If you missed previous posts in this series, here are the ones for January, February, March, and April.
This month, I added twenty-three new albums to my library. While a few stood out, most have yet to leave a lasting impression. I enjoyed giving them a chance to resonate, but I doubt many will join my playlist for my soon-to-be-long commute. If I can’t picture driving the roads of Vermont to them, why keep them around?
That said, I’ve ranked the albums that will definitely stick around at the top, those worth a second listen in the middle, and the ones unlikely to last at the bottom.
My Favorite Album of May 2024
empathogen
by WILLOW
In 2010, nine-year-old Willow Smith, daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, released the viral hit “Whip My Hair.” The song, bursting with incredible energy, peaked at #11 on Billboard’s Hot 100, stayed on the chart for 20 weeks, and sold over 1.2 million copies, becoming 3x Platinum.
The experience was not great for Willow. In 2018, she revealed on her mother’s Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk, that her mother and father “should have valued her growth and knowledge rather than her popularity.” She went on to shave her head, partly as a middle finger to her parents.
Now 23 years old, Willow has five solo albums, one collaborative album, and four EPs. While I hadn’t listened to any of them before, sampling a few songs revealed an intriguing mix of pop, punk, hip hop, electronica, and alt-rock, suggesting the kind of ever-striving, ever-growing, ever-experimenting artist I crave.
empathogen is her sixth solo album and her first foray into jazzy pop. I haven’t been able to stop listening. The first track, “home,” is a collaboration with Jon Batiste, lending a stamp of respectability, though she doesn’t need it. Each song has something special: her flat-toned warbling in “ancient Girl,” the driving chorus of “symptom of life,” the sped up lyrics of “the fear is not real,” her false baritone on “false self,” the confessional paradox of “pain for fun,” her breathy, Björk-like duet on “no words 1 & 2,” the smokey jazz lounge vibe of “down,” her punky delivery of “run!” supported by an amazing bass line, the breakdown in “between i and she,” her varied pacing on “i know that face,” and the synthesizer solo on “b i g f e e l i n g s.”
I added the album to my library on a lark, curious about what the “Whip My Hair” kid is up to now, and holy shit!, did she impress me. I can’t recommend it enough.
The Albums That Will Last
Black Pumas, by Black Pumas
(Released 2019)
The chef at my school keeps Pandora playing on the kitchen TV. I poke my head into the kitchen a couple of times a day and often eat my lunch there as well. The chef, a former student of mine, has revealed over the nearly decade-long time I’ve known him that he has excellent taste in music, thanks to his parents. I don’t know what his Pandora algorithms are based on each day, but whatever song is playing when I come into the kitchen almost always catches my attention.
“Colors” by Black Pumas was one of those songs. The soulful voice, funky bass, rising chorus, inspirational keyboards, and acoustic breakdown into the verses created a timeless classic. Its unfamiliarity to me felt like a crime. I put down my lunch plate and immediately added the album to my library.
Thank goodness I did. The album is fantastic, which is probably why it was nominated for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best American Roots Performance at the Grammys. It’s a completely contemporary soul album that could stand up against the best from Motown and Stax.
I’m still baffled how I missed this one in 2019/2020—maybe the global pandemic kept it off my radar?
Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction, by Work Money Death
(Released 2022)
Another UK jazz album suggested by @Somewhere_Soul on Instagram, Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction is the second album from Work Money Death, a large ensemble formed to back saxophonist Tony Burkill. A musician from Leeds with over thirty years of experience, Burkill built a local reputation for daring improvisations. This four-song album builds on that reputation: each track was recorded in one take with no rehearsals. According to another reviewer, “The players may have known where they were starting off, [but] none of them were sure where they would end.”
If you’ve read previous entries in this series, you know I’m a fan of spiritual jazz in the vein of Alice Coltrane. Work Money Death fits nicely into that category, with the added daring of the album’s recording process.
I’ve written, read books, driven the backroads of Vermont, and cooked dinner to this album. It has shaped each experience perfectly, adding a positive vibe that made each moment greater than it would have otherwise been.
Sapana, by Amancio D'Silva
(Recorded 1983; Released 2022)
Two words: Indian Jazz. There’s a sitar, guitar, saxophone, piano, and South Asian rhythms and percussion.
Amancio D’Silva, born in Mumbai in 1936, was inspired by jazz pioneers Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery. He took up the guitar in his teenage years and quickly made a name for himself in India. Later, he moved to London, where his evident skill led to the release of the album Integrations…introducing Amancio D’Silva.
D’Silva didn’t record many albums during his lifetime. When he passed away in 1996 from a series of strokes, the world thought it had heard the last from him. But in 2022, a small Australian label released Sapana, a lost recording from 1983. The label describes it as a “musical impression of the subconscious…vividly imagined with traditional Hindustani and western improvisation. A spellbinding fusion of Indian raga and New-Age jazz.”
They describe it perfectly. This album fits so well into my writing playlist that I’m excited to explore D’Silva’s other albums next month.
Fearless Movement, by Kamasi Washington
(Released 2024)
Six years ago, I wrote an appreciation of Kamasi Washington, comparing him to Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charles Mingus, and calling him a “living master” whose musical force would make him a shining figure in the history of jazz.
I titled that appreciation “The Jazz of Now,” because he makes 21st-century jazz without forgetting the great musical discoveries of the late 20th century: funk, Afro-beat, hip-hop, etc.
Fearless Movement is aptly titled and showcases his fearless journey into the present moment. His jazz is soaring and emphatic, sometimes accompanied by rap artists, sometimes by soulful female voices, but always remaining true to jazz and hip-hop.
The Call, by OPEK
(Released 2024)
A writer and producer from Germany, Opek began making beats on computers as a kid, developed a skill on the drums, and then at the age of sixteen, dedicated himself to jazz, thanks to his drum teacher.
And thanks indeed! This album, first introduced to me by (once again) @Somewhere_Soul, is a delicious blend of groove and nostalgia. I love that I have no idea what instruments he’s playing on this one (drums?). He offers such space for the guitars, trumpet, trombones, piano, Rhodes, bass, etc. It doesn’t feel like the album of a solo artist. It sounds like musicians who have been playing together for a long time share a sweet sensibility and perfect timing.
This one has been in the rotation all month, and I suspect it will stay there for a while.
Mid Spiral, by BADBADNOTGOOD
Consisting (so far) of three EPs — Chaos, Order, and Growth — the latest music from BADBADNOTGOOD (one of my favorite bands) continues to add excellence to this Toronto trio’s far-reaching oeuvre.
The first EP, Chaos, sees the trio playing its familiar groove-heavy instrumentals. The second EP, Order, brings on a slew of guest musicians to create a collection of tunes with Latin American flair without straying too far from the groove. The third EP, Growth, keeps the entourage, but gives the lead on most of the songs to the bassist (not in a “bass solos” kind of way, but in a “turned up in the mix” kind of way).
The result is three EPs that each satisfy the desire for a singular, cohesive sound while blending in well with the others. Definitely give these three a spin.
The Albums That Will Possibly Stay
Cease to Begin
(Released 2007)
I asked ChatGPT to recommend an album similar to Midlake’s The Trials of Van Occupanther, and it suggested four albums I already loved, plus this 2007 LP from Band of Horses. While I’ve enjoyed listening to it two or three times, it hasn’t completely resonated with me yet.
Dawn is a Melody
(Released 2024)
Dawn is a Melody was another rec from @Somewhere_Soul, and it’s a gorgeous piece of music that perfectly matches its title and album cover. Out of the albums in this category, this one has the best chance of sticking around.
Hot Town
(Released 2024)
I came across Tuba Skinny on Instagram. They were busking in the street of New Orleans and entertaining the hell out of the tourists. I ended up watching a bunch of their videos and decided, yeah, I want more of these folks. They make fun, soulful, traditional New Orleans jazz, and that ain't no thing.
Moon Kin
(Released 2024)
@Somewhere_Soul gets the credit for this one too. A fusion of electronica, jazz, and hip-hop, it provides decent background music for those mornings when I'm writing, but there's a modernity to it that thinks it might be better than it actually is.
Perceive its Beauty, acknowledge its grace
(Released 2024)
Readers of this series might remember that I've fallen in love with the music of Shabaka Hutchings. His latest work is a suite of mellow jazz tunes for flute. It's beautiful, but like Andre 3000's latest, it requires a certain listener, and I'm not always that guy.
Reflections of a Purple Son
(Released 2024)
I really want to like this one. It's first, fourth, and sixth tracks are upbeat, funky jazz tunes, filled with keyboards and horns. But the second track is a flute ballad, the third track is like a mellow EDM club tune, and the fifth track is basically a drum solo. This might be one of those albums where I do the "just keep the songs you like" thing.
The Rest
(Released 2023)
boygenius released this four-song EP not as a collection of leftovers from their hit album the record but as songs that just needed more time before they were ready. They fit in well with that album, but their a little more on the mellow side. I said that last time, however, and then the record finally broke through my wall and I fell in love with it, so maybe this EP will too.
What's The Sun Without Rain
(Released 2024)
This soulful vocalist is pleasant on the ears, and the musicianship creates harmless sounds behind her. I like the empowering lyrics too. But there's little here that sticks with me when it's over. There's talent in spades; it just doesn't move me.
The Albums That Probably Won't Be Around Much Longer
I wanted to like the latest albums from Childish Gambino, Billie Eilish, and Pokey LaFarge, and while there were some enjoyable moments, they didn’t compel me to hit play again. The other two, Radio City by Big Star and We Like It Here by Snarky Puppy, were less impressive. The former didn’t resonate with me despite its influence on others, and the latter felt like Sunday morning jazz my dad enjoys (not a compliment). They’ll probably be cleared from my library soon.
May brought a fascinating mix of musical experiences, from unexpected discoveries to new favorites that have already started to define my daily soundtrack. Whether it was the jazzy experimentation of Work Money Death, the soulful vibes of Black Pumas, or the eclectic brilliance of Willow Smith, each album added a unique layer to my library. As I look ahead to June, I’m excited to see how these sounds will evolve and what new musical journeys await.