Lav's Music Corner

Headlights  - Alex G For over a decade now, Alex G has been a consistent presence in indie music, popping up every few years with a new acclaimed project that critics tend to enjoy a little more than I do. I thought that might not be the case with Headlights , because I enjoyed a few singles going into it. While "Oranges" pops up on the record's far more boring second half, and fits in, the first two singles really worked. "June Guitar" is a gentle, dreamy cut that still sounds just as infectious as it did when I first heard it. The lead single, "Afterlife," is even better and still stands among my favorite Alex G cuts to date. But honestly, I can't really think of a single deep cut that inspires the same level of interest. "Real Thing" is probably the closest the record comes. Even though the song itself isn't quite as sticky, the lyricism is a big highlight, and the way he deploys the metaphor of the "Real Thing" is worth ...

V  - Unknown Mortal Orchestra If you've surprised this review ended up in a rapid fire, join the club. I've long been a champion of this band and I've liked some of the singles from this album a lot including That Life  which was among my favorite singles of 2021. I was pretty excited for the album to come out and I listened to it immediately but somehow it just managed to fall through the cracks in a sea of notable records released in the last month and change. But I do want to get my thoughts out on the record in some formal way given how much I've talked up the band's previous material. While there are definitely things that make this record unique in the band's discography so much of what they've always been known for is on display. Take the opening track The Garden  which displays some of the same psychedelic guitar tones, infectious refrains, and circular structure that have made so many great UMO songs in the past. Unfortunately, the next four songs a...

5.  WE GOT THE JAZZ  - Moor Mother While Moor Mother's songs still don't necessarily work as the best singles in the world, this first taste of her upcoming deluxe version of last year's great Jazz Codes  proves that the well of creativity ran even deeper than I thought. It's once again an indulgent but extremely impressive performance clearly surrounded by talented musicianship on all sides.  Listen 4.  Paradise Is Mine  - Swans Even having never been the biggest Swans fan in the world I can certainly find plenty to like about this song. I love the combination of some hellish sounds that are placed sparsely enough to not completely overtake the song. I appreciate the methodical repetition which sort of heightens the song's energy and even if it once again feels like it's on the more indulgent side than I would have personally made, it's kind of the band's style at this point.  Listen 3.  TV In The Gas Pump  - Wednesday The 4th single from th...