Lola Kirke: Heart Head West
You may have noticed, I listen to and recommend a lot of music. You never know quite what’s going to resonate with different people, even the people you know best. And other times you just know. Here are some albums that I love that my wife also really loves, and therefore have been getting a lot of extra play in our house. And if they have one other thing in common, know that Mrs. Neddy’s most frequently played playlist is called “Female AF.” I’ll start with Lola Kirke, an actress and musician whose Heart Head West album is a delight of country-tinged singer-songwriter rock. With a ton of emotional depth and plenty of musical twists and turns, this one has been a welcome on-repeater around here.
Mikaela Davis: Delivery
Have you heard Delivery from Mikaela Davis yet? If not, that’s too bad, because it is a top-to-bottom gem. The Rochester native, a harpist by trade, slices through genres and expectations with a seasoned blade, making it all seem so effortless. While the harp has increasingly found its way into plenty of indie music over the years, Davis seems to bury it in layers of everything else, and in the process heightens its subtle presence. Everything on here is superb, so I hate to call out one song, but the track “Other Lover” was our family’s song-of-the-summer, even my kids know the words. So good!
Mary Lattimore: Hundreds Of Days
While we’re talking about harpists, gotta get a mention in for Mary Lattimore. She’s a RecommNeds regular, continually putting out magical music, and her newest Hundreds Of Days, may be her best. Lattimore is a change of gears – from the previous recs here and also from just about anywhere else you started. Her harp is ethereality in an instrument, gorgeous, soothing, perfect. In these “serenity now!” days, there is no better antidote than the looping, knowing beauty of Mary Lattimore’s harp.
Liz Cooper & The Stampede: Window Flowers
Shifting gears once more, here’s one that pretty much everyone, including my wife, that I’ve rec’d this to has been digging. Liz Cooper is a Nashville musician, her band is called The Stampede. Their new record is called Window Flowers. It kicks serious ass. This is an arrival record, announcing the here-she-is Cooper and her killer band to the world, so get on board right quick. The album starts off with some killer country-psych-rock blend, a bit Nashville and a bit worldly, reminiscent of the Heartless Bastards in some spots. Then about halfway through, once you’re already on board, it kicks into high gear with some where-did-this-come-from? jammers and total rock-out meltdowns. This is some gooooood shit, do not miss it. One of my favorite discoveries of the year and one of the best albums out there. The Mrs. agrees.
Emma Tricca: St. Peter
I must admit, I think I like this final pick more than she does, but that’s only because I frickin’ love St. Peter, the new album from Emma Tricca so much. The singer/guitarist whirls together so many different bits and pieces – folk and jazz, chilling beauty and occasionally stunning mind-trips – tied together with her voice and guitar and just the right extra bit of instrumentation. Each song is its own self-contained mini-adventure, a sonic excursion. Combined, a masterpiece of a record. Highly recommended! On behalf of both myself and my better half, I do hope you check out all the picks this week and enjoy them as much as we do!
