Short Attention Span Record Reviews, Sep 23 Vol. II

BARONESS – Stone
A slightly weaker album than previous ones, especially the last one which was a masterpiece. A 7.5, really, but I round upwards because they’re Baroness. (8)

CARDIACS – A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window (reissue)
Equal parts prog and punk rock and with fans ranging from Radiohead to Hammers Of Misfortune (plus Blur, Faith No More, Steven Wilson…), the Cardiacs’ no-fucks-given debut album from 1988 gets the deluxe reissue treatment – 4 discs including demos, radio performances, and live shows, plus a book. Dig! (9)

MARGO CILKER – Valley Of Heart’s Delight
Cilker’s sophomore album is an excellent example of what makes good country music so effective: Romanticizing the road, diners, the great outdoors, and all the Americana we love, a prevailing sense of loss, and world-class musicianship. (8)

GRAILS – Anches En Maat
Cinematic and downtempo like Morricone soundtracking a 70’s blacksploitation flick. (8)

WILL JOHNSON – No Ordinary Clown
Texan polymath, and a touring member of Jason Isbell’s band, releases weird and glorious Americana record. (8)

LYDIA LOVELESS – Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again
Her gradual transformation from alt-country hellraiser to 90’s-influenced alt-rock powerhouse is now complete – where she once sung about Steve Earle, now she might as well sing about Alanis Morrisette and Liz Phair. (8)

MITSKI – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
I’ve exited social media several years ago so I’m probably missing out on a lot of artists who become pretty famous because they’re TikTok-worthy, whatever the fuck that means. So I don’t know a lot about Mitski but I know this is a good album, somewhere between chamber pop, country rock, and bedroom something or other. (8)

BUFFALO NICHOLS – The Fatalist
On his previous album he stayed close to the Blues tradition and made The List. This time around he messes with the formula by adding trip-hoppy beats and atmospherics, and the results are just as excellent. (8)

PARCHMAN PRISON PRAYER – Some Mississippi Sunday Morning
Murderers, rapists, and other inmates at the infamous Mississippi State Penitentiary sing gospels and spirituals. A stunning listen. (8)

THE RECORD COMPANY – The 4th Album
Like a more muscular Black Keys, almost in Bad Company territory, here’s some pretty decent blues rock for you. (7)

BARRENCE WHITFIELD & THE SAVAGES – Glory
No frills, dirty garage-y rock ‘n’ roll from the master of the genre, a rock 'n' soul screamer in the Little Richard tradition who’s been doing it better than anyone else for decades. (8)