Finding My Religion #3: 10 New Songs Curated by the Pickled Priest - "Continuous Motion"

Some familiar names this time, but we believe in, and demand, loyalty here at Pickled Priest. Anyone who breaks that loyalty oath gets immediately fired, eviscerated, and slammed on our proprietary social media platform. We just won't stand for it.

SIDE A

01 “Unfinished Not Fragile” | Bill Orcutt

"Unfinished Not Fragile" perfectly describes Bill Orcutt’s new album. The prolific, bearded shaman of primitive guitar finds all the hidden beauty in the inner-city scrapyard of his mind and translates it into a dozen crude, sub-three-minute pieces of outsider guitar art (guitart?) on Music in Continuous Motion, his first album of 2026 (based on past productivity indicators, certainly not his last). Additional song titles further reflect this aesthetic: “Giving Unknown Origin,” “Unexpectedly Heavy,” “Reflective, Silent,” “Because Sharp Also Smooth.” Bill always seems to be searching for a way into his next album, usually finding inspiration in unexpected places along the way. His creative process has yielded a bumper crop of compelling beautiful noise over the years, but lately he's been outdoing himself, which is saying something.

02 “Serpent Tongue (Slight Return)” | The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis

I was overjoyed to hear of another Messthetics/JBL project this year. They released one of the best records of 2024 and delivered what I consider one of the best live shows of 2025, so having another killer record this quickly is a testament to their intuitive chemistry. They found gold the first time they worked together and thankfully remembered where they buried it on this second installment. Predictably, the record offers some absolutely thrilling moments that will threaten to blow the roof off the sucka on their next tour. “Serpent Tongue,” originally on the Messthetics debut LP (pre-Lewis), is brought back to life here and, with JBL's wild, screeching horn added, it's more unhinged than ever before. The expanded song title now seems to promise a 1970's prog epic or a Hendrix homage, but this is a total punk-jazz reinvention; a propulsive, nitro-infused finale to cap an already brilliant record.

03 “I Danced With Another Love in My Dreams” | Brigitte Calls Me Baby

Positive first impression, tepid second impression, very positive third impression. If this pattern continues the next album is going to really suck. Or, perhaps, is Irreversible a sign that the band has figured things out? Yes, their sound is a little derivative, what with its combo platter of Morrissey, Orville Peck, and 80s pop, but this time they’ve brought in a set of great songs—the ultimate defense against accusations. of appropriation. I can especially live with a little influence peddling when the singer is this strong and Wes Leavins is a natural behind the microphone, clearly born in the wrong decade or he'd be a household name already. He was born to sing in a band that his parents might've listened to, but his p's didn’t know that at the time or they wouldn’t have stuck him with a name as bland as Wes Leavins.

04 “In Your Ocean” | Iron & Wine

Sam Beam is back a couple years after Light Verse hit #4 on our Best Records of 2024 list. That album included several of his most timeless songs ever. His latest picks up where that one left off. So much so, it includes songs left off that album and a few others that weren’t finished at the time. Such albums often amount to a letdown—songs are usually left off or left unfinished for a reason—but that's not the case this time. “In Your Ocean” is a perfect example. It's a touching love song from the open heart of a true poet. Check out the video, too. Very amusing.

 

05 “Life Remains” | Dominique Fils-Aimé

If you loved the seductive yet precise soul of those classic Sade albums back in the day, do I have an artist for you. DFA is simply one of the great underappreciated talents in all of music right now and she’s gaining more and more confidence as she goes, which is fucking scary and thrilling at the same time because each of her last three records have been increasingly amazing (all made my year-end best records lists when released, the last one hitting #7 in 2023). I just don’t know how she can continue to get better. She does, though. Her approach this time is a little more spiritual, perhaps a touch more content, but that’s a good thing for us. “Life Remains” is one example of her current state of mind. A subtle jab at our social media obsessed culture and those who use it to spew anonymous, mean-spirited thoughts, she casually dismisses them outright, “My life remains the same.” Touché! It’s an attitude we should all have, but rarely has it been conveyed in such a smooth, even-handed fashion. Class, and talent, always wins out in the end.

SIDE B

 

06 “Opening Night” | Arctic Monkeys

They’ve been dormant for a bit, but they’re back for a one-off single for a good cause. This song is the Monkeys' contribution to HELP (2), a compilation of UK/Ireland-area artists released by War Child Records in support of children living in zones of conflict (providing mental health, education, protection, etc.). There seem to be more and more zones brought into scope on a regular basis, so support is much needed. In the bargain, you get this nifty track and a bunch of others from the likes of Damon Albarn, Depeche Mode, Arlo Parks, English Teacher, Big Thief, Fontaines D.C., Pulp, Young Fathers, Wet Leg, Olivia Rodrigo, and the currently invincible Cameron Winter, to name but a few. So what’s the risk? Even if you don’t like the songs, you’ve contributed to a good cause. So fork it over.

07 “Anywhere | Ratboys

The secret has long been out about Chicago’s Ratboys, but they continue to impress with their latest record, Singin’ to an Empty Chair (Neil Diamond reference?, the Priest wonders). They write killer pop-rock-country-punk influenced songs and have one of the best singers in the biz in Julia Steiner. “Anywhere” is candy-coated pop of the highest order. You cannot listen to this and feel anything but young again. If you are already young, fuck you. But you might still need it. This is like Vitamin D for me. If I don’t get some melodic pop on the regular, I get ornery.  

08 “Pink Liquor” | Hot Face

Talk about a set up! London's Hot Face got an opportunity to cut their debut album at Abbey Road Studios and took it. No brainer/dream come true territory. Noted producer Dan Carey saw them live, joined the mosh pit, and came on to produce out of love for the band. No brainer/dream come true, part two (after all, his resume includes Fontaines D.C., Black Country, New Roads, Black Midi, and countless others). In a brilliant move, and to capture the band's live energy, Carey had the band cut the whole record live in the studio in front of an audience of fans in order to mimic their performance power. He gave the band three takes to play their set and that's what you hear on Automated Response. One day and done. What you hear is what you get, just like you'd want from a reckless garage-punk band. Personally, this is the kind of music that keeps me alive. I listen to lots of other things in between, but nothing excites me like a band firing it up and flying into the darkness flying on instruments alone. "Pink Liquor" delighted me while I was writing this entry, so it's the choice for now, but like the fans in the studio, you'll want to stay for the whole 25-minute set. Hold your applause until the end. We're recording here after all.

09 “Dramatic Girl” | Baby Keem

That’s Cousin Keem to Kendrick Lamar, but this has never been nor ever will be a charity signing. Turns out cuz is also a multi-talented “good kid.” It’s encoded in the familial DNA it appears. He produces, he raps, he collaborates, he writes. A real polymath. As I am wont to do, I immediately gravitated to the song that tracks as a pop single and “Dramatic Girl” has all the characteristics of a radio-ready pop song. It’s a love song with a considerable amount of heart and a playful hook. Will it last? Will it catch on? Nobody knows yet, but I’m always up for a light snack, especially if it satisfies my sweet tooth. Baby Keem, Baby Keem, we all want some Baby Keem.  

10 “Sure & Steady” | The Wave Pictures

When I first heard “Sure & Steady” I thought, ‘Is there an aspiring Television tribute band out there looking to fill the Tom Verlaine role?’ If so, I have someone in mind. Unfortunately, it turns out singer/guitarist David Tattersall is tied up at the moment and has been for some time now. He’s been fronting England’s literate, indie-rock band the Wave Pictures for twenty—twenty!—twenty!!!!—albums now. How does this happen? Am I stupid? Am I dumb? (to quote Owen Cutts). I’m open to some more if the rest of their discography sounds anything like this. I probably should add that his band doesn’t sound like Television, they just have a leader who could fill that role in a pinch, both vocally and with his guitar ability. “Sure & Steady,” on the other hand, is a charming little indie-pop song about a young (8/9) boy’s impression of his mother (or someone else’s mother?). She is “sure and steady” while he’s “all over the place.” Get used to it, is my only advice. It’ll be that way pretty much forever.

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Keep your open-mind. It's your best quality.

Cheers,

The Priest