Albums I’m Excited about, June 14th

Losing My Shadow — Aan

Aan is one of my favorite bands from Portland. Bud Wilson has a unique approach to songwriting that revolves around his tenor tremelo vocals and dynamic song construction.

This album makes a clear move towards the mainstream while maintaining Bud’s unique vocals and Aan’s driving basslines. It’s much more personal, and I think lyrically more interesting at the cost of some musical dynamism. I think these songs will tell a great story when performed, and I’m excited to see them come to life.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/losing-my-shadow/1463325235

https://open.spotify.com/album/3CBcGzTQ6EAOLTnlD1tB99?si=z9jc0k_rTeapqz8JA24vgQ

Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest — Bill Callahan

Bill Callahan, and his band Smog which was his delivery mechanism before his solo work, is a genre of one. Primarily focused on his baritone and wandering poetic lyrics, it’s a folk adjacent study that until this morning I thought had been retired to the past.

This album is his first in 5 years, and it’s not especially explorative album — perhaps just keeping us warm, or as a more compulsive form of expression on his part. It will swaddle you in bassy vocals and allow your mind to wander through its poetry, and that’s enough.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/shepherd-in-a-sheepskin-vest/1456433309

https://open.spotify.com/album/7sfkWJ14gZywjyv3wtQ5WC?si=0hd0_cWMQ269fpxHMevhpg