Weyes Blood’s “God Turn Me Into a Flower”
The problem of long COVID looks different for everyone who ends up with this unfortunate condition, and many experience overlapping diagnoses. For me, it has...
The Zest of Early Mornings and Tribe
Look at me making grand proclamations about listening to softer fare in the early mornings only to have that stance tested just days later. A...
The Hush of Early Mornings and PHOX
When I moved into my little Durham bungalow last year, it was with the express purpose of playing my stereo whenever I damn well pleased....
Plains’ “I Walked With You a Ways”
In my late 20s, I used to espouse a theory that went something like this: Relationships are an experience, and people should have a lot...
Damien Jurado’s “The Shape of a Storm”
The most honest love songs are those tinged with a hint of melancholy. Perhaps it’s the paintbrush of the romantic that has colored my perception,...
Charley Crockett’s ‘The Man from Waco’
When I first saw Charley Crockett swagger across the stage, at the rescheduled 2021 MerleFest, I knew I was a goner. As the audience trickled...
The Low Notes
In the range of sounds, I far prefer the low notes. Drop an octave from middle C and something about that majestic resonance pangs in...
Japanese Breakfast’s “Posing in Bondage”
Amid the many bright tracks on Japanese Breakfast‘s 2021 album Jubilee exists the dusky “Posing in Bondage,” which feels closer to an elongated throb. Moody...
Summer Love
There’s no seasonal limit to a love song, but something about the fresh burst of summer—those sun-dappled days and heat-drenched nights—warrants a heady declaration. It’s...
Wintersleep
Considering that Halifax-based indie rock band Wintersleep has become one of my favorites, it’s sort of funny how I first heard about them. I owe...