Album Reviews
New albums come out every week, especially in hip-hop. 99% of all new hip-hop is trash so I don’t bother with it anymore. I may be aging out of that genre. I take a break from listening to whatever rabbit hole I’ve gone down and will listen to the new Arab Strap album because I forgot they existed. I’ve been going through the catalogues of Red Rider and Billy Joel lately and maybe I’ll write about my findings there sometime. When I listen to new albums, I listen to the entire album from start to end. I’m trying to understand the album and because of my work I spend long periods of time in the same building. This helps me get through my day. Here are some I liked:
Hug – Hug
This is a groovy Davendra Banhart side project with Noah Georgeson and Gyan Riley. All three are wonderful (classically trained) guitarist. Hug is an 11-track (mostly) instrumental painting that feels like the soundtrack to a creative child’s dream. There’s a lot to like about it and I will frequently put it on as background music to long drives, unloading the dishwasher, repairing something in my shop or laying in the pool. Mood music that delivers the hug it promises.
Favorite song: Sarva Mangalam
Times listened to: 10-15
Flea – Honora
I want to start by saying I don’t like The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’ve always found their music goofy and repetitive, and I feel like their music has been forced upon me. My son is at the age where he is discovering new music on his own and he recently went through a RHCP phase. I said nothing and let him be. One day I walked up to his room, and he was listening to Sublime. I asked him, “You done with the Chili Peppers?” He said, “Yeah, I got tired of all the songs about California. Maybe I don’t like California bands.” “Well, son…” I said. “I have some bad news about Sublime.”
I heard Flea was working on this album, but everything released was about the process and not about what type of music to expect. Flea just said it was a jazz album. Also, that he was playing the trumpet almost exclusively. This piqued my interest. Honora came out at the end of March and I started listening to it immediately. This is one of my favorite albums of the year so far and the opening song Golden Wingship starts this journey like an A24 film and into A Plea with an attacking and beautiful bass riff. I like everything about Honora and my family is tired of hearing it. I played it constantly during the rains of April and started skipping over the first, main track, A Plea, because it’s too intense. Once you get into it the album does mellow. Somewhere around track 5 or 6 when the song Maggot Brain delivers a sonorous trumpet driven ballad that would fit into another remake of a Robin Hood movie.
It’s not without the oddity we should expect from Flea. There’s a cover of Wichita Lineman with Nick Cave singing the lyrics, which according to Bob Dylan was the greatest song ever written. Also, lots of groovy flutes going on in several of the 10 tracks. Trust me and at least make it to the song Frailed.
In 2022 I traded a knife to a man named Bob Freeman who makes flutes. Bob made me a beautiful flute out of cedar and I played it often. Too often I suppose. My wife hid my flute from me for almost a year until she gave it back to me on our 14th wedding anniversary in 2024. She hid my flute again in 2025, but I found it after only a few months of being fluteless. I don’t know why my wife is trying to shatter my dreams of being a Native American war flutist in Flea’s new band.
Favorite song: Free As I Want To Be
Times listened to: Lost count
Sleep – Hemispheres
Anytime I listen to Sleep I get jealous. I want to be in this band. I want to play guitar and write lyrics for this band. I don’t have it though, so I always think, “I need to start a band like this.” And I never do. This has been going on for years. I want to write about burning hashtroids where pterodactyls attack winged ships thru the window of a crystal tower while playing fuzzed out power chords.
Talons into sand,
Ramp falls, exit the salesman
From ridge the signalier ignites the flare spliff
Al Cisneros continues to melt us with two new members (Dale Crover from the Melvins on drums, Bubba Dupree of Void on guitar) but doesn’t miss a puff. This isn’t like Shrinebuilder though, this is Sleep. It sounds like Sleep. It sounds like Dopesmoker and that’s what I want. I listened to this album while cleaning my kitchen this morning because that’s how I roll. My kitchen window melting into the spotless crystal tower I want it to be.
Favorite song: Arrival of the Industry Ships
Times listened to: 5-6
David Allan Coe – Texas Moon (Deluxe Edition)
This is a great album I’d completely forgotten about. They call it a Deluxe Edition because they added two songs for a total of 12 tracks. The original album released in 1977 had only 10. They added Revenge and Guy Clark’s Desperados Waiting for A Train at the end. This is prime DAC and I don’t know if there’s a better country song than Got You On My Mind. Also, the song Mary Magdeline is a clever take on the famous bible character. Coe’s voice draws me in with his sincerity and confidence and it was good to listen to him again. If you’re like me and want Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen to die then check this out. This and the post-humous Don Williams’ album The Cellar Tapes released in May.
Favorite song: Got You On My Mind
Times listened to: 8-10
Micky Dolenz – Timeless EP
I saw this album in the new section and thought to myself, “Really? Micky Dolenz is still making music?” I had to give it a listen. This 6-song EP is a very specific type of music. Boring ass Branson, Missouri music. Mickey was the drummer in The Monkees, but now he’s cashing in as a lead singer with an average house band. This type of music isn’t for me, but I like one very specific part on this album and it’s at the end of the song Terri. At the end of Terri everyone starts chanting, “Terri, Terri, who you gonna marry?” Even though the song was written by Paul Westerberg of The Replacements I think this song is very funny. Almost dumb, but I like songs about people named Terri.
My favorite Monkee was Michael Nesmith. A friend of mine named Thomas the Wind gave me a dubbed cassette of Tantamount to Treason in 2001 and I wish I still had it. Mickey Dolanz’s new album reminded me to revisit Michael Nesmith’s music.
Favorite song: None
Times listened to: 2
Mike D – Thank You
When MCA died in 2012 I was sad to know there’d never be another Beastie Boys album. 14 years later Mike D decided to go solo behind a full band including his two sons. I can’t remember which instruments they play. Thank You has a touch of the Beastie Boys sound but is more electronically driven. It’s hard to understand the heavily effected lyrics so I listened to the entire 13 song album while reading the lyrics. I wish I could say the songs are prolific, important or clever but they aren’t. He mostly repeats the same verse over and… over. I got past that and simply enjoyed the music because it’s a groovy album. I’m thankful Mike D made this. Now if Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) would release a new album my hip-hop year would be made.
Favorite song: Back to Start
Times listened to: 7-8
Black Bananas – Bad Bunch
I was shocked and excited to see a new Black Bananas album. It’s been 12 years since they’ve released anything. I thought they retired or overdosed. I loved their 2012 album Rad Times Xpress. The drummer on that album was Jaimo Welch who I was acquainted with when I lived in Long Beach in the late 90’s. His older brother was dating a girl I was living with, and they were in a Guns & Roses cover band at the time.
Anyhow, this new Black Bananas album is very different. Honestly, it sounds like something is wrong with the production, but you can tell it’s being done on purpose once you get into it. Someone said it’s like listening to a sun warped record. They’ve traded the grinding guitars and double pedal bass for hip-hop beats and random synth noises. As though someone was just pressing the ocean sound button and then the laser sound button whenever they felt like it. The song Eddie’s Album finally settles into somewhat of a groove and Herrera’s normally gravelly voice hits a stride. You’re gonna have to try on this one folks.
This album has its moments but won’t be in my regular rotation. I do hope they keep making music and evolving this strange new sound.
Favorite song: Turkey Burgers
Times listened to: 4
Other albums worth a listen:
The Congos – Heart of the Congos
A friend of mine reminded me of this late 70’s release last week. He introduced this album to me about a decade ago and I forgot about it. I’m happy he reminded me of it again as its truly one of the best reggae albums ever made.
Erykah Badu & The Alchemist
A collab project that seemed like a long time coming. Badu said she sat on the beats for years. Can get messy at times, but I’m not complaining. I’m a fan of Badu and this is her first release in 15 years. 10 of 10 on the groove-o-tron.
Too Short – Sir Too Short, Vol. 2 (Drink & Smoke)
Todd Anthony Shaw, AKA Too Short, released his 22nd album with zero marketing, per usual. This is a follow up to 2025’s Sir Too Short, Vol. 1 (Freaky Tales). It’s exactly what you think it is, but there is always an appropriate time to listen to a Too Short album. I’m just happy that Too Short was finally knighted.
Nigeria 80
A compilation of 1980’s west African music. Lots of Afro-beat tunes. Amazingly fun album. I played it for my 10-year-old daughter and it opened her mind to what music can be. She had lots of questions.