April ‘25 in Music
Inside: PinkPantheress, KATSEYE, Marina Satti and more.
This is a monthly segment where I selectively discuss music that piqued my interest within the month. We cover new and older releases alike. Literally whatever’s been on rotation. You can find March’s post here.
Albums:
Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe
At the start of the month, I (finally) watched Luca Guadagnino’s singular 2020 series We Are Who We Are and, besides all the praises I have to sing for the show itself, I’ve confirmed that Luca is father because, among other things, he understands the importance of “Time Will Tell” by Blood Orange. (Seriously, as somebody who loves nothing more than when music plays a definitive role in a show or film, few instances I can think of come close to the effect of Dev Hynes’ presence throughout this joint.)
You know those all-time favorite albums that sort of sneak up on you? That one day you revisit and you realize the tracklist looks like “movie 1, movie 2, that one feature of another artist you love, spring vacation 2016, the song from that ancient playlist you used to loop, an existential moment at the beach last summer, movie 3.” Blood Orange’s catalog might be the closest thing we have to true timeless music released in this century. It’s also music that can fit into every room and, most astonishingly, whereas in plenty other cases that statement would signal elevator vibes, it does so with great intelligence, emotional resonance, and some of the highest replay value around. A sort of magic, really.
Pavement – Brighten the Corners
A first top-to-bottom listen despite being familiar with a few tracks here and there. I had so much fun with this. So much that I’m wondering if I’m allowed to declare myself a Pavement fan upon looping Brighten the Corners for a week straight and the five hours I once spent listening to their Bandsplain episode for shits and giggles? Come onnnn, you guys.
This was in part prep for a movie (“adaptation of the sequel to your life”) I may very well never make it to seeing, Alex Ross Perry’s Pavements which Wikipedia dubs a docufiction — and nothing has ever sounded righter up my alley. For now, however, I am stuck mastering my recitation of “Blue Hawaiian” lyrics in the style of Stephen Malkmus. It’s going exceptionally well.
Songs:
PinkPantheress – “Tonight” & “Stateside”
We’re sooooo very back. We actually are. Today, May 9th, PinkPantheress’ new album Fancy That is officially out and about, and I’m not lying when I tell you I haven’t had time (the irony, I know) to listen yet — but I’m here to chat about her April releases anyways. One-two punch singles “Tonight” and “Stateside” (literally welcome back Estelle) are fresh additions to a discography best list that threatens to burst at the seams, sharing the UK producer’s lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek sensibility, masterful sampling and knack for layering melodies into lush pop tapestries.
I try to be picky with the music I attach the hefty compliment of the word “addictive” to, but PinkPantheress makes it so easy. Whether it’s the way her liquid breakbeats tumble along, the vague familiarity of a melody, a clever hook, or a barely audible adlib, there’s unmistakably always something for your brain to catch onto and refuse to let go.
Marina Satti – “LOLA”
The narrative of being "too ahead of Greece" follows Marina Satti's every move. I’m starting to develop a frustration with it — not because it doesn’t hold truth (if anything, the scrutiny that accompanies Satti’s every artistic move serves as confirmation), but because it’s the only thing anyone over here ever feels like talking about when it comes to her releases. Like, damn. Let us unpack this killer Miami bass beat for a second. It’s about the music, right? Right?
I want to treat Satti as a popstar, the one she’s doubling down on being. POP TOO, the followup to last year’s statement P.O.P., takes the singer’s signature Balkan-flavored global pop sound to entirely new heights, getting louder, sillier, and bolder with genre experimentations. Yet somehow, the end result is less gripping. The album opens with a shoegaze track, explodes into jersey club, takes a detour with TikTok-friendly, acoustic balladry, dips into hyperpop and vanishes into the closest thing to dariacore the Greek pop scene has ever known (and yes, I said that about P.O.P’s “MIXTAPE” a few months ago). Fun and creative ideas abound, though direction beyond Satti’s impulse to just let loose and play is difficult to make out.
Regardless, main single “LOLA” is the project’s undeniable highlight; a tight, colorful mess that takes all the right lessons from last year’s standout “MIXTAPE” and distills the playful, confrontational attitude Satti’s persona has, by now, mastered into witty back-to-back one-liners with pop culture resonance.
P.S. Ripping off this excellent title, I compiled a little playlist of my favorite, fresh pop releases as of late which I’ve had on repeat. Check it out here:
Fine – “I could”
[Carrie Bradshaw voice] And as the pop girl releases kept rushing by, I couldn’t help but wonder, where was the new COINED I was promised? Fine Glindvad and Astrid Sonne’s joint project that debuted on Scenic Route’s Road Less Travelled, Vol.2 compilation last June may still be cooking (safe to say the wait won’t be lasting much longer as the duo had their debut gig in London just a few days ago), but in the meantime, this drop from Fine is keeping my excitement up. Sunkissed and grittier than the gloomy, ultra-mellow stylings of Glindvad’s Rocky Top Ballads or her output with The Crying Nudes, the self-produced “I could” sounds like summer heat taking over the spring breeze.
Nilüfer Yanya – “Cold Heart”
The woman can do no wrong. “Cold Heart” only came out on the 28th but climbed up the Of The Moment charts in record time. I’ve gone on and on before about Yanya’s gift for melody construction — just like with most of her catalog, this song will make its way to the back of your head before you know it. Atmospheric, melancholic, liminal, with her voice cushioned by subtle, pulsating electronic drums — a touch I’m particularly fond of.
KATSEYE – “Gnarly”
As I mentioned in this blogpost yesterday, I was drafting my review for this release right here when I realized it was bound to take up at least half the piece’s wordcount. Fortunately, it found a home on JoySauce instead. You can read my full review of KATSEYE’s divisive, enigmatic and exhilarating “Gnarly” here!
PinkPantheress supremacy <3