Little Lost Notes - 05/05
Lil' notes from around the shop!
Tim Hardin is probably best known for penning the songs "Reason to Believe" and "If I Were a Carpenter" which are both better known for being covered ad-nauseam by various artists. I've only recently gotten into Tim's own records, but they are overall wonderful bodies of work. He had a tragic life and is often overshadowed by other songwriters in the folk scene, especially in retrospect. This 1971 release is a bit of an outlier in his catalog though because the backing bands on this record are WILD.
It features various combinations of members of Weather Report and Oregon, as well as players like Tony Levin. Reading the credits, you would expect it to sound like an early jazz fusion record, and in many ways it does. Hardin himself considered it his best record, but it seems to still mostly be relegated to the forgotten bin. It's surprisingly experimental and the honesty/desperation in Tim's voice here is at times hard to listen to, especially since this was recorded at the height of his struggles with addiction. If you're a fan of outlier folk with some experimental instrumentation, especially someone like Karen Dalton, then this one is for you.
-Conor
Malegría by Reyna Tropical
Although this is technically the debut full-length by Reyna Tropical, there is a lot of history (and two EPs) behind it. The group originally formed in 2016 as a duo of Fabiola Reyna and Nectali Diaz, but tragically Diaz passed away in 2022. However, this album still carries many of his contributions in the form of beats and voice memo recordings of discussions between him and Reyna.
This record is pop-oriented, but in the broadest definition. It’s liberally influenced by a wide array of musical cultural traditions from Peruvian chicha (a form of Andean tropical music) to zapateado (a style of tap-dance from Mexico). Reyna is also the founder of She Shreds magazine and her guitar playing here is not to be missed. It’s often understated in the mix, but as soon as you focus on it the intricacy and melody of the parts becomes abundantly clear.
The lyricism here is also especially poignant - it’s a call to arms on many fronts that touches on topics like environmental destruction, the celebration of queer love, and the erasure of cultures. While all this feels heady, if you simply put this on without any of this background, you’ll realize that it’s simply banger after banger. These songs are so easily danceable and are perfect for the summertime - like watching the sunrise with close friends after a long night of partying - sad and happy at the same time (as the title suggests).
-Conor
This album is apparently what happens when someone with an overwhelming amount of talent decides to go sit at an organ in 1972 and just vibes. If you check this out, you’ll instantly know the title track as the sample used as the basis for Hotline Bling, which was absolutely inescapable in 2015/2016. However, this whole album is well worth a listen. It’s fascinating to me how minimal the entire thing is, yet the title track topped the R&B charts the year it was released. To me, this speaks to the immediacy of the performance. Thomas’ vocals are crisp and the organ has a deep warmth to it. Not to mention, this is the first album to ever feature pre-programmed drums throughout the entire thing, which I think helped to give this record a special feeling of novelty when it was released.
There’s also an improvisatory element here, where these songs feel like they just fell out of Thomas. Apparently, the title track was written and recorded in just 15 minutes. This brings an almost lo-fi or DIY feel to the music here, even though it was professionally recorded in a studio. For fans of music that is bare, honest, and warm, definitely don’t pass this one by.
-Conor
Structure by Water From Your Eyes
When this record came out in 2021 it received a ton of buzz then seemed to fade into the ether. Revisiting this three years later, it still sounds as fresh and inventive as when I first listened to it. Imagine a greatest hits of pop music over the decades, but re-arranged, dismantled, and (at times) bit crushed beyond recognition - you’ll get pretty close to how this album sounds. Opening with a song that could pass as a Beach Boys cover - the second track opens with a heavily distorted saw synth that immediately dispels any notion that 60’s sunshine pop is what the rest of the album will sound like.
There is a heavy focus on textures here - whether it be the percussiveness of plucked string synths or completely blown out hi-hats. Nate Amos’ instrumentation and production jumps between genres within the blink of an eye, without becoming jarring. Rachel Brown’s vocals always remain front and center - delivered with consistent deliberateness and eight that by themselves add a propulsion to the tracks. However, as serious as the presentation of this album can sound, there’s also a lightheartedness to it - self described by the band as “weed music.” For anyone who likes their pop music thrown into a blender (think bands like Animal Collective) - then this one is well worth a listen.
-Conor
Mal Waldron is one of those artists where if I see his name on a record, I buy it immediately even if I’ve never heard it. He was a jazz pianist who played on records with the likes of John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, and Billie Holiday - along with many, many other incredible artists. However, his solo albums (and those where he acted as a bandleader) are consistently incredible - which is even more impressive considering there are over 100 albums under his own name!
His signature album, Left Alone, was released in 1959, but this record was released 23 years later in 1982. What I love about his playing is that it always dances on the edge of chaos - there’s a sense of spontaneity to it, but it remains consistently lyrical. There’s also a great intentionality to his playing, each hammer on they keys feels definite and the lightest passages feel like a cool breeze on a hot day.
While Mal’s playing is the star of the show, the band here is incredible. Billy Higgins and David Friesen feel particularly locked in with each other and there are some devastatingly deep grooves throughout the course of the record. Although this is buried in the middle of his catalog, if you are at all a fan of bop or post-bop then this just might become one of your new favorite gems - at least that’s what it’s become for me.
-Conor