The flood of great records continues! Today we’re taking a quick look at the latest from Momma, The Miki Berenyi Trio, Rose City band, and more!
Longtime readers may recall that I reviewed 100 new (to me) records last year. Because I’m a glutton for punishment love music, I’m doing it again this year. This is the latest in the series.
Good morning!
Today we’re taking a look at the latest from Momma, Research Vessel, Rose City Band, and more!
Every year, I celebrate all the great music we’ve been gifted while worrying that next year will see the other shoe drop. I first did that in December 2020 and have been proven wrong every month since. Not only are there a ton of releases steadily coming out, but it also transcends genre or any other artificial guardrail we try and put up—
In other words, a ton of good stuff is coming out, and there’s something for everyone. It’s almost overwhelming— but in all the best ways. Below is another batch that caught my attention recently.
Let’s get into it!
Momma-Welcome to My Blue Sky
I’m gonna carbon date myself here, but when I was in school, we still had a smoking section, and that real estate was the where the coolest kids hung out.
Listening to Momma, it feels like Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten are the logical successor(s) to that crowd. I keep thinking that at some point Momma’s brand of rock will wear thin, and keep getting proven wrong. That’s obviously a good thing. With Welcome to My Blue Sky, the scoreboard shows ‘em at 4-0.
Listening with an ear for finding influences feels like going through the my glove box and CD binder from HS. Maybe they raided their parent’s music collection, or certain bands were just always on. I dunno, but it’s a good thing. There’s shoegaze, fuzzed out grooves, and more. Most importantly, this band can rock, and when they do, look out. Each of their records are solid, but has 1-2 outliers. Last time around, it was “Speeding 72.” This time it’s “Rodeo.”
Look, I’m aware that saying the only thing wrong with a record is that it’s too short is flimsy journalism, but it fits here. This isn’t the first time the band has featured here, and if we’re lucky, it won’t be the last. Summer’s coming. Open the windows and turn it up; your neighbors will thank you.
Research Vessel- Next Weekend EP
Shoutout to Janglepophub for tipping me off to this gem. Research Vessel is the project of Danny Rowland and is the follow up to March 2024’s Going Tomorrow Ep. Not much to tell you here other than if you like jangle pop and what Rowland describes as Casio flavored, jangly pop standards, you’re in for a treat. It feels a bit like Kiwi Jr. meets bedroom pop. Next Weekend is 5 light, jaunty tracks that wouldn’t be out of place in a Wes Anderson film. Grab your fixie and impossibly cool sense of style and put this on one.
Rose City Band- Sol Y Sombra
For Oregonian readers, I’ll make this one quick: picture the outdoor patio of a McMenamins on a sunny day in, say, Redmond circa 2010. You’ve got a Nebraska bitter in your hand, and Smith Rock in your view. Your Subaru is out in the lot wearing a fine coat of dust and least 6 state park stickers on the windshield—you’ve lost count. That’s t he vibe here.
For everyone else, the fifth release from Portland’s Rose City Band is more of the same from Ripley Johnson and co. There’s plenty of sun kissed grooves, and the pedal steel gets a good workout. They ramble and rove but get too far out into jam band land. this is a group that would make the Dead smile, but are so in the pocket, you feel like you owe them change. The album takes care to slow down in a few spots letting you take it all in along the way before picking back up with tracks like “radio Song.”
The record ends with “Walls,” a song that can’t help but make you feel like somehow all of this (waves hand around) shall pass. Sol Y Sombra is gorgeous record that will soundtrack your escape; be they literal trips down Highway 97 or just a field trip into your mind.
(Float down the Metolius here)
Also Awesome:
Art d’Ecco – Serene Demon: A little post punk, some new wave, some horns… this record puts it all in the mixer, and the results are some of the catchiest sounds to come out of Vancouver in recent memory.
Lilly Hiatt- Forever: Having music from one Hiatt is enough to be grateful for. Having two? What a time to be alive! In all seriousness, this feels like the record where the younger Hiatt has really hit her stride. If you liked Trinity Lane, or even Walking Proof, you’ll love this.
Miki Berenyi Trio- Tripla: Tripla is a record full of shimmering guitars, drum & bass for days, and electronica. And Lush fans? Fear not: there’s plenty of shoegaze for us too. There’s no mistaking the former frontwoman’s voice, but the latest from Miki Berenyi is anything but a rehash.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on these records! Did I get it right, or am I way off the mark?
Kevin Sent 