The Good Kind of Y2K Revivalism
Plus inflatable igloos, radio cosplay, Gangster Doodles, and more
Hello and welcome to the latest installment of Five Albums, the weekly feature for paid Hearing Things subscribers in which we recommend you the new records from across genres that you need to hear. As music journalists, the question we get most often from friends is how to stay on top of what’s new and cool. This is our attempt to provide a practical answer.
It’s Tax Day, which means many of us are staring down a hefty bill and trying not to freak out about how to pay it. Accordingly, many of this week’s entries are like trips into alternate worlds, far away from your checking account. We’ve got a rap mixtape that feels like a hazy green-room cipher, where you’re never sure who might take the floor next. A jazzy trio that can nearly stop time with its patient and meditative playing. A straight shot of Y2K girly-pop revivalism, with all the buoyant grooves but none of the lingering scent of Viva La Juicy. A guitar and electronics record that hits like a roomful of multicolored bouncy balls. And an indie-pop EP with more left turns than it takes to leave a mall parking lot. Go ahead, forget about that 1040 EZ for a while.
