Cutting Through An Open Space

Beabadoobee “Switchblade” A lot of Gen Z approximations of Gen X rock sounds rather flat to my ears – all the expected signifiers of various alt sub-genres cut and pasted in, but not much depth or dynamics. Not so for “Switchblade.” Beabadoobee’s arrangement places its emphasis sharply contrasting textures, and there’s a sickly sort of swing to the bass groove. It’s a very vivid production that makes every moment of the song feel alive and somewhat surprising despite how closely the songwriting sticks to alt-rock conventions. And unlike a lot of contemporary indie, the vocal and lyrics seem like secondary concerns: The guitars are the most emphatic and emotionally articulate aspects of the music, and by contrast singing feels more ambivalent and mutable. Buy it from Bandcamp. Osees “Hecate’s Reflection Is A Trick” Osees are a classic “always different, always the same” band where the pleasure of following them in the long-term depends on noticing the way they incorporate new ideas…