Best Tracks – 9.9.22

Best Tracks – 9.9.22

 

Built to Spill – “Never Alright”

As a covers album, Built to Spill Plays the Songs of Daniel Johnston is one of the best, but that’s due to it not really being a covers album at all. For all intents and purposes, it's a collaboration, one where the band essentially used their prowess to finish Johnston’s highly influential sketches, and simultaneously make them their own. As good as it was though, the bands follow-up, When the Wind Forgets Your Name, wisely presents Doug Martsch in back-to-basics mode, and “Never Alright” may be the most urgent and well-structured track the band has released since You in Reverse. It’s incendiary, but in an approachable and humble way that few bands outside of Built to Spill can manage.

 

Marlon Williams – “Easy Does It”

At his most fun and devoid of the country-tinged and somber singer-songwriter vibe that has defined the majority of his work. Williams sounds released, able to jump around from freewheeling track to track. The results would probably be less effective if the album wasn’t bonded together with such a strong guiding production and instrumental palette, but regardless, the best tracks here would be great no matter which album of Williams they appeared on. With “Easy Does It”, he employs an opening shuffle and slide guitar that seems to exist only to reinforce the groove of the verses, but when the guitar returns on the chorus, it’s easy to think Williams is on to something.

 

Sudan Archives – “#513”

Coming off a promising debut, it’s hard to expect more than what Brittney Parks delivered here. Nearly every track is a captivating mix of neo-soul, psychedelia, and R&B with enough electronic and synth textures to make just about everyone happy. “#513” as a closing track, does its best to deliver one of the best hooks on the record with glitz, a nasheed, and plenty of layered instrumentation to supplement the hard-hitting beat.

 

Jockstrap – “Glasgow”

For a band as widely hyped as Jockstrap, it's hard to imagine a more underwhelming debut. I Love You Jennifer B is by no means a bad album, but the public was led to believe there was more to this group than its initial singles, and as an album, the key idea here is “more of the same”. Of course, those early releases and the album itself, again, are not bad, just disappointing, and frustrating in that at times Jockstrap’s amateurishness can be so invigorating and other times, so frankly, boring. However, there’s a lot here to warrant a dedicated eye and “Glasgow” especially, shows the band’s theatrical side can be plenty climactic when they want it to be.

 

Charley Crockett – “The Man from Waco”

Crockett cranks his albums out, one or two a year, with limited press coverage and almost no promotion. Maybe it's hard to keep up with, or maybe he knows that most of these albums usually contain some padding. Either way, The Man from Waco proves to be one of his most consistent and engaging listens. Crockett’s brand of country-western easily darts between outlaw and the Nashville sound, and “The Man from Waco”, the album’s title track, best exemplifies the kind of storytelling Crockett is capable of. It may be derivative, but it’s true to the singer and his backstory in a way country music doesn’t often attempt anymore.

 

Ari Lennox – “Pressure”

Washington D.C.’s Ari Lennox dropped her great debut Shea Butter Baby back in 2019. Since then, anticipation has been high for Age/Sex/Location and Lennox does nothing but proves that she is one of the best R&B singers we have. Almost any track, aside from the obligatory interlude, could be featured here, but “Pressure” is the one to talk about. It's hard to explain the phenomenon of a song like this. It jumps out of the speakers sure, but not for any seeming reason that the other tracks don’t. Instead, it’s remarkable in its simplicity, and that’s something Lennox deserves more credit for.

 

Preoccupations – “Tearing up the grass”

One of the most unsung rock bands of the last ten years has released its fourth album and given the success of post-punk revival acts Fontaines D.C., Protomartyr, and Iceage, you would think they would be more of a household name by now. It could be because they’ve struggled ever since changing their name from Viet Cong to achieve a similar name recognition, or maybe it’s just because they’ve chosen to drop their album on one of the most crowded release days this year. Either way, Arrangements is another stunner, and album closer “Tearing up the grass” proves the band is most effective when pushed to the brink. Over its six-minute runtime, the track builds steadily, never wavering in its attention, and all the while, even under increasing tension, the band manages to layer on some of their catchiest vocal melodies yet.