I'm the princess of screwing up
Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Best Albums of 2020 list...
#48 : color theory - Soccer Mommy
The recent craze for bedroom pop had a further boost this year as so many of us were increasingly confined to our bedrooms, although there’s a sneaking suspicion this term can undersell the ambition of these (often female) artists. Like Beabadoobee, Clairo and other recent breakthroughs, Soccer Mommy actually makes full-bodied, melodically strong indie rock – at times you can draw lines towards Real Estate or Deerhunter, but the drowsy yet determined vocals are inimitably hers.
A female indie singer, you say? Count me in! And yeah, this is pretty much right up my street - like some of the slower Throwing Muses stuff or early Rilo Kiley with a bit of shoe-gazing thrown in at times as well. Maybe a bit of Purity Ring as well - whoever it reminds me of, I like! No particular track stood out for me on first listen, but they all pretty much worked for me (although "gray light" did drag somewhat).
She's definitely at the "opening for major artists" (Kacey Musgraves, Liz Phair, Slowdive, Paramore, Foster The People, Vampire Weekend, Wilco) stage of her career - I guess we'll see if she can take things go any further but I can definitely see me revisiting the album. Or, more likely, desperately try to rack my brains remembering her name - which is something that happens more and more often these days. Also, what's going on with lower case this year?!?
#47 : The Album - Tejana Taylor
Across 23 tracks, the American R&B star builds a deep, rounded portrait of the highs and lows of a romantic relationship. There are frequent pleas for better communication and reciprocity, likely to comfort anyone gaslighted into thinking, “Is it just me?” But when the connection works, it really works, as evinced by the numerous rapturous slow jams. Taylor shows how sex itself is communication, adding up to one of the hottest, most emotionally astute albums of the year.
23 tracks of R&B, you say? "Well, I just can't WAIT for that!" was pretty much what sprang to mind - me and R&B tending not to get along overly well. I'd never heard of Tejana, but given that the album features guest appearances from Erykah Badu, Kehlani, Big Sean, Lauryn Hill, Future, Rick Ross, Quavo, and Missy Elliott (most of whom even I've heard of!) I guess she must be pretty well known, although a quick review of Wikipedia doesn't really answer the question as to what she's known for though. No-one's "just" a singer these days, are they?
Overall, I liked her voice and the general noises that were made - but at 77 minutes there were a little too many of the general noises for my liking. It wasn't offensive, it just got all a bit too "oh, some more of this, eh?". Her husband talking to the paramedic over the phone after she's just given birth was an "interesting" choice for the first track though. Generally though, I can see the people that like this sort of thing would really like this sort of thing, but I can't see it would convince too many other people to like this sort of thing. It's certainly some kind of outfit on the album cover though - not convinced it would work down my local on a Friday night though.
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