Forgiving me for bringing sports into this, but I must say that my attention has been largely occupied with Leafs playoff hockey over the last week or two. Doesn’t matter now because they choked (again) so now I can fill the giant puck-sized hole in my life with more music (or possibly more work and child rearing… yeah, probably those things).

There’s a meme from Twitter that contrasts the enjoyment of reaping with the downsides of sowing the come-uppins resulting from your previous actions. In the case of this week’s note, the sowing has no downsides - I previously highlighted a lot of singles from the artists below and now they’ve got albums out. It’s like doing a bunch of research for a paper ahead of time and then sitting down later to write it realizing you’ve already done the hard part… as opposed to researching AND writing for the 12–18 hours immediately preceding the due date which is absolutely what I did in my academia days.

👀 Goings On About Music

Let us take a look at some new(ish) albums and singles…

💿 Albums

• Dayglow - Harmony House ( Apple | Spotify )

  • I stand by my earlier characterization of Dayglow’s sound as being straight out of the school of sounding like Hall & Oates (speaking of the Leafs!). Close To You especially, but the rest of the album is full of feel-good 80s-styled upbeat synthy tracks that, if it’s your thing, will brighten even the worst of your moods (speaking of the Leafs!).

• fanclubwallet - Hurt is Boring ( Apple | Spotify )

  • Just a quick five song EP (one of which I included in a previous note) from our nation’s capital. Filled with chords that sound ever-so-slightly out of key (but aren’t) and off-time (but aren’t) and an unassuming vocal quality that gives this absolutely polished album an unpolished feel.

• Madisyn Gifford - Learning to Exist ( Apple | Spotify )

  • In keeping with the previous two albums, I also featured a single from Madisyn Gifford in a previous note. At the time I mentioned that I got a bit of an Amy Winehouse vibe from her vocals but listening to the full album I’d like to correct the record and say there’s way more Adele than Amy. Now, that’s not to say she’s in the same league as either of those two (she isn’t), just that I noticed similarities. The Voulez-Vous single was synthy, poppy, and upbeat, but taking the album as a whole, it’s features her vocals way more than the music. It’s not necessarily an album you’d put on to unwind and relax, but it is definitely slower than what I was expecting.

🎵 Tracks

• Lord Huron - Mine Forever

  • I didn’t skip this album last week - at least when it comes to listening to it. I listened to it and I really liked it. I wasn’t worried about not highlight it because I knew that if this kind of music appeals to you, it was probably already on your radar (and I had a hunch it would be covered in another place where I know I share a lot of readers). One thing I couldn’t escape - especially with this track - is how familiar the music sounded. It’s new, obviously, but it sounded like I had heard it dozens of times. I finally placed it - and I don’t mean this in a negative way - but this track is modern-day Roy Orbison.

• Elliott Brood - Runaway

  • The vocals are unmistakable - presuming you’re familiar with Elliott Brood - but the rest of the tracks meanders through western-styled slowly-strummed chords and doo-wop inspired choruses. The worst part is that the song seems to end just as you’re getting into it.

🎧 In My Queue

I came to learn of Frank Turner late in their career with the song 1933, a sort-of anti-Trump, anti-facist anthem featuring an all-time great lyric about dumb people with their heads buried in the sand, “Don’t go mistaking your house burning down for the dawn” and now I’ve stumbled across his new single that’s a different kind of anthem - one about getting back out their and drinking with the lads… Coeur De Pirate released an instrumental piano album a few weeks ago but she’s back now with music featuring her best (in my opinion) instrument, her voice… The Arkells continue their string of singles and this one has a vocal track that sounds like it was recorded with Max singing across the room from the actual microphone. I thought at first something was wrong with my headphones but I guess it was just what they were going for. Regardless, solid Arkells track and I welcome any and all references to the “Irish goodbye” in popular culture… and, as usual, songs from the singles and albums noted above.

1. Elliott BROOD - Runaway

2. Lord Huron - Mine Forever

3. fanclubwallet - Car Crash in G Major

4. Frank Turner - The Gathering

5. Arkells - All Roads

6. Dayglow - Medicine

7. Madisyn Gifford - Already Gone

8. Cœur de pirate - Plan à trois

Subscribe to the In My Queue playlist on Apple Music or Spotify. It’s updated weekly with the new tracks.

Check out my profile Apple Music or Spotify for links to the playlists from previous weeks.

🏳️‍🌈🤘.