Lately February 2nd

Recap of Jan 26-30

Hello!

Thanks so much for reading Lately. I’m working away each week combing the internet to find new music releases that speak to me, as well as sharing the music that I’ve been into lately.

New Releases

MARO - SO MUCH HAS CHANGED

I have MARO’s fantastic song “Still Feel It All” on a few of my playlists, but to be honest had never really followed her career much. This is her ninth album since her debut in 2018, which is a crazy amount of music to be releasing. This is a very nice, easy listening album, with really warm and rich vocal layers and laid back production. It’s very solid, I think I’m maybe missing something as stripped back and tender as “Still Feel It All” because it just suits her voice so well, but there are some fun little indie pop tracks here that give it a lot of life, like “FEELING SO NICE” and “KISS ME.”

Jessie Ware - I Could Get Used To This

I’ve always admired Jessie Ware and have been happy for her to get the accolades she gets, I’ve just never really connected with her music as deeply as a lot of people seem to. And that’s pretty much how I feel about this single; it’s fun, it’s well made, and draws on disco in a way that’s genuine and not kitschy, but I just can’t see myself going back to this that often. New album coming out though so I’m always up to give it a try.

Hania Rani - Sentimental Value

Hania Rani is a wonderful composer that I’ve been a fan of for a while, and it’s so cool to see her score a major Oscar nominated film like this, it makes me feel like there’s still so much life and value and care in this type of instrumental music. I’ve yet to see Sentimental Value but it’s at the very top of my watchlist, and if it’s half as beautiful and thoughtful as this score then I’m sure I’ll absolutely love it. I absolutely love it when a score/soundtrack can be listened to as an album, when it’s so consistent and cohesive that it feels like it can stand on its own two legs. I think of scores like Normal People by Stephen Rennicks, or The Spectacular Now by Rob Simonsen, they just feel right as entire albums rather than just supplements to their respective medias. Great work here by Rani.

Ness Lalonde - Lalonde

Ness Lalonde has such good instincts for creating this sort of blown out, maximalist indie pop that hits you like a big wall of sound. This latest track plays with dynamics in a very unique way, as if there are sections that get absolutely squashed and sent back by the compressor that then come right back. I love the synth pads in this track, and the vocal layers sort of smear into the production in a way that I feel like very few people could pull off. She’s doing really cool stuff and hope to hear an album from her soon!

Lizzy McAlpine - House of the Rising Sun

Lizzy McAlpine has given us her take on this American classic folk song. While this song has a lot of different versions, I feel like this is pretty much a cover of Joan Baez's rendition from 1960, especially in the vocal performance. She uses that very pronounced vibrato that Baez was known for, and the guitar arrangement is identical. It’s nice!

What I’ve Been Listening To

I wrote about Charli xcx last week and how much I admire her emotional and soaring autotuned vocals, and it’s got me digging back into her catalogue. I’ve specifically been hung up on “Sorry if I Hurt You” from the Deluxe version of CRASH, it’s got everything I absolutely love about her music. The production isn’t complicated but it’s just so well layered and constructed, Charli’s vocals are sincere and almost pleading here, and I’m just always amazed at how well she’s able to make this genre of music bend to her will. I wish this song was twice as long as it is but I’ll have to make do with 2:41, I’ve been listening to it on repeat.