the unskippables i skipped (underrated & underappreciated edition)
feat. bad bunny, alvvays, ashley mcbryde, moony, and latto & glorilla
This week I wanted to list a few artists/tracks I was way, way behind on, in addition to a few fresh finds out this week. Keeping it short this, but next Tuesday I’m doing a proper Albums of the Year list, so stay tuned!
As always, you can follow along on our playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, which update every Tuesday along with the newsletter.
UNSKIPPABLES #63
Alvvays - Pressed
This record was a big blind spot for me until recently; the initial singles didn’t grab my attention so I tuned out Blue Rev when it dropped. Once I dug in, this Smiths-laced album cut has been on repeat for me for the last week. “Pressed” takes the breathless energy and chorused guitars of C86 pop and uses it to build to an anthemic refrain. The band winds tighter and tighter as Molly Rankin sings, “I won't apologize for something I'm not sorry for.” A stunner of a guitar-pop song.
Bad Bunny - Aguacero
I admit I’ve been woefully out of pace with Bad Bunny. I’d blame it on the language barrier, but as a devoted MOTOMAMI stan, I know that’s not why. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s just so massive that it felt like the songs would just make their way to me via bars, Ubers, and gyms - but either way, I didn’t spend any time with Un Verano Sin Ti this year, and that was a huge mistake. “Aguacero” is a perfect example of how much music Bad Bunny can make out of so few parts; his records often feel like the bare minimum of bass and his vocal, as if to cut out any middle man between his songs and you.
Ashley McBryde - Gospel Night At The Strip Club
Taken from McBryde’s concept album Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville about a fictional town in the South, “Gospel Night At The Strip Club” shows how the concept takes flight, hewing closer to John Prine than Our Town. The entire record is filled to the brim with detail, but there’s something satisfying about the “Hallelujah” choruses after “Gospel Night At The Strip Club’s” spoken-word verses from Benjy Davis. I was late to this record - it dropped in September - but loved her cover of “Straight Tequila Night” earlier this year, and can’t wait to spend more time in Lindeville.
moony - machines
This song leans into heavy Tobacco/Black Moth Super Rainbow kaleidoscope sludge, with a slippery melody that writhes and dodges around the beat. The acoustic bridge (chorus?) at the front is less of a break than it is a psych-out as the song dives back in darker and deeper in the muck as it unfolds.
Latto, GloRilla & Gangsta Boo - FTCU
A year-end victory lap from Latto and GloRilla, featuring the legendary Gangsta Boo — this is heavy-handed club rap (FTCU stands for Fuck The Club Up) but it’s undeniably effective. GloRilla’s verse in particular highlights her ability to spin the end of a verse into unexpected places, her words curling up where other rappers might spit them out, drawing you in with her unexpected emphases and rhythmic pocket.
THROWBACK CORNER
CAN - Paperhouse
This was TV! This was just on normal-ass TV.
That’s all for this week, folks. Please subscribe if you’d like these opinions straight in your inbox. See you next week!