My picks for the best new albums this week. No two of these albums sound alike, but they’re held together by the thread of being deeply personal and reflective. Whether it’s the humorous ruminations of what it means to be alive on slimdan’s Focus Group, the confessional ballads of Danielle Ponder’s Everything Has Changed, the hopeful nature of Sarah Julia’s The Fear That This is Real, or the weather-based introspection of Ovrkast’s STRIKING– all four of these great records struck a chord with me lyrically and paint vivid portraits of the artists that released them.
slimdan - Focus Group
Pop-Rock, Singer-Songwriter
Learning that slimdan (a.k.a. Danny Silberstein) grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community and transitioned into a secular life in college really made this album click for me. His music has the feel of someone ready to leap into the world and squeeze its emotional experiences for all they’re worth. Songs like “Let’s Start a Cult!” and “2 Dollar Bill” weave tragically humorous narratives through energetic production. I was having fun with Silberstein’s stories and absurdities, but the standout track “Same Vine” (written for his young son) stopped me in my tracks: He sings, “The people who died, you brought them back to life / You've got all of their faces combined.” What a beautiful, haunting sentiment.
Danielle Ponder - Everything Has Changed
Pop, Soul, Americana
Danielle Ponder worked as a public defender for most of her adult life before pivoting to music, and her songs are often shaped by an interest in morality. Take the bitter confessional “God of You,” where she shamefully admits to “Sitting in his car, tryna find a way to make a grown man cry,” placed right next to “Power” where she raps about the pure glory of her experience as a Black woman. Ponder’s voice is incredibly powerful and it fits especially well on the most emotionally charged songs, but it never sounds jarring on the lower-key jams on Everything Has Changed, with standouts including the subdued dance-R&B of “SKN” and the groovy title track.
Sarah Julia - The Fear That This Is Real
Folk-Pop, Singer-Songwriter
Sarah Julia’s debut album expertly carries the folk-pop of acts like the Indigo Girls into a modern era. The two Dutch sisters have a tight vocal chemistry that’s addicting to listen to– listen to them go back and forth over the driving rhythm of the opener, “Bigger Picture,” or sing together on “Whatever It Takes.” Their breakup songs are inventive, especially “Therapist’s Daughter,” with a narrator who looks back on a relationship where she filled a psychiatric role that wasn’t really hers to fill. “Conversation” is another highlight: a plea for older generations to stop being defensive and take heed of their children’s call for collective action. Listen to this one in a cozy chair with a cup of coffee; you’ll probably enjoy it.
Ovrkast. - STRIKING
Jazz Rap, Trap
Ovrkast’s talent is that of any good rapper-producer– he’s confident in his own aesthetic and wants to take the listener for a ride in it. Fitting with Silas Wilson’s stage name, this album is all about the weather. References to wind, rain clouds, and static electricity outline Wilson’s struggles with fame, anger at world injustices, and more. Sonically, the songs range from string-laced boom-bap numbers to crisp trap bangers that feel like being whipped in the face by wind on a winter day. STRIKING also has great feature choices, between a standout verse from NY icon Joey Bada$$ on “STATIC” and relatively newer personalities like Samara Cyn and MAVI trading verses on the jazzy “KNOCK.”
