LIGHTNING ROUND (April 17, 2019)

On this week’s LIGHTNING ROUND, tracks by Donormaal, Retirement Party, Cheekface and more!

Welcome back to the LIGHTNING ROUND! Most of these tracks come from albums that are just as good, so make sure to check the out at the links provided!!

1. Deep Sea Diver – “Stop Pretending”

We’re hitting the point now where the quarantine-based songs are starting to come out of the woodwork. Deep Sea Diver, whose last album released in 2016, has one for you right now. It’s a sweet indie track with a candid edge, produced cleanly and presented without pretension.

2. Cheekface – “Best Life”

This is, I believe, the fifth single the LA indie band has released for a potential follow-up to their enduring debut, and as much as I just want the damn album now, it’s at least good to see that every little glimpse proves promising. This song is classic Cheekface: cowbell, driving bass line, dry mouth, and deliciously snarky lyrics about the plight of the creative class. What sets this song apart is the chorus, on which Greg Katz lays down an earworm vocal melody that’s smartly harmonized on the second go-round. Cheaper than therapy, for sure.

3. Retirement Party – “Runaway Dog”

Retirement Party have it down pat, good god. This new single might be the best thing they’ve done yet: it’s a four minute punk journey that builds and builds, switching lanes freely without a repetition in sight.

4. Donormaal – “wannabe (prod. WOLFTONE)”

Part of the reason Donormaal has built up such a reputation in Seattle, besides the fact that she hustles her ass off, is that everything she puts out (and features on) drips with character. This track is an excellent example of that: behind a  WOLFTONE production that vibes hard, she lays down verses soaked in infatuation and self-loathing, like a screwed, psychedelic take on SZA’s “Drew Barrymore.” Her flow control is incredible, especially when the chorus hits and she utters the title like an accelerating ceiling fan. Above it all, her unique voice comes across so strongly here; its hard to listen and imagine anybody else owning this track. Love this.

5. Joshua Virtue – “Squirrel”

Released recently as a way to support his mother in the wake of COVID-19, Chicago rapper Joshua Virtue’s new album, Jackie’s House, could have been merely a movement of altruism and that would have been that. Instead, the record itself is wonderful, a madcap mixture of styles and samples that consistently enthralls. “Squirrel” is one of its best cuts, a throwback cut with warm organ and breezy guitar that still sears with swagger. Buy the album if you can spare it.

6. Crisman – “Go”

From Denton, Texas, Crisman are carrying the slowcore torch in ways similar to contempories peers like Horse Jumper of Love, and their most recent album showcases their talents gloriously. “Go” is a standout track: Madeline Dowd’s delicate voice spreads out across carefully-placed snare hits and twinkles of xylophone and piano. Like all good slowcore, it envelops you completely like the gentle tug of a lazy river.

7. AURAGRAPH – “Singularity”

Finally, from Los Angeles, an audio engineer willing to enter the deep house fray. Carlos Ramirez’ new album under AURAGRAPH, the nostalgic Memory Tracer, is an excellent listen throughout (especially singles like “Polywave” and “Drone”), but “Singularity” is particularly powerful. It evolves one piece at a time, whether it’s those comforting pads, the staggered melodic synth breaks, or the mid-sectioned drop of a well-timed beat. It’s the whole package, starting strong and ending enchantingly.