Pissing In a Wishing Well - Dusk

Pissing In a Wishing Well - Dusk
3:51

Glass Pastures, 2023

Written by Dusk?

The previous Dusk song I covered, “Too Sweet,” featured Julia Blair on vocals; this one leans more toward country-rock, with drummer Amos Pitsch taking a turn behind the mic. It comes in with a slow drumbeat driving a breezy, laid-back melody, before the lyrics give the song a little jolt of energy. The whole thing has a relaxed, groovy feel, but the playing is tight and polished enough that the band's ease and camaraderie shows though; this is a group that gels live, you can tell. It's an easy rocker with strong Jayhawks influences, Ryley Crowe’s pedal steel whining over trilling '70s rock'n' roll licks while the rhythm section lays down a solid bed for Pitsch's pleasant vocals.

Positive Charge - Gaslight Anthem

Positive Charge - Gaslight Anthem

4:06

History Books, 2023

Written by Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, and Benny Horowitz

A growling rock anthem about finding yourself again, whether youth, lost love, or something else.  Demons have been faced and now we're ready to step into the sunshine.  "It's hard to know when your mind declares a war on you / Like the thoughts inside my skull would do, like I was blind / And I'm sure I saw the signs but didn't know."  Now life seems precious, arms open wide, wanting to keep love alive as long as possible.  I love the songcraft and the lyrics, although to me the mix seems strangely muffled, dampening the message somewhat.

Hot To Go! - Chappell Roan

Hot To Go! - Chappell Roan

3:04

The Rise And Fall Of a Modern Princess, 2023

Written by Kayleigh Amstutz [Roan] and Daniel Nigro

As always, years late to the party, but with a 770 million streams, I had to hear it here and there, despite my main listening focus being in the 1970s singer songwriter vein.  I tend to ignore the new stuff, especially hip-hop and pop.  But hey — I'm not immune to catchy pop by strong young women.  I love "Anti-Hero" and "Beach Bunny."  This is an infectious dance-pop, queer cheerleader-inspired song describing a woman who's been alone and is ready for some action ("Well, I woke up alone staring at my ceiling / I try not to care but it hurts my feelings / You don't have to stare, come here, get with it / No one's touched me there in a damn hot minute").  The metaphor of serving herself up as some sort of sexual DoorDash is an amusing one.  Roan herself called the song "like 'YMCA' but gayer," which is nice, but there's nothing in the lyrics that even suggests she's coming on to a woman.

Pickle Song - Jordan Smart

Pickle Song - Jordan Smart

3:01

single, 2023

Written by Jordan Smart

In vocal delivery, guitar and percussion arrangement, organ, and pacing, there is no avoiding this song's remarkably close similarity to "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream"-era Dylan.  The resemblance is so strong, I can't help but wonder if it's a deliberate parody.  In the song,  pickles are an allegory for immigrants or any other minority group oppressed by right wing jingoists:  "I don't ask no one for nothin', work hard as I can / It seems to me that pickles got it easier than man / I say we go on down to the local grocery store / Round up all them pickle jars and smash em on the floor."  It's not heavy-handed, and sung with the jovial acerbity of an Arlo Guthrie, and there's a groaner of a pun in the final line that makes me forgive everything else:  "But you can keep them Kalamatas, because we all know olives matter."

Overtime - Zach Bryan

Overtime - Zach Bryan

3:10

Zach Bryan, 2023

Written by Zach Bryan

This is a down-home country banger with rock sensibilities.  It's a declaration of being a loner, a maverick, a working man who didn't listen to the naysayers.  "But I been scrapin' by my whole damn life / And granddaddy worked a double 'til the day he died / Said, Never let this world's earthly pride get you down."  It's got a singalong groove, and Bryan is a fine lyricist, but to me the delivery lacks the fireball energy that the words inhabit.  Maybe he's been working so hard, he's too tired to give the take the oomph it deserves.  

Hope Is a Dangerous Little Thing - The Menzingers

Hope Is a Dangerous Little Thing - The Menzingers

3:12

Some Of It Was True, 2023

Written by the Menzingers

Raw, emotional yet muscular Americana punk, reminiscent of the Lawrence Arms and Gaslight Anthem.  The album title seems to come from the Clash's "London's Burning," which is at the least a sign the band has good taste.  Built on a fierce percussion backbone, this song is an arm-pumping, depressing anthem of not being loved by the one you love: "I passed a restaurant burned to the ground / And a dollar store with a burned out A / I laughed thinking that I relate / I'm the junk you buy then throw away."

Same Language - Meet Me @ the Altar

Same Language - Meet Me @ the Altar

2:34

Past // Present // Future, 2023

Written by Téa Campbell. Edith Victoria, John Ryan, Sherwyn Nicholls

Absolutely adore this punk band, three women of color with feisty attitude, bold vocals, powerful drums, and catchy guitar riffs.  Everything they've put out so far has me applauding.  This track is directed at a man, maybe a former paramour, or a clueless producer ("You think, you think we're good and that's dangerous"), who isn't seeing eye to eye with the narrator.  A short, punchy kiss-off.

Birthday Suit - The California Honeydrops

Birthday Suit - The California Honeydrops

2:32

single, 2023

Written by the California Honeydrops

A novelty song of sorts, a silly softly sung acoustic ditty.  The narrator wants to be buried naked, as that's the suit he feels most comfortable in.  "Anyway they’ve all been dying to know / Just how I held onto a girl like you."  The implication, of course, is that the narrator may be, under his clothes, packing more than he appears.  That's how he caught (and kept) the girl, presumably.  Except the punchline comes later: "All illusions will be shattered / And the truth plain to see / But I’ll be dead so I don’t care who’s there laughing at me."  So how did he get that girl, then?