both for similar reasons. i spent that week mulling it over: should Them Airs get the nod because all of its members live in CT? should Snake Oil take the trophy because their record touches a dark part of my brain that doesn’t have access to language? oh screw it, both albums are excellent, and both absolutely deserve your ears + attention.
a few observations about both albums: dying of sunsets and echo park bomb city are both rebirths. for Snake Oil, a slightly altered line-up* results in a psychedelic band to carve itself a new direction. where previous albums were psychedelic, dying of sunsets is dark, moody, and with teeth. with each song spanning several minutes, the band is able to lull you into a trance-like state, allowing each subtle change of tone to be all the more effective. kelly l’heureux, from new haven’s ATRINA, brings her tasteful, excellent guitar tones: every. note. matters. with her grand riffs. the album has become one in which it is impossible for me to work with; i can’t get anything done while this music plays, for it commands my attention like an involuntary reflex. for Them Airs, the band retitled itself from “Mirror Waves”, making echo park bomb city a de facto debut album. and it feels like a new album in some ways — the band is so hungry to prove themselves, every song features an array of moving parts, all working together in an imaginative rube-goldbergian frenzy. but on the other hand, the skill in which they are able to make these component sounds work together feels very mature and thoughtful.
i’ll keep this short because i would rather you spend your time listening to these albums than reading this.
Them Airs – echo part bomb city.
you can check out my longer album profile here.
if you have to pick one song: “tunxis valley”
Snake Oil – dying of sunsets.
you can check out my longer album profile here.
if you have to pick one song: “blood moon”
you can also check out previous album of the month posts here.
*i could be wrong about this part — if i am, please let me know!
