Tuesday and Wednesday highlights:
Alt Country-Americana
- So Much Fun-A.J. Croce (The vocals remind me of Van Morrison, and I never tire of such self-assured piano accompaniment.)
Chamber Music
- Antonio Soler: Sonata No. 87 in G minor (Alicia de Larrocha, piano) (The abundance of trills makes this piece all the more endearing.)
Folk Roots
- Passengers-Aoife O'Donovan (A well-written lyrical reminder of how vast the universe is and how comparatively small humans are in the scheme of things.)
Holiday Hits
- What's He Building In There?-Tom Waits (Justification for feeling paranoid? It's an unsettling spoken word piece, to say the least.)
- Can't Be Sure-The Sundays ("Reading, Writing, And Arithmetic" was one of my favorite albums in college. Its lyrical, vocal, and instrumental consistency still resonates with me decades later. Harriet Wheeler's unique voice commands more attention than a more conventional singing typically would; this is equally true on slower, quieter tracks or more energetic ones, such as "Can't Be Sure." Also recommended: "Here's Where The Story Ends.")
Latin Lounge
- Canoeiro (Pescaria)-Cris Delanno (Fun, carefree vocals when the tempo picks up.)
- Spend The Night-BJ The Chicago Kid & Coco Jones (One of 2023's more rhythmically appealing releases.)
World Carnival
- Aaj Ki Raat-The Bollywood Brass Band & Pest (This instrumental blends jazz and international styles compellingly. It's unusual to hear a tuba featured so prominently, and it wouldn't be out of place if one used a shofar to play one of the recurring riffs.)
