Aster Tracks

In November 2023 I caught an Eliza McLamb set in Portland opening for illuminati hotties. From there I heard some of the singles as well as the Salt Circle EP but always hoped for a full length from Eliza. Now we’ve come full circle, the true debut is here and has i.h.’s Sarah Tudzin on production. Going Through It is sort of dual-genre with some lower and moodier folk songs and a couple of indie rock cuts as well. The folk tracks are sort of what you’d expect of the genre and aren’t sonically much to write home about but what makes them highlights is McLamb’s exceptional vocal ability as well as the way she shakes up tracks in short little bursts. Opening track “Before” for example has a conclusion where its percussion picks up, its mood totally shifts before coming to a sort of abrupt end. These rock moments are all so interesting to me because they come so fast and potent before all ducking back and getting into the main focus on the project as a whole. There are some anomalous mome...

Hello and happy new year! Only a month late! This is the second review of the year. The first was posted yesterday via Left of the Dial. Every year I take a little break from posting reviews for the first month or so of the year. There aren’t a lot of moments in those first few weeks. This time there was, however, most of my timeline was posting about The Cons of Being a Wallflower, the debut record from Brooklyn-based, queer DIY indie star, eevie echoes, in the second week of ‘24. The excitement around this record was the first I had heard of this particular artist, so I was excited to see what was making such a commotion. Wallflower opens with “24,” a ska track about the trappings of capitalism, how it suffocates artistry and pressures youth into adapting a toxic mindset about the workforce and leadership. All of this is presented very eloquently, however it does so over a pretty par-the-course ska instrumental. In a vacuum I think the song is fine, especially so early in the year wh...

2023 has come to a close and it was a lot to unpack. After relocating last year I had to figure out what to do next, admittedly a scarier process than moving itself. I’ve settled in now, changes have gone on, there were a lot of hard times and a lot of great memories made throughout the year. You may have noticed, if you’re a long-time reader, I was far less open about my own personal life in my reviews. If you’re new and this is your first year here, then hey you never knew this part of the blog. In these blurbs there are personal anecdotes, but they are far less revealing. Regardless, thank you for even clicking here. This year for my own writing was possibly the best yet. I reviewed more albums in one year than ever before and worked with ten artists to promote their stuff before the release date. If all the stars align there’s one more thing coming out this year. I hope you had a great year yourself, are having a relaxing holiday season and enjoy this recap of albums. Please suppor...