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Album Reviews

Jonathan Wilson: Dixie Blur

Jonathan Wilson’s newest album Dixie Blur is a beautifully crafted folk masterpiece. Like all of his previous work, his attention to detail is uncanny. He is really showing off his producer skills in this record, along with his song craftsmanship and instrumental technique. 

Jonathan Wilson has released four albums prior to Dixie Blur. Much of his earlier work has a more psychedelic rock sound of the 60’s and 70’s, relying heavily on his electric guitar solos and trippy soundscapes. Dixie Blur is a much more polished and mature folk album, blending traditional sounds with touching and at times sad lyrics. 

He begins the album with “Just For Love”, a cover of the 60’s Bay Area band Quicksilver Messenger Service. I was thrilled that he started the album with one of my favorite sixties gems. His version is perfectly done with a slightly slower and eerie vibe. He continues with his most popular song, ‘69 Corvette, which pays tribute to his father. The lyrics of death and loss combined with the violin creates a unique and magical sound that only Wilson can achieve. The rest of the album is full of amazing songs. Some of my favorites are “Platform” and “Golden Apples”, both of which are tender acoustic numbers with his trademark smooth singing style. 

Whether you’ve heard of Jonathan Wilson or not, Dixie Blur is definitely worth a listen. It is a perfectly crafted, sentimental album that blends country, folk and psychedelic rock. I highly recommend it, along with his entire library. 

Genres: Folk, Indie Rock, Psychedelic Folk

Score:

9/10

Written by Adam

@fortheloveofindiemusic

Categories
Album Reviews

Mild High Club: Going, Going, Gone

I have been obsessed with Mild High Club ever since discovering them a few years ago. Formed in 2013 by multi-instrumentalist Alexander Brettin, this psychedelic pop group blends catchy lo-fi jazz with slow trippy harmonies. They have released three albums, Timeline (2015), Skiptracing (2016) and Going, Going, Gone (2021). 

After five years of waiting, Brettin and company finally delivered another masterpiece with Going, Going, Gone. A slight departure from his previous lo-fi work, this album is much more polished, with more of a hip hop beat driven sound. Scattered throughout are small little instrumental pieces he calls “Kluges”. Just like his previous albums, these small transitions add depth and mood to his work. This album is heavily layered, with a heavy emphasis on jazz piano, background wind instruments and synth drums. Together these create a wonderful sound, rich in dream pop and psychedelic tones. My favorite tracks are “Dionysian State” and “Me Myself and Dollar Hell”, both full of poignant social commentary and creative, colorful beats. Going, Going, Gone, although not as perfectly crafted and organized as his previous two, is still a masterful exhibition of creativity that I highly recommend. 

Genres: Dream pop, psychedelic pop, bedroom pop, lo-fi indie, jazz

Score:

9/10

Written by Adam

@fortheloveofindiemusic