During the past few months, and including this past week, there have been a number of must-hear solo album drops for indie and alt rock fans – just in case you missed them – from J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.); Jeff Tweedy (Wilco); Kurt Vile (The War On Drugs), Panda Bear (Animal Collective), Sharon Van Etten and Bob Mould (Husker Du).
Other solo albums we are watching and waiting to be released include new material from Andrew Bird, Ty Segall, Stephen Malkmus (Sonic Youth), and perhaps Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Sufjan Stevens.
Panda Bear – Buoys
Animal Collective co-founder and indie music darling Noah Lennox’s (aka Panda Bear), new solo album is not disappointing, even if it is not ground-breaking like some of his earlier efforts. It’s a change in direction and style, but in nuanced ways.
It’s too bad the album’s cover art is so crappy.
Here’s what some of the other reviews online say:
Q Magazine: “Even when the centre spins out, Lennox’s naive melodies make his indulgence sound strangely inviting.”
Pitchfork: “Buoys is a sad and wistful album, though in a non-specific way.”
Uncut: “It’s a new direction, one stretched fairly thin across nine similar tracks, but at least he’s escaped that old echo chamber.”
J. Mascis – Elastic Days
Even though it’s a bit dated for those up on the current, the recent solo LP drop from Dinosaur Jr. legendary founder J. Mascis, Elastic Days, continues to sound fresh and worthy of additional spins, even months later.
Elastic Days is almost a monumental album and it’s no wonder that it has won high praise from critics and fans alike since its November release.
This album as a complete work only solidifies what each of these terrific solo albums prove: aging alt. and indie rock musicians are putting out some of the best new alt. and indie music we’ve heard in maybe years.
This is also clear in the fact that IRC listener’s voted – by the number of streams and clicks – the smooth, dreamy title track as the No. 1 song for October 2018. (If you haven’t seen the video, it’s a hoot)
How the long, white-haired middle-aged rocker Dad keeps dropping, successively and over three decades, better and better material as he ages is something to behold.
Mojo Magazine: “Even at 52, this Dinosaur senior is a miracle of ongoing evolution.”
Drowned in Sound: “If you’re a Dinosaur Jr fan and you can live without a couple of Lou Barlow tracks per album then it would be well worth checking out Elastic Days and hearing J do what he does best in a slightly different setting.”
DIY Magazine: “The last couple of Dinosaur Jr. records, in particular, are from all angles for their consistency, but J Mascis is continuing to fire out hidden gems under his own name, too.”
Kurt Vile – Bottle It In
While it released over four months ago, the recent solo album, Bottle It In, from former War on Drugs’ guitarist Kurt Vile is worth listening to for any of those that missed it.
Like the other great solo albums featured in this post, Vile’s release does not get boring to listen to again and again.
It’s almost, shall we say, essential listening for fans of the alt./indie rock genre(s). It’s fresh, creative, fun and just fine music, especially for a seventh solo release.
Under The Radar: “He is one of the most dependable artists working in indie rock, rehashing old sounds while always pushing the envelope, constantly expanding his artistic approach while never losing his footing.”
The UK Guardian: “Vile ultimately has such an instinctive facility for melodic logic that behind the shaggy locks and purple haze, there’s a clear-headed, big-hearted songwriter at work.”
The Boston Globe: “More than just another tapestry of gorgeous guitar-scapes to get lost in, it’s the fullest portrait yet of the human behind that Cheshire Cat grin.”
Jeff Tweedy – WARM
Longtime Wilco founder and musician Jeff Tweedy dropped his debut solo album, WARM, in November, and ever since, like Mascis and Vile, we’ve spun it over and over. That’s how good the longtime-coming solo album is that Tweedy has woven together over the years.
It’s an album about addiction, family life, fatherhood and changes, exquisitely written, recorded and produced. The album, an accompanying work to his new book, “Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back),” reveals a stunning album of songs, that are touching, expertly crafted and insightful, including the rehab-themed “Bombs Away” and the compassionate “Don’t Forget.”
The recent death of his father looms over the mood and lyrical content. In fact, death and dying are a recurring theme. In the song, “From Far Away,” Tweedy demands: “If I die/Don’t bury me/Rattle me down like an old machine.”
WARM is an epic album of autobiographical origin, whether one is a Wilco/Tweedy fan or not. From the book to the album’s concurrent themes and how Tweedy married them so wonderfully, never has Tweedy revealed so much nor have fans learned so much about a man who has lived the rock and roll lifestyle and come out on the other side – not to preach but instead to reveal.
Musically, the album is significant as well with Tweedy’s son joining in on the making of music that lasts and matters.
Clash Music: “This record comes on like the voice of a friend, confessional and familiar – full of small, important reassurances.”
Paste Magazine: “Is the exchange of restless turmoil for quietly focused introspection a worthwhile trade? Depends. For Wilco fans who never really got over the big hooks and sonic clamor of Summerteeth, probably not. For listeners who have taken pleasure in Tweedy’s continuing evolution, WARM is akin to a gift.”
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
For those of you who have followed Sharon Van Etten’s career and music, you are probably aware that she consistently puts out good music. The freshly-released Remind Me Tomorrow is definitely one of the best of her five full-length releases during the past decade-plus; and it is also her most daring release in some regards.
Variety: “While it sounds different from anything Van Etten has ever done, it also never sounds like anyone but her: Her big, sweeping choruses and singer-songwritery melodies adapt surprisingly well to their new context, with heavy, synthetic basslines and sparkling electronic embellishments accenting her echo-laden, multi-tracked vocals.”
New Musical Express (NME): “[The album] serves not so much as a nudge, but a forceful and playful shove to remind listeners just how special Van Etten’s talent is on both a lyrical and musical level. Don’t call it a comeback, but it may well be her most intoxicating and impressive work to date.”
Mojo Magazine: “Remind Me Tomorrow feels full to the brim, flooded to the top with experimental colour and texture, drones and drums and synthesizers.
Bob Mould – Sunshine Rock
Veteran rocker Bob Mould – arguably an early influence of indie rock as the frontman of Husker Du and Sugar – just dropped his 13th solo album. Here’s what some of the pubs have posted:
DIY Magazine: “Sunshine Rock does exactly what it says on the tin. A rock album that sparkles; a taut collection of Bob Mould cuts that fits timelessly into his ever-expanding legacy.”
The 405: “While not everything here measures up to the album’s highlights, this is still an enjoyable and mostly solid effort that doesn’t stray too far from what Mould has done best over the last few decades.”
AllMusic: “Sunshine Rock is the fourth installment in one of the most satisfying chapters of Bob Mould’s career–no small statement considering his legacy–and the tender ferocity of these songs is something no one else could do quite this well.”
