Finding My Religion #4: 10 New Songs Curated by the Pickled Priest - "The Messy Trajectory"

I put the tracklist for this mix into AI and asked what I should call this batch of songs. It returned with something more than I could've ever hoped for: "The Messy Trajectory." I quite like that. Very fitting. All the selections, Priest's honest truth, were selected by a human being and the corresponding commentary all from the mind of the Pickled Priest. AI would never take credit for this messy assortment of artists and commentary anyway.

10 NEW SONGS CURATED BY THE PICKLED PRIEST, VOLUME #4

SIDE A

01 "Spray Tan Speed Queen (In a German Car)" | Crooked Fingers

Eric Bachmann resurrected Archers of Loaf, the band that put him on the map back in the 90s, after two decades. That comeback album, Reason in Decline, was so good it ranked #9 on our Top 50 Albums list in 2022. Now Bachmann is back four years later with his long-shelved side-project, Crooked Fingers, this time after 15 years of dormancy. Swet Deth (sic) is yet another winner from one of the finest rock singers of the past 35+ years. This time, he's tapped some pals to sing and play on the record, notably Sharon Van Etten, Mac McCaughan of Superchunk, and Matt Berninger of the National (what a pairing!). All the songs, with or without big name guests, are fabulous. "Spray Tan Speed Queen (In a German Car)," objectively a great song title, features fellow NC singer/songwriter Skylar Gudasz (check her out) on vocals, and the song is my current obsession (among many). Eric's always been an underrated and original songwriter—a sensitive yet gritty poet—and this death-obsessed set of songs proves once again that his old bands have lost nothing during their extended absence.

02 "All Bad Parts" | Lime Garden

The self-deprecating national anthem? Not a bad choice. "All Bad Parts" was inspired by a popular self-help book with a similar title*, which highlighted a tendency for people to obsessively focus on their worst qualities, not the holistic picture that includes the good stuff, too. By over-analyzing your 'bad parts' you tend to devalue yourself, which can lead to self-destructive behaviors like staying in a bad relationship for the wrong reasons (security, fear of not finding someone else) even though you know its doomed. Lime Garden lead singer Chloe Howard manages to sum up the totality of the concept in a single verse.

I may not have a penny to my name

Or a reason to be sane

But I've got you, baby

Ugh

With a single "Ugh," perfectly delivered, she undermines what seems like a (lime) garden variety love song by inserting a reason to doubt her probity. It's a brilliantly subtle moment that defines why this band's songs have more staying power than similar sounding bands.

*No Bad Parts, to be specific, by Dr. Richard Schwartz

03 "Model Actress" | Suitor

Ah, I love it when a promising new Cleveland band emerges—there's just something in the Northeast Ohio water (likely toxic chemicals) that adds an unmistakably inorganic bite to the sound of any band birthed there. Suitor is another example. The band's second album, Saw You Out With the Weeds, is a noisy post-punk record that delivers a wall of sound now that they've added more guitars to their lineup since their debut. The compounded effect is especially powerful because it was recorded live in the studio. You don't get this kind of visceral sound any other way. On vocals is Emma Shepard, the daughter of a record store owner (the only one who could ever reach me), a dynamo capable of cutting through the surrounding heaviness with power and attitude. The whole record is best taken in one sitting, so why don't we start with the album's first track, "Model Actress"? Loading it upfront was an obvious choice because it starts with a guitar riff that I'll crave again and again. This kind of aggressive riffage is built into my DNA. If you are similar predisposed to some clangery and bangery, I'd dial this up. It's impressive right away, but it really grows on you, too. I'd encourage headphones and solitude for your first listen, along with a higher volume level than you normally allow. Total immersion, please.

04 "She's Got Guts" | The Antics

The Frantics would've been more appropriate. In fact, the first song on the Antics new album is titled “Frantic” so it was right there for the taking. Either way, the band play classic, chugging, Aussie punk rock, inspired by other Melbourne greats present and past. When it comes to this style of music, I'm not so much seeking an original sound as I am a convincing delivery of solid songs. Lead singer Freya Tanks is the galvanizing force behind everything that happens on the band's self-titled new record, which takes the standard punk framework and kicks it in the balls. She’s a force to be reckoned with throughout, a sense of humor crossed with a political activist. The song title here seems to be autobiographical. If she's not singing about herself, she should be. Thankfully, not everything on the record comes as a punch to the nuts; sometimes songs unfold with a deliberate build-up ("Ripped") that keeps you off guard. Eventually, however, the gasket gets blown and they're back at it again, taking no prisoners.

05 "Then You're Dead" | The Shits

For a brief moment, I did think the new Shits album, Diet of Worms, was named after the 1520 Holy Roman Empire assembly in Worms, Germany convened to address the 'controversial' teachings of Martin Luther, the founder of Lutheranism. It's not, but that's what a Lutheran education will do to you. So, if you were hoping for a concept album based on that Diet of Worms, you're in the wrong place. One listen to the first song on the band's latest album, "In a Hell" will make that abundantly clear. Yup, we're literally eating worms this time out. A little alt-religion doesn't sound so unappealing anymore, does it? Perhaps a bottle of tequila to wash it all down? I will be the first to admit the Leeds-based Shits will only appeal to a small demographic, but those who like their music heavy, nasty, and pummeling, right this way you go. Does the phrase "redline dirge" sound alluring to you? This stuff is a noise-punk-rock dumpster fire, with guitars wailing and wah-wahing out the ying-yang. If you're gonna run for your life, I say have a good time doing it.

SIDE B

06 "You're Mine" | Sophie May

There are lots of singer/songwriters out there doling out pleasant acoustic fare. If you stumbled upon any one of them in a public setting, you'd likely enjoy their work and applaud politely when they finish. But is that all you want? Especially from a recording? That's why it's always a joy to discover a unique performer who has an original voice or an odd bent to their lyrics that the others don't. London's Sophie May, based on her new album Stars and Teeth, is one such artist. "You're Mine" is, on the surface, just another love song, but its perspective is just off-center enough to raise a curious eyebrow. The song is either a borderline love song or the musings of a stalker, I haven't fully decided. Lines like [I love] the blood inside your veins, the skull that holds your brains are the reason for my suspicion. So is the couplet that rhymes from your legs to your spine and you are mine. This is a love story of some kind, but figuring out its intent will keep you hanging around a bit longer, maybe for another song or three. Give her some love of your own, toss a few bucks in her guitar case while you're listening.

07 "Rala-Bucho" | Antonio Carlos & Jocafi

Anything that comes out of Adrian Younge and Shaheed Muhammad's ongoing Jazz is Dead series, now on volume 26, is worth hearing, but this trip to Brazil to collaborate with legends Antonio Carlos (not Jobim) and Jocafi is particularly enticing mainly because that irresistible Brazilian energy is in full force throughout. “Rala-Bucho” (Gut Buster) lives up to its name, a real party starter of a track that brings the joy and verve you’d expect from one of the most festive areas of the world.  

08 "O Tempo (Foi O Meu Mestre)" | Fabiano do Nascimento & Vittor Santos Orquestra

The Brazilian finger-picker Fabiano do Nascimento is joined by a 16-piece orchestra on Vila, but it doesn’t amount to what you might expect. That's no criticism, but it’s not the joyous, celebratory ride you might expect from such a description. The record is mostly down-tempo and delicate which, depending on your mood, might be the best thing ever or the worst. If you’re in a “Girl from Ipanema” state of mind, stick around. There’s great beauty to be found in this record. If you’re heading to Carnivale, maybe pick something with more of a party atmosphere (conveniently, see above). “O Tempo (Foi O Meu Mestra)” (Time Was My Master) is the closest this record comes to pleasing both audiences and it is the selection from the album that you’ll play to sell the record to someone not aware of his talents. So that’s what I’m doing here. When the summer finally arrives, the rest of the record is going to sound magnificent on a hot, lazy afternoon. Notice the past tense in the title. Time was my master. Not anymore. You are no longer on the clock when this record is on your turntable and you've a cocktail in hand.

09 "Soul Woman" | Michelle David and the True-Tones

We've all heard “Soul Man,” the acknowledged soul classic by Sam & Dave, but why don't we have a “Soul Woman” yet? Equal time! I’m going to double-check that claim right now. Nope. Nothing substantial has filled this obvious void. There's a jazz instrumental by Big John Patton, but it's just a title, not a song with lyrics. Well, that ends here, that ends now. Born New Yorker and current Netherlands resident Michelle David has more than checked that box with this manifesto on black womanhood released just this year on her fantastic new album of the same name. Where "Soul Man" leaned unsurprisingly toward a premise of sexual potency (guys will be guys), "Soul Woman" brings the big guns...

I am all that I say I am

I am north, south, east and west

I am the air that gives life to all who needs to inhale

My womb carries light, dark and everything in between

I’m the essence of the sun

The mystery of the moon

The depths of the oceans

And flows of the sea

Is that all? Uh, let's just say this: she speaks the truth and it's about time someone let it out.

10 "Glorious Mahalia: V. This World Will Make You Think" | The Kronos Quartet

Speaking of powerful and soulful black women, you owe it to yourself to listen to Glorious Mahalia, the new record by the Kronos Quartet, at least once in its entirety. The first half is an interview, conducted by legendary reporter Studs Terkel, with gospel legend Mahalia Jackson set to music by the KQ. At times, they smartly settle respectfully into the background and allow Mahalia center stage, at other times their presence quite dramatically reinforces Mahalia’s plainspoken answers to Terkel's probing questions. She turns out to be a remarkably concise and cleareyed analyst of the human condition, able to distill America’s troubled racial history down to its core essence. It’s as hard to hear as it is important to hear, but it is never overwrought or preachy, instead calmly relayed by someone who has seen it all firsthand. The rest of the album is similarly powerful, but Mahalia’s spoken words, like her sung words, are transporting, capable of moving one to tears/action depending on the moment. A one-of-a-kind record.     

__________________

Alternate title from AI: The Sound of Resignation. You can see why we couldn't go with that option, I'm sure. But it is good. Damn good,

Cheers,

The Priest