Irish singer-songwriter Hozier remains at #1 for a second week with his wonderful “Too Sweet”, while the equally wonderful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer slides into second place. The relentlessly infectious “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain moves up five spots to #5, and Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers again this week, as their pleasing introspective single “Wreckage” jumps eight spots to enter the top 10 at #10.
Four excellent songs enter my chart this week, beginning with “Highway Queen” by Los Angeles-based indie folk-rock band Mt. Joy, at #27. It’s their fourth song to appear on my chart. Next up, coming in at #28, is “High In Low Places”, the latest single by Beach Weather, who are very likely my favorite band right now. The gorgeous song has a sultry Western vibe and a hook that’s so damned catchy I keep humming it long after hearing it. It’s their fifth song to appear on my chart, three of which have reached #1, and I can already guarantee that “High In Low Places” will be their fourth. The third entry is the latest single “LUNCH” by Los Angeles-based superstar Billie Eilish. The delightful song is the lead single from her new album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which dropped May 17th. Coming in at #30 is the lovely “Like You Do” by Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, which I reviewed last month. I’ve been a long-time fan of his, and “Like You Do” is his seventh song to appear on my chart (four of which have reached #1).
TOO SWEET – Hozier (1)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists and James Mercer (3)
This past Tuesday night, June 4th, I had the pleasure of seeing the living legend that is Janet Jackson live in concert for the very first time. I’ve been a long-time fan of hers since early 1986, when I fell in love with her break out hit “What Have You Done For Me Lately”, but have never seen one of her shows until now. I saw her at Acrisure Arena, the same Coachella Valley venue where I saw the Eagles, Tears for Fears and Stevie Nicks last year. This show kicked off the second leg of her North American Together Again Tour, which includes 35 shows that will conclude July 30th in Phoenix. Named after Jackson’s 1997 hit “Together Again”, the tour is a sequel to her highly successful 2023 tour of the same name. She’ll be following with a run of shows in Europe later in the year.
Photo of Janet Jackson taken from her Facebook account
Over a storied career spanning more than 40 years, Jackson has released eleven albums, seven of which have reached number one, and 70 singles, ten of which have gone to number one, with another 16 reaching the top 10. She has sold over 180 million records and won a plethora of awards, including five Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, ten MTV Video Music Awards, and eleven Billboard Music Awards.
Opening for her on this tour is American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor Nelly (born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. in Austin, Texas, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri). Now 49, Nelly’s had quite a successful career in his own right, garnering three number one albums and four number one singles during the period of his greatest success between 2000 and 2005. He’s won numerous accolades throughout his career, including three Grammy Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards.
Nelly appeared on stage promptly at 8:00 pm, accompanied by DJ Trife, his half-brother City Spud and four female backup dancers. He wasted no time getting the crowd worked up with his engaging, high-energy stage presence, performing many of his biggest hits, including “Ride Wit Me”, “Country Grammar”, “E.I”, “Dilemma”, and “Hot In Herre”. Between songs, Nelly repeatedly expressed his love and appreciation for his fans, graciously thanking us for following and supporting him over the past 25 years. He closed his 40-minute, eight song set with a rousing performance of fan favorite “Hot In Herre”.
After a 20-minute break, four male dancers in stylish gray suits appeared on stage in front of a huge cylindrical curtain that slowly lifted, revealing Jackson on a raised platform wearing an oversized satin coat resembling a ball gown, as the audience roared with glee. Accompanied by her sexy dancers, she shed the coat and launched into a medley of eight songs starting with “Night” from her 2015 album Unbreakable, followed with a live debut of “2nite” from her 2008 album Discipline. She was backed by a live band who faithfully recreated the superb instrumentation of her many songs. My only complaint, and it’s a minor one, is that the loud, bass-heavy music occasionally overpowered her vocals.
At 58, Jackson looks and sounds as good as ever, effortlessly moving about the stage like someone half her age. The medley of her first set of songs, some of which I did not recognize, ran together in rapid succession until she finally slowed things down with her sultry 1993 hit “That’s the Way Love Goes”. She followed with an electrifying performance of one of my personal favorites “Love Will Never Do (Without You)”, from her massively successful 1989 album Rhythm Nation 1814.
The elaborate sets and creative lighting effects were outstanding, featuring a dramatic array of brightly-colored laser beams that shone across the arena throughout her show.
Halfway through her set, Jackson reappeared in a new costume (she wore a total of four different ones) and sat on a stool in the middle of the stage under a large purplish globe, whereupon she sang a medley of her softer ballads “Take Care”, “Let’s Wait Awhile”, “Again” and “Any Time, Any Place”. She then launched into a medley of some of her most upbeat songs, including “Make Me”, “All For You”, “Alright”, “Escapade” and “Miss You Much”. “Escapade”, from Rhythm Nation 1814, is my all-time favorite song by Jackson, and I’d hoped she would sing in its entirety, however, she truncated the song in the medley, which she followed with “Miss You Much”, another smash hit from the same album. Nevertheless, an enjoyable performance of both songs (notwithstanding a nearby woman loudly singing along).
She continued delivering hit after hit, ending her set with an electrifying performance of one of her signature songs “Rhythm Nation”. Sorry about the person’s hand holding a mobile phone suddenly dominating the video at the end!
At the end of that song’s performance, Jackson profusely thanked the crowd for coming to her show, and she and her dancers left the stage as the lights faded. The audience responded with uproarious cheers and applause, repeatedly shouting for an encore. Jackson and company complied, returning to perform her 2001 hit “Someone To Call My Lover” (which samples the guitar riff from America’s song “Ventura Highway”) and closing with “Together Again”. In all, she sang all or part of 41 songs in a performance lasting one hour and 45 minutes. My husband and I – as well as all other 11,000-plus fans – enjoyed every minute of it!
Tour setlist
Night
2nite
Slolove
Rock With U
Throb
All Nite (Don’t Stop)
No Sleeep
Got ‘Til It’s Gone
That’s the Way Love Goes
Love Will Never Do (Without You)
What Have You Done For Me Lately
Nasty
The Pleasure Principle
You Want This
When I Think Of You
Diamonds (Herb Alpert cover)
The Best Things in Life Are Free
Control
Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)
I just love Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, who’s had quite a resurgence over the past year or so with his critically acclaimed third studio album Unreal Unearth, which featured his two hit singles “Eat Your Young” and “Francesca”, his duet “Northern Attitude” with American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, as well as his latest single “Too Sweet”. Released in late March a week after he dropped his fifth EP Unheard, the song has turned out to be his highest charting single both in the UK and on the Billboard Hot 100 where it reached #1 in April. Now it ascends to the top of my chart, becoming his fifth song to do so (including “Take Me to Church” in 2014, “Nina Cried Power”, featuring Mavis Staples, in 2018, “Eat Your Young” in 2023 and “Northern Attitude” earlier this year). The song’s lyrics are directed at a romantic partner with totally different lifestyle preferences – the singer enjoys staying up late and drinking alcohol and black coffee, in contrast with his partner who goes to bed early, eats healthy, etc. – in other words, she’s too sweet for him.
In other significant chart developments, the delightful “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer jumps six spots to #3, while “I’ve Got Loving For You” by Texas rock & roll band Bottlecap Mountain enters the top 10 at #10. Pearl Jam are the biggest upward movers this week with their latest single “Wreckage”, leaping 10 spots to #18.
And for the fourth consecutive week, there are three new debut songs, two of which are by Norwegian acts. Entering at #28 is the wonderfully infectious “Too Much” by Norwegian alternative indie pop artist girl in red, the music project of queer singer songwriter and producer Marie Ulven Ringheim, who’s been making music since the age of 16 (she’s now 25. “Too Much” was the lead single from her second album I’m Doing It Again Baby!, released in April. Next up is “Starburster” by Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C., who’ve become one of my favorite bands over the past few years. I adore band frontman Grian Chatten’s sultry drone vocal style, and his rapping on this track is fantastic. “Starburster”, which I loved at first listen, is the lead single from their forthcoming fourth studio album Romance, due for release in August. Entering at #30 is the gorgeous darkwave gem “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir/post-punk band Mayflower Madame. I featured the song last month in one of my Fresh New Tracks posts.
TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (9)
There’s so much musical talent in the UK, and one of my favorite artists to emerge from that crowded field in recent years is singer-songwriter, producer and sound designer Charley Hullah, who goes by his last name HULLAH. According to his bio, HULLAH’s musical creativity is “driven by a passion for nightlife culture, city-living and stories from the queer community, and inspired by artists such as Everything but the Girl, Real Lies, Christine and the Queens and Pet Shop Boys. Wrapped in electro, 90s dance and synth-pop, his work emulates a nocturnal spirit, and is complemented by themes of alienation, ambition and a sense of dejection.”
I first learned about the talented, thoughtful and silky-voiced London-based artist in early 2022 when I was a guest moderator for the BBC Music weekly song competition Fresh On The Net, for which he’d entered his gorgeous single “Chasing Trains”. It was love at first listen, so much so that it spent 20 weeks on my Top 30 chart, going all the way to #1 and ranking #13 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. He followed that November with the hauntingly beautiful “Wild as the Wind” (which I reviewed), also going on to spend many weeks on my chart and ending up at #63 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.
Now he returns with his long-awaited fourth single “What if i feel like this my whole life?“, a deeply moving song inspired by his personal experience of living with the inflammatory disease ankylosing spondylitis. The track is the lead single from his forthcoming debut EP, WAVESTATE, to be released later this year. Self-produced by HULLAH, the song features contributions by musicians Michelangelo on synth bass, Gabrielle Ornate on chorus bass and Efe Cavus on Roland synth. The track was mixed by Mat Catlow and mastered by Jasper Ward.
The song explores his feelings of being a millennial in a state of transition and change, dealing with emotional issues ranging from mental health struggles to ordinary anxieties over relationships and city life. HULLAH elaborates “Living with an illness, I often feel a disconnect between my mind and body, something I try to bridge in my music. Music allows me to express my uncertainties and worries and helps me learn more about myself. Some days I’m mentally ready to seize the day but my body won’t let me. Other days I can be well in my body but my mind can’t follow – and vice versa. These experiences leave me unsettled and unsure and means I go looking for bigger causes of my mental and physical pain. Often it’s just a flare up and nothing more, but sometimes I uncover darker sides of my psyche in the process. That’s where this song is rooted. ‘What if i feel like this my whole life?’ emerged from these struggles and blends introspection with objectivity and a touch of melodrama. Self-awareness and a sense of humor often evolve from those living with a disease and disability – the latter make the days easier to battle. This song has helped me to make sense of what’s going on.”
To drive home his message, HULLAH and company have created a captivating soundscape of haunting atmospheric synths, crisp percussion and lush otherworldly textures layered over a sensuous synth bass groove. His beautiful vocals run the gamut from heartfelt sultry croons to unsettling electronically altered lamentations as he questions whether he’ll ever really feel good:
I wake in the morning Turn on the TV But it’s the same old channel “Nobody needs me”
I feel sorry for myself But then again I always do I’ve been like this for so long I don’t know what else to do
What if I feel like this my whole life? What if I never get it right? I don’t wanna take shots in the dark all the time I don’t wanna feel like this my whole life
I know I’m not easy But nobody can please me It’s just the same old story I been this way since I could speak I seem to do good things Then I turn them sour But it’s hard living in the gutters we put ourselves
What if I feel like this my whole life? What if I never get it right? I don’t wanna take shots in the dark all the time I don’t wanna feel like this my whole life
But what if I don’t What if I do? What if I never come through? What do I do? What’s the truth? I don’t know
My mind ain’t kind to me most days (Says he’s gonna change) My thoughts they down like crashing planes (But everything stays the same) I think I might’ve been wired wrong (No nothing ever changes) ‘Cos my head don’t feel like my home (He’s tried, he’s tired)
I know I’m gonna change (Says he’s gonna change) I wanna change my life (Says he’s gonna change) I know I’m gonna change (So when is the time?) Now is the time
What if I feel like this my whole life? What if I never get it right? (I never seem to get it right) I don’t wanna take shots in the dark all the time I don’t wanna feel like this my whole life
But what if I don’t What if I do What if I never come through What do I do? What’s the truth? I don’t know
What if I feel like this my whole life? I really wanna, really wanna know will this feeling ever let me go? I don’t why I have to feel like this all the time
“What if i feel like this my whole life?” is another outstanding and sonically stunning release by HULLAH, keeping his record of strong releases fully intact. I cannot wait to hear what he has in store for our listening pleasure!
Here’s the song on Bandcamp:
The faces shown on the single cover art are of legendary actress Marlene Dietrich.
One of the more unusual and zany acts I’ve gotten to know through blogging about music is South Wales-based electro/art punk band Head Noise, who describe themselves as “purveyors of post-apocalyptic synthpop, spitting out angsty garbage about junk culture, broken technology and modern art!” Comprised of the insanely creative Mitchell Tennant (primitive keyboards & shouting), Wayne Bassett (guitar & synths), Jordan Brill (more guitar & synths), and Andrew Topper Walsh (drums & percussion), their delightfully quirky brand of oddball synth punk sounds like what you’d expect from the love child of Devo, The Vapors and Dr. Demento, with Weird Al Yankovic as creative advisor. On the strength of their music, as well as their wildly entertaining live shows, complete with colorful costumes and props, they’ve amassed quite a loyal following throughout Wales and Southwest England.
They’ve released a fair amount of music since 2018, starting with their debut EP Microwave, quickly followed by a second EP Special Effects Improves the Defects. A year later, they dropped their first full-length Über-Fantastique, which they followed in 2021 with the EP Consequential Quasars! (which I reviewed) as well as a Christmas EP Gristled Toes & Whine, featuring such gems as “I Wanna Eat Yule Log” and “Brussel Spout Ketchup”. 2022 saw the release of their brilliant EP SCRAM (which I also reviewed), followed in 2023 with their mini-LP Metric Squid. Now they’re back with their second album Twisted Histories, a brilliant and often hilarious concept work “about obscenely warped moments from the past, as well as the terrifying dystopian future that awaits us, all mangled together into a time contorting mess!“
The album kicks off with “Primordial Soup“, which also just so happens to be the name of the band’s own signature artisinal hot sauce (which you can buy here). To a driving techno synth groove overlain with jagged riffs, thumping drums and spacey sci-fi flourishes, Tennant croons the not so savory lyrics about the origin of man: “Enamored by biological waste and mixed together into a soluble paste. A beak, and fins, and blood and pus, that is the general consensus.Primordial soup, makes me want to puke“, accompanied by a chorus of impish vocals.
“Sheer Buccaneer!” is a fun, synth-fueled nod to the seafaring pirates who explored and plundered their way around the world as they sailed the seven seas. And the delightful “Doin’ Science” continues on the theme first introduced 42 years ago by Thomas Dolby on his 1982 new wave classic “She Blinded Me With Science”. Head Noise name checks many of the groundbreaking pioneers in science and technology, including Einstein, Copernicus, Edison and Tesla. The wonderful video, filmed by Rosalys Anthony and Clint Thomas, directed by band member Wayne Bassett, and edited by Jordan Brill, features the guys at their zany best, making mischief in the laboratory.
The musical mayhem continues with “Tojo Head Slap“, a riotous punk romp about giving the former Japanese ruler his well-deserved comeuppance, followed by the Devo-esque “Joust! Joust! Joust!“, a frantic new wave ditty exploring the highs and lows of the medieval sport. I love the tribal drumbeats at the beginning, and what sounds like a toy piano played throughout the track. Tennant’s animated vocals sound rather diabolical as he sings “Let’s descend into the tournament for a good old round of horseplay“. And on “Mesopotamiamania“, with its wonderful bassline, he warns “In Mesopotamiamania they’ll cut off your hands. If you don’t play chess the right way, you’ll never really understand.”
One of the standouts on Twisted Histories is “L.H.O.O.Q.“, a celebration of French Dada artist Marcel Duchamp’s “ready-made” piece L.H.O.O.Q., which was a cheap postcard reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s early 16th-century painting Mona Lisa, onto which Duchamp drew a moustache and beard in pencil. The piece’s title is a gramogram, with the letters pronounced in French sounding like “Elle a chaud au cul”, which Duchamp loosely translated as “there is fire down below.” (Wikipedia) Musically, the song has a sophisticated and quite melodic synthpop vibe, highlighted by sparkling keyboards and an enchanting theremin.
Another favorite of mine is “Taft in the Bath“, a humorous take on the myth about American President Howard Taft becoming stuck in the White House bath tub. The myth was started when Ike Hoover, the White House’s chief usher during Taft’s presidency, mentioned it in his 1934 memoir. According to Snopes, historians have determined there’s no truth to the story, as Taft, who weighted more than 300 pounds during his presidency, had a custom-made tub installed. The lyrics are both clever and hilarious, delivered in Tennant’s signature quirky vocal style: “Without hesitancy through his presidency, William Howard Taft topped the scales eating possum and quails, in desperate need of a bath. / It’s a rumour. It’s not true. But porcelain when it meets the skin, is like a mega-molten superglue. Stuck in the tub. Another bathroom mishap.”
Head Noise continue their sonic rampage through history with the wonderful “Napoleon Blown-Apart!“, “Habsburg Gobstopper” and “History of the Future“, a lively new wave-fueled look at what the future holds, including flying cars, vacations on Mars and dinner on a microchip, none of which we’ll be able to afford. “Time Mash” closes the album on a glorious anthemic note, with the guys improbably juxtaposing people and things from vastly different time periods to clever effect: “Astronauts riding dinosaurs whizzing past the floating wreck of a mechanized Victorian town that screams of biotech. Henry VIII is shaking hands with a very stone-faced Ronald Reagan.”
One of the many striking aspects of both this album and the band itself is the fact that, not only are the guys incredibly imaginative, creative and funny, they’re also outstanding musicians. It’s also clear they had lots of fun recording this marvelous album, and I guarantee those of you with an appreciation for the wild and wacky will have a lot of fun listening to it! Head Noise will be launching Twisted Histories at a show in Cardiff on Thursday, May 30th. Details below:
The striking and colorful artwork for the album cover was created by MEATBELCH (aka Zach Williams).
I never tire of hearing the buoyant “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian duo Royel Otis, and it remains my favorite song for a third week. In fact, all the other top five songs – “Too Sweet” by Hozier, “Overcompensate” by twenty one pilots, “Dilemma” by Green Day, and “Don’t Forget Me” by Maggie Rogers – remain in place for a second week. Entering the top 10 are “Burial Ground” by The Decemberists and James Mercer, the biggest upward mover this week, leaping 14 spots to #9, and the melancholy and beautiful “Take It Or Leave It” by British alt-rock band Dead Slow Hoot, at #10.
For the third week in a row, three songs make their debut on my chart. I actually had seven songs I wanted to add but that would have required dropping seven off, which I just couldn’t do. So, I had to settle for just three, leaving some of the others to be added next week. The first debut, at #28, is “Wreckage” by Pearl Jam, a pleasing downtempo track that essentially replaces their hard-hitting previous single “Dark Matter”. Both tracks are from their latest album Dark Matter, which dropped April 19th. Entering at #29 is “End of Beginning”, a lovely and poignant song by American indie rock artist Djo, the musical moniker of Joseph David Keery. He’s also an actor who became well known for his roles in the TV series Stranger Things and Fargo. Bringing up the rear is the exceedingly infectious “The Break” by American alt-rock band Blame My Youth. Fronted by Sean Van Vleet, they formed in 2020 and released their debut EP Dance With My Demons in 2022. They’ve since followed with a number of singles, including “The Break”, which was released last December. Though they’re new to me, I’m really liking their music.
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (2)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
DILEMMA – Green Day (4)
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (5)
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (8)
CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (9)
MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (10)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (23)
One of the more versatile and talented artists I’ve come across in my many years of writing about music is Shimmer Johnson, a singer-songwriter and musician from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Not only is she a gifted songwriter with a beautiful and resonant singing voice, she’s also a fine guitarist and pianist. She began her music career singing Country songs, but eventually branched out into adult contemporary pop, rock and even dance music, all of which she handles with ease. She’s recorded music both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other songwriters and producers, creating an impressive repertoire of outstanding songs. I’ve featured her numerous times on this blog over the past six years, and two of her songs, the terrific 2021 dance single “Starts With You” and “Essence”, a 2023 collaboration with Danish composer and producer Refeci, have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30, the latter also ranking #7 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list.
5ilas, aka Shane Roberts, is a musician and producer based near San Francisco, with a diverse music portfolio ranging from rock to classical. In 2003, he met fellow musician John Preston while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the two became close friends who’ve been making music together ever since. Both have also worked with numerous charities and foundations for Veteran suicide awareness over the years. Shane’s wife was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2021, which inspired him and John to create a project called Godmagick to help bring increased awareness for cancer. As part of the project, they produced a compilation fundraiser album God Magick in early 2023, featuring songs by several artists. He also has 10 year old triplets, two boys and a girl, who he says are a constant inspiration for his music, which he records in his home studio. More recently, 5ilas has been collaborating with Shimmer Johnson on numerous songs, which culminated with the release of their six-track EP The Colors of Impossible this past February.
Their latest collaborative effort is the new single “Vices“, which drops today, May 24th. Shimmer wrote and sang the lyrics, while 5ilas wrote and recorded the music. As with most of their other collaborations, the track was created remotely, with Shimmer recording and producing her vocals in Canada, and 5ilas recording the music, as well as mixing and mastering the track, in California.
“Vices” is an uplifting piano ballad touching on the power of resilience, and not letting one’s problems get the best of you. Shimmer elaborates “Its about not losing yourself in whatever crisis you’re in. We all live through difficult times but you can’t lose yourself. You need to own your scars and move through them. I know sometimes it can be hard to get through stuff. But you can.“
The song opens with Shimmer questioning her faith in herself “Why am I so discouraged? Why do I feel down when I’m so far up? I work so hard, found the courage. But even then I don’t feel I am good enough“, accompanied by 5ilas’ somber piano keys. The music gradually expands with haunting synths and dramatic percussion, creating an arresting backdrop for Shimmer’s impassioned, heartfelt vocals as she laments “Can’t lose myself, I’ve lived through hell. Made some choices I’m not proud of. Know my vices. Learned to stand out. Can’t lose myself.” It’s a powerful and stunning song, and I think it’s their finest collaboration yet.
Hailing from the Fraser River Valley, east of the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, is Western Jaguar, the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Trainor. Skillfully blending indie rock, dream pop and shoegaze, he writes songs exploring common themes of life, love, emotional well-being and loss, expressed through poetic, relatable lyrics which he delivers with pleasing low-key vocals. I’ve been following him for nearly six years, and have featured him and his music three times on this blog, most recently in July 2023 when I reviewed his beautiful album Oblivion. Two of his songs, “Disappear” (2019) and “Darling” (2023) have reached #1 on my Top 30 chart.
Trainor formed Western Jaguar in 2012, and since 2013 has released two EPs and four albums as both a solo artist and a band made up of an evolving lineup of musicians. His most recent album, released March 1st, was Ranges: 2013-2023, a sort of greatest hits album containing ten tracks Trainor describes as “a quintessential crash course of the first ten years of Western Jaguar.” Now he’s back with a terrific new single “Repossess“, which will be included on his forthcoming album Vacationland. For the recording of the track, he sang vocals and played guitars, bass, synths and percussion, and fellow musician Ted Kim played drums. Trainor produced and mixed the track, while Ryan Niklas handled mastering.
About “Repossess”, Trainor says it’s “about growing up and the struggles that go along with the pressures of being an adult. It reflects on losing the joys and carefree nature of adolescence, while also bemoaning the constant weight, and pressure adulthood provides. In the end, we all want someone to walk along side us in this life; someone to help “repossess” the joy we once had and lost.”
Musically, the song serves up the signature mellow shoegaze vibes we’ve come to love and expect from Western Jaguar. His intricate guitar work is lovely, with a colorful mix of shimmery strummed notes and edgier riffs layered over a gentle, pulsating bassline and accompanied by Kim’s spirited drums that nicely complement the other instruments without overpowering them. As always, Trainor’s earnest vocals exude a heartfelt vulnerability that’s quite endearing as he laments “Feeling like a jerk in a tropical shell. I can’t keep throwing back pill after pill. I’m swimming to a future, but drowning in my past. I just want to prove that I can make it last.”
DeltaWulf is the music project of English singer-songwriter, producer and engineer James Booth. Based in Lancashire, his lively style of rock is influenced by the music of artists like Tom Petty, Eddie Money and Bryan Adams, as well as R&B rhythms and hooks. He’s previously toured with such artists as The Struts, The Pigeon Detectives and New City Kings with his former band Titans Troubadours, and in late 2018, decided to pursue his own sound by forming DeltaWulf. From what I can tell, he records all the instruments himself, and has released a handful of songs on and off over the past six years, including the lovely and heartfelt “You Came at a Time” in 2021 and the hard-driving “Game Changer” this past March.
His latest single is “I Will Do The Same“, a dynamic rock song about falling out of love, with bitter lyrics describing two people who’ve made the painful decision to split up and go their separate ways. It appears DeltaWulf originally released the song back in November 2018, but decided to re-release it on May 19th. The song is both catchy and melodic, and to my ears has a compelling guitar-driven indie rock vibe reminiscent of some of the great songs of the 90s by acts like the Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Goo Goo Dolls.
Booth’s guitar work is really outstanding, featuring a vibrant array of textures running the gamut from beautifully-strummed twangy notes to shimmery guitar runs to reverb-soaked gnarly riffs, all of which are accompanied by driving bass and lively percussion. His earnest vocals are pleasing, yet imbued with a rawness that conveys feelings of exasperation and a sad resignation expressed in the lyrics:
Back here, where we have been before I open up the door, and you come rolling in There was a time when I would have been glad To give everything I had just to lay beside you
A dignifying feeling, elevated breathing, anxiety decreasing, freed you from me I watch you from the ceiling I'm no longer breathing Now's the time for leaving Would you not agree?
Absolution from the chaos in my brain Finally I find some shelter from the rain There was a time I thought of giving you my name But you can't take your part that I will do the same
The delightfully ebullient “Murder on the Dancefloor ”, by Australian guitar-pop duo Royel Otis, remains on top for a second week, while “Too Sweet” by Irish singer-songwriter Hozier slides into second place. Entering the top 10 are “Creatures in Heaven” by English indie rock band Glass Animals, “Capricorn” by New York indie art pop/rock band Vampire Weekend, and “Mustang” by Nashville alt-rock band Kings of Leon, which leaps nine spots to #10, making it the biggest upward mover this week.
There are three debut songs again this week. First up is the lovely and heartwarming “Scared To Start” by Cincinnati, Ohio-based Americana singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi, which frankly should have entered my chart a month ago, but better late than never. He began his music career as a member of the band the Heavy Hours, but released his first single, “The Other Side”, as a solo artist last December. In January, he signed with Warner Records and released “Scared to Start”, which soon gained popularity on TikTok. The song recently peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it’s reached the top 10 in Ireland and the UK, as well as on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Both singles are included on his debut EP American Romance, which was released in February.
The second debut, at #29, is “On The Game” by Nashville duo The Black Keys. The bluesy anthemic song follows their recent #1 hit “Beautiful People (Stay High)”, both of which are from their latest album Ohio Players. Last, but certainly not least, is “Adrift”, by Missouri rock band Voodoo Planet, featuring some lovely cello by Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mikey J. The bittersweet song, which I reviewed last month, is another long-overdue entry into my Weekly Top 30,
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (1)
TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
OVERCOMPENSATE – twenty one pilots (3)
DILEMMA – Green Day (2)
DON’T FORGET ME – Maggie Rogers (6)
TIME – MISSIO (5)
ICE CREAM (PAY PHONE) – Black Pumas (7)
CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (11)
CAPRICORN – Vampire Weekend (15)
MUSTANG – Kings of Leon (19)
WANTING AND WAITING – The Black Crowes (12)
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Dead Slow Hoot (17)
I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (18)
MY GOLDEN YEARS – The Lemon Twigs (8)
NEON PILL – Cage the Elephant (9)
EVERYTHING WE NEED – Mojave Grey (10)
FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
GOOD TIMES GO – The Kid and I (21)
BROKEN MAN – St. Vincent (22)
LONELINESS – Pet Shop Boys (23)
FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (24)
KOOL AID BLUE – The Sylvia Platters (13)
BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (28)
PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (29)
DARK MATTER – Pearl Jam (14)
THOUGHTS I HAVE WHILE LYING IN BED – The Maine, Beach Weather (16)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 