4 Track Friday
Episode 56

Hi friends,

As some of you know, I try hard to keep variety between the weeks and also within the weeks. However, I'm also prone to go into deep trances one genre at a time. Recently, I've done that with guitars. Bedroom pop, shoegaze, reggae-ish, and more: it's kind of been all I'm listening to. So if I've failed at my varietal aim lately, it'll be this week.

To save us, Rachel and DJ will be here to host next week and inject some fresh musical taste. It'll be Rachel's second episode and DJ's first. I'm always excited when they send me something new to listen to (like this from DJ recently) and I know you have a lot to look forward to!

With that, let's dive in!

Bedroom pop | Tenderness by Jay Som

In Tagalog, Anak Ko translates to "my child," an endearing term that Melina Duterte is often called by her mother. For something as different and therefore uncertain as this album was for Duterte, calling it something comfortable is a heartwarming choice. It's additionally interesting since this is the first album on which she collaborated with others. Until this record, Jay Som had mainly been a solo act, but Duterte wanted to capture some of the energy she found playing with a live band when touring her previous release Everybody Works.

In fact, it's at one of those live shows that I fell in love with Jay Som. At Neumos, Jay Som opened for Japanese Breakfast and was an absolute delight. Her track, "Baybee," has been a favorite of mine since I first stumbled upon it as it played in Siff Cinema while I was waiting for a film to begin and it played just as well live. It was that moment that Jay Som became introduced me to "bedroom pop." Sometimes this refers to a certain lo-fi quality or the fact that the song was recorded in a bedroom, but in Tenderness' case I think it also describes its sense of intimacy.

In the above-linked Song Exploder, you can hear Duterte pick this song apart and describe how she got the idea for it. Beginning with some "stolen" drum breaks, lots of Steely Dan, and the desire to write a loving track, she built the song over the course of a year.

A firm believer in the idea that music can speak for itself and that sometimes it can do so better without words, Duterte wanted to make a track with hardly any. This idea got the track to about a minute and a half in length and could have been finished, but she wasn't quite happy with it. She decided it needed some live drums, so she popped her buddy Zack on the track and added everything you hear after about 1:17. I'm glad she did because it becomes a wonderfully lush and flowing track with lots of groove and flair.

I'm not sure when Jay Som's next album or tour will be, but you can bet I'll be listening.

Electro shoegaze | Machinist by Japanese Breakfast

Michelle Zauner is hands-down my favorite modern creative. There's nothing she can't do. She can write an essay that I can't read without tearing up, she can dig into the history of cuisine on video, and she make music like this.

Catching a few of the lyrics, you might recognize bits of your own relationships. However, the track is actually more science-fiction than reflection. About falling in love with a computer, Zauner goes full-on auto tune and drum machine, which is exciting for how much of a departure it is from all of her other music. Other tracks come across as shockingly raw, usually classified as a mixture of shoegaze and bedroom pop, while this one seems like a venture into synthwave.

If Zauner makes something, it's almost good by definition. I'm looking forward to her next creation, whatever it is.

Emotive indie | Soon by Angie McMahon

This Melbourne singer-songwriter was my most organic find of the week. While the other two were artists I returned to after a strong desire for guitars and emotion, McMahon comes from a long listening session where I just kept going from artist to playlist to artist on Spotify.

This track shines because of its vulnerability.

"...Yesterday I couldn't stop remembering him
Oh what a waste of breath and time...
See I'd like to have real love some day
And I'd like to get past this heartbreak
Soon"

I highly recommend you watch the live version linked above. It's a refreshing reminder of the intimacy that can come from real words sung in front of real instruments played together in the same room.

Reggae-ish | Zeplike by Slightly Stoopid

Now for some pure summer vibes.

I had always loosely known about this group because of my love of reggae-ish groups like The Expendables and The Dirty Heads, but when Tenzin sent me this song I was blown away. I had no idea they could play guitar like this.

It's an absolute jam session and all the more free because it lacks lyrics. However, if you want the same vibe with words added, check out the rest of this album; it's fantastic.

Of course, don’t forget to reply with what you liked, didn’t like, and what you’ve been listening to.

And, as always, this week’s tracks are added to the collectors for all weeks' tracks on Spotify and Apple Music.

Cheers,
Tanner