12.22 // Really From, Searows & Thee Sacred Souls
A monthly check-in on a handful of projects I’ve recently discovered. This month: math rock styled “indie jazz”, an indie folk debut album, and a soulful pair of singles.
Is enjoying music the best hobby out there? Unquestionably! Undeniably! Unequivocally! There are not enough prefixed words at hand to consolidate my confidence in this take.
The reason I’m so assured of this is that there is so much amazing and bizarrely creative music floating around and waiting to be explored. How could you get bored? There’s always a different flavour, a new brain-scratching groove, or a fresh idea you’ve never considered ready to be heard. Not only is there a nearly overwhelming amount to discover, but there is also an absolute wealth to share.
As someone who is always pen-in-hand, this column gives me an opportunity to not only spout out a trio of recommendations to the internet but to also really geek out on what makes each of these projects special.
My listening this month has largely consisted of finalising my 2022 album rankings for our debut article. But, outside of that, I’ve taken a preference for R&B and also gone out of my way to hunt down some very cool genre-bending groups. Speaking of such…
Really From - Really From (2021)
Do you like intelligent, nuanced instrumentation? If yes, this is the record for you. On this modest nine-track album, Really From present a mish-mashed blend of beloved genres and make it not only work but rule. If I had to categorise them, I’d class them as math rock but that is a gross simplification of what they actually are. On their third album, the Boston-based quintet claim to make “indie jazz”, and in doing so draw from jazz (obviously), indie pop, post-punk, chamber pop, and math rock.
The self-titled album starts on what I consider to be its highest point with Apartment Song, which isn’t a bad thing. It opens with an ethereal disposition, complemented by soft piano chords and Michi Tassey’s beautiful vocals. Not to discredit Chris Lee-Rodriguez, who has some awesome vocal moments himself, but Tassey is by far the vocal draw for me on this record. The horns, played by Matt Hull, bear so much personality and make the actual vocals feel secondary on songs where they’re co-featured. Apartment Song gradually builds with trumpets and elaborate percussives that introduce the math rock elements. Amid this systematic chaos, the section ends with a satisfying, in-sync scale ascension. I love how the tracks tend to continuously evolve. Halfway through, Apartment Song breaks down into stripped acoustic guitar picking which eventually swells with ease back into the initial instrumentation. It’s truly flawless.
Quirk is an excellent follow-up, picking up right where track one left off and digging its teeth into the established chamber-pop style swiftly. Once again, at the midway mark, the song devolves, this time into a PS2 start-up ethereal plane. That is until a set of choppy electric guitar shreds revive the pacing, adding horns, drum fills, and the whole shebang as the track lets loose. In The Spaces is another great example of a song that is constantly developing and building to great heights.
Over a handful of tracks, there are some real post-punk components to the guitars and moments where the vocals get nasally in the best way. This proves the weirdness of Really From and their genius in merging several styles together. While other tracks earn their self-proclaimed title of indie jazz, I’m From Here leans more heavily into the album’s rock roots and is one of the more accessible tracks for sceptics (aside from the opener). The closer, The House, is probably the largest deviation from the established sound. With its tinny vocals, acoustic work, and trademark indie whine, it very much has a garage indie rock feel to it.
Overall, this is a smart and creative project that I had a wild amount of fun listening to over and over again, picking up on little production details in the percussives that I didn’t initially notice.
Guard Dog - Searows (2022)
When Ethel Cain recommends music, you listen. That is exactly how I came across this indie-folk gem and I am obsessed with it. If I had listened to this record before we put out our top 32 albums of the year, it likely would have made the list. There isn’t a track on Guard Dog that I don’t like, making it a stellar debut album from a promising, young artist.
With gentle, intimate vocal work and some awesome soundscape crafting through almost exclusively acoustic guitars, Searows in a way reminds me of Phoebe Bridgers. Vocally and lyrically, Road Kill emanates the most Phoebe-vibes and also happens to be my favourite track. The sustained notes and layered guitars on the chorus of this melancholic ballad are simply gorgeous.
Thematically, this album is largely a personal account of the trans experience, touching on ideas of both internal and external acceptance. Keep the Rain and Hold You are the most direct in this manner, both being touching tracks that I couldn’t recommend enough.
It’s funny writing about this record after Really From. While the prior had a notable amount of distinction track-to-track, Guard Dog is a lot more contained to a standardised sound. I think this manages to play in its favour as a calming lo-fi joint that is perfect for a quiet night indoors.
Will I See You Again? - Thee Sacred Souls (2021)
Stumbling across these newcomers ignited my deep dive into R&B this month. Thee Sacred Souls are a three-man act who are jam-packed with soul and charm. This pair of singles dropped in January of 2021 and are equally as infectious as each other. I find it hard to pick a favourite between them.
Will I See You Again? is about being smitten over someone and wanting to see some of that love on the returning end. Frontman Josh Lane’s vocals are so warm and liberating, like that of 60s soul artists. Instrumentally, this era of R&B is very well replicated, with a splash of contemporary flair and modern mixing of course. Lane’s falsetto on the prechorus is perfect and Sal Samano’s bass and guitar licks provide such an irresistible groove.
It’s Our Love sounds like the musical embodiment of a cruisy day at the beach. It’s smooth, has a slight bounce to it, and exudes a laidback comfort. Everything I said about the vocals and production of Will I See You Again? applies to this track as well. The one distinct detail I want to mention about this song is the drumming. Alex Garcia incorporates an otherwise simple drum roll into this track and it is so pleasing to the ear.
If you end up enjoying these tracks, I highly recommend checking out their self-titled debut LP from this year.