Drill – Permanent
The title of Drill’s debut album can be read in many ways. Perhaps it’s a tongue in cheek reference to the fact that the band broke up before the album saw the light of day; it could also be read literally, the album being the final tangible record of their art. The music itself doesn’t provide any further clues, as their lyrics mix moments of candor with irreverent humor. Musically there’s a lot going on; perhaps the best way to describe it is “synth punk” (due to the prominence of electronic sound effects in the mix), but you could just as easily call it no wave or art pop. Walking a tightrope between abrasive and catchy, Permanent will leave you mourning the untimely end of Drill.
Rosali – Bite Down
No Medium, the last studio album from Rosali, was a song cycle equal parts introspective and heavy; when I reviewed it back in 2021, I said that “at times it feels like a personal exorcism as much as an album”. Bite Down feels like the calm after that storm. Following a relocation from her longtime hometown of Philadelphia to North Carolina, Rosali reunited with her backing back The Mowed Sound to create this album. In many ways it feels like a more overtly joyful record than its predecessor; though there still is pain and disappointment, these songs are not afraid to look at the glass as half full, to take the losses with grace but also celebrate the wins. The instrumentals match this tone, trading in the riffage and turmoil of that album for something quieter and more atmospheric. It’s another winner from one of the best musicians working today.
DAR – A Slightly Larger Head
Aaron Osbourne has had many musical lives, but he’s likely best known as the longtime force behind Life Partner. On the sophomore album of his solo vehicle, DAR, Osbourne assembles a crack team of collaborators (including members of Equipment Pointed Ankh and Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band) who help bring his skewed vision of rock to life. At times I get the shambolic feeling of vintage K Records; at others I can hear the the world weary poetry of David Berman or the country fried rock of MJ Lenderman. There’s even quirky instrumental interludes featuring cheesy synth effects. This is music that can be silly, serious, heartfelt and joyful all at once, effortlessly capturing the complicated contradictions of life.