Arbor Labor Union: I Hear You
(Sub Pop) Despite a name change, the core of the band formerly known as Pinecones’ identity remains intact on the band’s sophomore album. As primal and ferocious as its debut, with a heavy emphasis on twang-inflected guitar and rhythmic groove, I Hear Youchannels Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman to create an inclusive listening experience. Singer Bo Orr’s voice is more tempered than on Sings For You Now—those titles alone should give listeners an indication that the band’s focus has shifted towards the shared experience—taking on the role of storyteller across engrossing, poetic vignettes. Songs like the chug-a-lugging “Radiant Mountain Road” and the slow-burning “Silent Oath” shirk structural changes, favoring repetitive figures that progressively build and find new footing along the way. They’re rides to be taken, ideas to be shared, songs to be heard.
Four Eyes: Welcome to Earth
(Independent Release) On Welcome to Earth, Erin Lovett sheds the extra layers of her recent full-band work, allowing her literary songwriting and idiosyncratic voice to carry this collection of emotionally hefty songs. The album’s title, taken from a baptismal address in Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, reflects Lovett’s pivot; her focus has shifted towards a weathered and wise form of reflection. There are traces of whimsy—like the creature checklist on “Monsters (I Am Scared)” and the daydreamy “Old Sedan”—but this is a record to hold close when life’s turns require heavy evaluation, rather than crank up to drown out the noise. Lovett gracefully straddles the line between intimacy and detachment. The album ends with “All Year I Did Nothing But Think of You,” which encapsulates that moment in a relationship when insecurities make way for contentment. After all, babies, you’ve got to be kind.
Team SS: Sawce
(Independent Release) Justin “Loyal” Smith and Keefie “3ft” Johnson released Sawce on New Year’s Day, their second album together as Team SS. The extremely eclectic record finds the two putting on for their city (“Let’s Go”), waxing nostalgic on childhood barbecues (“I Remember”) and praising romantic partners (“Beautiful”) in equal measure, and places them at the front of the Athens hip hop pack. Producers Klubba Lang, Ace Infinity and Esskimo provide the duo with a diverse array of beats, keeping things interesting yet simple enough to keep the focus on each lyricist’s delivery. The sparse “World Drama” allows a line like “Sometimes it’s hard to get/ When you’re never taught to give” and other observations on policing and the Black Lives Matter movement to land with full force. No matter your stylistic leanings—socially conscious or braggadocious; low-key or club-friendly—you’ll find plenty to enjoy with Sawce.