Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover – “What of Our Nature” review

Portland, Oregon singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx & Portland, Maine singer/songwriter Max García Conover reuniting for their 2nd collaborative project. Originally joining forces in the fall of 2018 for the final chapter of the Among Horses trilogy following Haley’s debut album I Need to Start a Garden, her sophomore effort Seed of a Seed celebrated it’s 1-year anniversary at the very beginning of the month & looks to recapture the late Woody Guthrie’s spirit from opposite corners of the country on What of Our Nature under Fat Possum Records.

“Song for Alicia” begins with a singer/songwriter intro telling the story of Alicia Rodríguez whilst further explaining that the Proud Boys & the Puerto Ricans are the only 2 groups convicted of American sedition. “Mr. Marketer” goes for a folkier vibe singing about Haley being told she was destined to grow a bold-hearted woman she thought she’d never know just before the stripped-back “Boars” feels optimistic of hipping through the cat grass living like the biggest little sluggers on the farm.

As for “Cowboying”, we have Haley & Max carrying the folky singer/songwriter sound over to sing about being unable to get these horses out of their heads & not being so sure as to what they want to eat while “In Bulosan’s Words” remembers the late Carlos Bulosan to end the 1st half. “This Morning, I’m Born Again” kicks off the 2nd leg with more acoustics singing that there’s only this emptiness against them while “Fluorescent Light” explains that the kind of lighting we’re living under is absorbing electromagnetic radiation.

“Buffalo, 1981” starts What of Our Nature’s final moments seeing about how this country hates the poor when that couldn’t be more relevant because of the whole SNAP benefits situation occurring during the new longest government shutdown while “To Each Their Dot” sings about humanity’s best interest being circular & simply making money off of us fighting the good fight. “Red River Dry” finishes by looking at Haley’s lineage like “Buffalo, 1981” did with Max’s.

Spending the last 12 months sharing creative ideas in the midst of reading Woody Gunthrie’s biographies & slowly exploring a patchwork of Americanism to see where their stories fit, Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover find themselves with this collection of music Woody left behind channeling the union of spontaneity as well as sweetness & defiance that made him one of the most important figures in all of American folk music over guitars & percussion, carrying on his legacy with a singer/songwriter & indie folk LP that raises the stakes of their creative chemistry.

Score: 4/5

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Insecure Men – “A Man for All Seasons” review

Insecure Men is a neo-psychedelia duo from London, England, United Kingdom consisting of bassist Ben Romans-Hopcraft & vocalist/guitarist Saul Adamczewski. Originally a trio with Nathan Saoudi, they would go on to sign to Fat Possum Records & made their eponymous full-length studio debut in 2018 establishing themselves in the windmill scene by additionally pulling from psychedelic hypnagogic pop, returning for a sophomore effort after almost 8 years since properly introducing themselves.

The psychedelic pop intro “Love Again” sings about the horizons not always signify a new beginning whereas the 3rd & final single “Cleaning Bricks” takes inspiration from an old job they had. “Krab” feels like somewhat of a spiritual successor to “The Drones” by The Fat White Family left off their 2016 sophomore effort Songs for Our Mothers while the 2nd single “Time’s a Healer” sings about a hallucinatory narcotic dream that occurred this summer to conclude the 1st act.

“Tulse Hill Station” starts the 2nd half with an ode to the London railway station of the same name prior to the lead single “Alien” comes across as being envious that the woman of interest is seeing other dudes & feels like he’s a complete outsider to her. “Butter” asks what’s left for a person who lost their dream summer job while “Graveyard (Of Our Love)” sings about a relationship that didn’t last & the protagonist hoping he isn’t as stupid as he was. “Weak” concludes the LP with a folkier note pleading to have a hole drank inside their heads due to feebleness.

Focusing less around the hypnagogic pop elements of self-titled, A Man for All Seasons conceptually builds itself around Saul Adamczewski’s hospitalization for severe psychosis & opioid addiction sparking an entire artistic rebirth that includes 2 more albums exploring country & dub music to the fullest extent. The neo-psychedelic pop production of Insecure Men’s debut has matured greatly in the last 7 years since we’ve heard them together exemplified by some of the indie folk elements, taking a more confessionally escapist approach to the lyrics.

Score: 4/5

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Hand Habits – “Blue Reminder” review

This is the 4th studio LP from Amsterdam, New York singer/songwriter Hand Habits. Following their first 5 EPs & of course the last 3 albums, they would go on to sign with Fat Possum Records for their last EP Sugar the Bruise to moderate reception although I personally thought it was Meg’s strongest one yet. They’ve put out a small handful of singles already to generate buzz for Blue Reminder, which is Fat Possum’s first offering in over 3 months & their first full-length under the label.

“More Today” sets the tone with a crossover between indie rock & singer/songwriter feeling like their romantic interest’s words are tearing her apart in a good way whereas the lead single “Wheel of Change” maintains both elements of the previous track & combines them with alt-country & folk rock to sing about needing their lover now more than ever.

As for “Nubble”, we have Meg fusing alt-country & dream pop together confessing that they feel like life has been treating her well outside of a few regrets they has just before “Dead Rat” recaps a true story of a mouse’s corpse rotting away from within the walls of their own home & advising people to let nature take it’s course.

“Jasmine Blossoms” was a great b-side to the latter single depicting the contradictions between the neighborhood of Mount Washington out in Los Angeles, California as well as the horrifying things one may come across on social media & the TV news stations leading into “Way It Goes” singing about the ups & downs of a relationship.

After the jazzy piano heavy “(Forgiveness)” instrumental composition, “Beauty 62” shows a bit of a Bob Dylan influence singing about finding beauty within all the chaos while the 4th & final single “Bluebird of Happiness” draws inspiration from the extensive amount of time Meg had spent on the road.

The title track easily sticks out as the most emotional & confessional moment on Blue Reminder wanting to prove that the love they have for their partner is true by doing literally anything over more keys while “Quiet Summer” sings about wanting to lie down during a warm evening around this specific time of the year. “Living Proof” wraps it all up with a subdued tone admitting they never knew what love could do.

Walking an emotional tightrope between hope & quiet anxiety, Hand Habits’ 2nd offering under the Fat Possum banner departs from the insularity that their previous material had become known for & it takes over Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void)’s spot for Meg’s greatest LP of the 4. Their indie rock & singer/songwriter production has evolved greatly almost a decade in pulling from indie folk, slowcore, folk rock, americana, alt-country & dream pop to thematically attach itself to the idea of committing in many ways.

Score: 4/5

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No Windows – “The Great Traitor” review

No Windows are an indie rock duo from Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom consisting of guitarist, bassist & drummer Morgan Morris alongside lead single Verity Slangen. Releasing their first 2 EPs No Windows & Fish Boy independently, they would land a deal with Fat Possum Records to take themselves to the next level on Point Nemo last spring & are back a little over a whole year later to do it again by putting out their 4th EP.

“Brown Bear” is this acoustic intro singing about feeling a lot clearer now than she did in the past whereas “Return” was a great indie rock lead acknowledging not hiding how they feel very well & their uncleanliness with the water being unclear as it already is. “Tricky” keeps it stripped back lyrically exploring the concepts of love & infatuation while “Sugarcoat” sings about being fucked from the start. “Old Chain Pier” is an indie rock ballad finding oneself at a stage in life no longer looking back in disgust & “Easter Island” acoustically wraps up the EP feeling worst in the mornings.

The Great Traitor expands No Windows’ sonic territory even further by leaving the more familiar indie traits behind in favour of lush, psychedelic arrangements that take their cues from 70s chamber pop & Jon Brion. Produced with Ali Chant, the recording process took them out of Morgan’s DIY bedroom set-up & into a studio where they had access to a breadth of instruments that allowed for more exploration across the EP’s 6 tracks marking a transitional period for the duo both as a band & as individuals.

Score: 3.5/5

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Samia – “Bloodless” review

Samia is a 28 year old singer/songwriter from Los Angeles, California introducing herself in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by signing with the Fat Possum Records subsidiary Grand Jury Music for her acclaimed full-length debut The Baby for it’s take on singer/songwriter, bedroom pop, indie folk & indie rock. Her sophomore effort Honey later came out at the start of 2023 to more moderate reception in comparison to The Baby although the alt-pop & ambient pop influences were a nice change of pace, coming back almost 2 & a half years later for her 3rd studio LP.

The first song “Bovine Excision” after the “Biscuits” intro was a great choice of a single from it’s singer/songwriter, indie rock, alt-country & indie folk sound to the lyrics expressing her desire to be untouchable whereas “Hole in a Frame” sings about a fascination with disappearing & the power of absence. “Lizard” describes wanting to live up to the person she became in someone’s head until “Dare” finding this person’s intentions unclear.

“Fair Game” promises that said individual won’t get their blood back regardless if they can go outside on a hot night & clap, but then “Spine Oil” sings about coming to terms with her joy constantly being mistaken for weakness & everything not coming down easy whatsoever. “Craziest Person” admits to always trying to find anyone who sticks out as being the most unhinged whenever she steps in a room while “Sacred” sings about an ex never losing her the way he hates her presently.

Meanwhile on “Carousel”, we have Samia blending indie rock, art rock, neo-psychedelia slacker rock, neo-psychedelia & singer/songwriter showing a cathartic side to her songwriting abilities while “Proof” is an apology to those she’s pushed away as soon as they started to know me. “North Poles” takes inspiration from her close friend & collaborator Raffaella that is until “Pants” delves into the endless often fruitless search for a version of ourselves.

Almost 2 & a half years later, Samia endeavors to disinter the self buried beneath these carefully constructed personas by reaching a place of acceptance for her whole & imperfect being. She confronts the person she became in order to impress this imagined figure inseparable from who she is today displaying influences of singer-songwriter, indie folk, indie rock, indie pop, bedroom pop, indie rock & alt-country.

Score: 4.5/5

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Dutch Interior – “Moneyball” review

Dutch Interior is an indie rock band from Long Beach, California consisting of guitarist/vocalist Jack Nugent, guitarist/vocalist Conner Reeves, keyboardist/vocalist Shane Barton, drummer Hayden Barton, bassist/vocalist Davis Stewart & guitarist/vocalist Noah Kurtz. Their 2021 debut EP Kindergarten would prelude their full-length debut Blinded by Fame, the latter of which would become their most acclaimed project thus far & resulted in Fat Possum Records signing them earlier this winter. To coincide with spring, they’re making their debut for the label by putting out their sophomore effort.

“Canada” is this indie rock opener singing about seeing 2 sparrows flirting by the lake whereas “Sandcastle Molds” goes for more of an alt-country vibe dealing with holding on to your sense of self as the world descends into madness at a nauseating pace. “Wood Knot” keeps the alt-country influences going disregarding the idea of being a leaf when he’s a natural irregularity, but then “Science Fiction” sings about something shifted in his shape over acoustics & an organ.

The acknowledgement of self-awareness on “Sweet Time” of the world moving fast day by day is made clearly with it’s traditional country tone while “Life (So Crazy)” goes indie rock again singing that he misses the days when the moments were still until the weight came. “4th Street” embraces an Americana direction keeping their secrets close to the ground & the country-driven “Horse” dreams of living in the countryside. “Christ on the Mast” feels more alt-country feeling Hell bent & “Beekeeping” finishes their Fat Possum debut with a reflection on personal flaws.

These guys’ disparate influences all converge on here shapeshifting oscillates between sharply hewn indie rock as well as alt-country along with hints of dissonant ambience & Americana, all while still sounding like a band who both speak their own private language & translate it into something universal. They take the observation of us existing in a tradition of American music & take that to places that are personal to them finds its way in terms of songwriting through its own humorous twists & turns, an undercurrent of omnipresent & steadfast declarations of love.

Score: 4.5/5

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Youth Lagoon – “Rarely Do I Dream” review

Youth Lagoon is the pseudonym of Boise, Idaho dream pop musician Trevor Powers. He debuted in 2011 off The Year of Hibernation under Fat Possum Records & has since put out Wondrous Bughouse, Savage Hills Ballroom, Capricorn albeit under his own name & Heaven’s a Junkyard through the label aside from Mulberry Violence being released independently. 2 years after what’s considered to be his best work since the debut, Trevor’s looking to level up on his 7th LP.

“Neighborhood Scene” ponders if he even belongs in a country house to get us started whereas “Speed Freak” works in elements from alternative dance, synthpop & new rave music singing about his problems disappearing through every mountain he can steer. “Football” fuses indie pop, soft rock, neo-psychedelia, psychedelic pop & dream pop observing Mary’s faith wearin’ thin like an old shoe sole while “Gumshoe” blends indie rock & baggy to sing that the summer taught him life is a baseball bat to the jaw.

Moving forward with “Seersucker”, we have Trevor letting everyone out there know he’s doing alright leading into “Lucy Takes a Picture” bringing indie pop, chamber pop & neo-psychedelia singing about walking the cold night Earth & catching a breeze. “Perfect World” suggests to ignore the call since the roulette ball was out of grace just before the indie/chamber pop hybrid “My Beautiful Girl” serves as an ode to the woman in his life.

“Canary” truly sets off the encore of Rarely Do I Dream by offering a blissfully calming atmosphere to the table instrumentally with his friends living in his head these days while “Parking Lot” sings about letting him cruise for the spot rather than letting him lose. “Saturday Cowboy Manitee” prior to the “Home Movies (1989-1993)” outro finishes the album refusing to fake his love.

Maybe the most comprehensive & audacious album that Trevor has crafted to date, Rather Do I Dream primarily composes itself as a treasure trove of home movies, twangy fuzz guitars, sun-bleached synths, classical pianos, blown-out drums & his spellbinding melodies feeling like an old photograph that’s been reanimated in a strange & distant future showing influences of indie pop, dream pop, bedroom pop, alternative dance, synthpop, new rave, soft rock, neo-psychedelia, psychedelic pop, indie rock, baggy & chamber pop.

Score: 4.5/5

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Ghais Guevara – “Goyard Ibn Said” review

Ghais Guevara is a 24 year old MC, producer & political activist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania starting in 2019 under the original moniker Jaja00 putting out a total of 8 mixtapes & 3 EPs in that span of time until signing to Fat Possum Records this past fall. His music is know. For expressing simmering anger felt by Black communities shocking & raising awareness among white listeners, coming off all 5 singles he’s dropped off ever since his new label deal gearing up for his official full-length debut studio album.

After the Act 1 intro, the self-produced “The Old Guard Is Dead” that was synced at the very start of Kendrick Lamar’s historic Super Bowl LIX halftime show begins by talking about becoming everything that everyone else didn’t want him to whereas “Leprosy” warns that he rolls with the killers that be packin’ it up & being the ones. “3400” acknowledges the amount of miles he is away from the hood & yet still can’t take it out of him, but then the 2-parter “I Gazed Upon the Trap with Ambition” cautions that his squad stay keeping the sticks on them.

“Monta Ellis” featuring Yoko McThuggin’ advises that you’re not really an all-star since you’re a startup & to check behind them while “Yamean” featuring FARO finds both of them asking where the palates at calling out everyone out here who doesn’t have any taste whatsoever. “Camera Shy” hits the function in fashion showing off his favorite designer brands & after the Act 2 intro, “Bystander Effect” featuring Elucid & produced by DJ Haram pleads not to come their way since neither of them have time.

Meanwhile on “4L”, we have Ghais talking about making sure you’re good for life while “The Apple That Scarcely Fell” featuring McKinley Dixon hops over a drumless loop talking about everyone wanting to put an end to them. “Branded” is this orchestral trap hybrid proud that he made it out even if he didn’t capture everyone’s hearts while “Critical Acclaim” talks about knowing one’s intentions & said individuals catching bodies for praise.

“Shaitan’s Spiderweb” nears the conclusion of Ghais’ full-length studio debut cloudily discussing having too many hoes in his phone these days while the closer “You Can Skip This Part” wraps things up on a chipmunk soul note asking who’s gonna take the bullet for him & who’ll take a shot for him when it comes down to it all in the end dancing for these crackers calling everyone else crackers in the process.

Inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 film Persona which Ghais says “opened my mind to the concept of the deflated self as a result of trauma” to the books Black Skin, White Mask & The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat by Frantz Fanon & Oliver Sacks respectively, Goyard Ibn Said for it being his Fat Possum debut is more conceptual acting as a fictional anti-hero. Act 1 highlights the glory & spoils of mainstream hip hop stardom & Act 2 takes a surprise turn, focusing on the tragic experiences faced achieving that success through the sounds of east coast hip hop, experimental hip hop, hardcore hip hop, chipmunk soul, conscious hip hop, trap, spoken word & gangsta rap.

Score: 4/5

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Dax Riggs – “7 Songs for Spiders” review

This is a brand new EP from Houma, Louisiana singer/songwriter Dax Riggs. The frontman of the seminal sludge metal band Acid Bath, he began releasing music under his own name in the summer of 2007 after signing to Fat Possum Records for his solo debut We Sing of Only Blood or Love & the sophomore effort Say Goodnight to the World. 15 years later, he returning to jot down 7 Songs for Spiders coinciding with labelmate Ghais Guevara’s debut album Goyard Ibn Said.

“Deceiver” sets the tone of what’s to come with this swamp rock, heavy psych, stoner rock & garage rock revival intro now realizing exactly how the Son of Sam feels whereas “Sunshine Felt the Darkness Smile” passionately sings about Jesus never laughing & Satan never crying. “Even the Stars Fall” is an alt-blues meditation on human collapse and how failure creates the only heaven we’ll ever know while “Blues for You Know Who” kinda riffs showing his love for Lebanese & Egyptian music.

The song “Ain’t That Darkness” gets the other half of 7 Songs for Spiders going slowly singing about darkness spinning across his guitar while the penultimate track “Pagan Moon” asks a young man if he even knows he’s dying & that his darkness is shining. “Graveyard Soul” rounds out the EP officially hauntingly pondering where & when one lost their junkyard smile.

Inspired by world music in addition to gospel music as well as hillbilly or even the proto-metal sounds & the Cajun landscape, Dax’ first solo effort in over 15 years feels like as if he hasn’t been gone for that lone tackling themes of human beings collapsing in upon themselves, sympathy for the villain, God & what your gods tell you about yourself fusing stoner rock with swamp rock, heavy psych, garage rock revival & alt-blues.

Score: 4.5/5

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The Weather Station – “Humanhood” review

The Weather Station are a singer/songwriter band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada consisting of bassist Ben Whiteley, keyboardist Johnny Spence, guitarist Will Kidman, guitarist Christine Bougie, saxophonist/clarinetist Karen Ng, drummer Evan Cartwright, drummer Kieran Adams & frontwoman Tamara Hope. Self-releasing their debut The Line in the spring of 2009 only to further introduce themselves with their sophomore effort All of It Was Mine as well as Loyalty & an eponymous LP, the latter of which resulted in Fat Possum Records signing the band & elevating them on their debut for the label Ignorance & recording the follow-up How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars around that same time. 3 years later, Tamara’s returning for her 7th album.

After the “Descent” intro, the first song “Neon Signs” is this artsy piano rock opener singing about it never being enough in a world without trust relying upon the lightning flash of lust whereas “Mirror” fuses art rock, trip hop, jazz fusion & jazz-rock comparing God to that of a reflection. “Window” balances art & jazz rock admits to feeling like her heart’s racing leading into “Body Moves” bringing together sophisti-pop, post-rock & jazz fusion after the “Passage” interlude addressing an individual seeing too far away.

“Ribbon” hooks up some heavy pianos singing that her pain is ordinary & being like anyone else followed by a fantastically lush outro but after the “Fleuve” interlude, the title track colorfully details diving into Lake Ontario & being shocked into a sense of the present. “Irreversible Damage” offers a heavy trip hop vibe reminiscent of Portishead while “Lonely” calmingly realizes what it was not to be alone. “Sewing” after the “Aurora” interlude closes Humanhood by clarifying it’s too late to take it all back.

Managing to be this cinematic widescreen record that tells a story going from dense to open to loud to silent, Humanhood returns 4 years after Tamara & company made their Fat Possum debut making commentary on the global climate crisis to showing a predominantly more personal side of Tamara & do so in such an ambitious manner showing influences of art pop, art rock, jazz-rock, post-rock, sophisti-pop, jazz fusion, trip hop & piano rock.

Score: 4/5

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