joseph

★ 10.0

album

When We Were Friends

The Backseat Lovers

“Never have I seen a work of art encapsulate the coming-of-age essence as this album did. In their debut album, The Backseat Lovers share deeply personal and painfully relatable tales of navigating love and loss. If I had to use one word to describe this album, I’d say “bittersweet.” It’s knowing that you have to move on while still being unable to shake the pain of losing what you had; accepting that it never could’ve worked out and yet you still want to turn back. Thematically, their songwriting manages to highlight the seemingly mundane details that mean the most to a person going through a breakup. Watch Your Mouth describes the feeling of watching someone you were close with go on without you, scoring a new job and making new friends while leaving their records behind. The scenes live on in your mind as you grapple with the isolation of knowing they’re the only other person that understands. Each track depicts a different scene, pieced together as feelings are worked through and views change. The final track, Sinking Ship, discusses accepting your mistakes and accepting that they should move on without you. Musically, this album seamlessly blends catchy guitar riffs with tasteful drums, creating a dynamic atmosphere that is heavy when it needs to be but relaxed enough to allow space for reflection. Pool House and Dugout are great examples of this, mixing gut-wrenching lyrics with epic instrumental breaks that capture the feelings of heartbreak in a way only music can. Overall, at this time in my life I feel comfortable saying this is my favorite album of all time. It’s the gold standard of maturity in the indie rock genre. It’s helped me through some tough times and to this day I keep coming back to it. It goes without saying I would highly recommend this album to anyone looking to be taken on a wistful, melancholic journey.”

★ 9.6

album

RMCM

Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners

“Often overshadowed by the viral success of Evergreen is the robust artistry found in the debut album from Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners. Marked by simple instrumentation, subtle production, and plenty of wilderness imagery, RMCM presents poignant honesty through soft vocals and earthy instrumentals. Themes of the album include unrequited love and personal growth, often through the lens of mother nature’s beauty. Wind is a good example, told from the perspective of a burning fire that grows at first, being fed by the wind, but is eventually put out after the wind becomes too strong. Fire represents his love for her, but she is the wind to his fire. Another example is Lake Missoula, using the imagery of a lake formed by glacial floods as a metaphor for leaving your old self behind. Musically, the majority of tracks are acoustic, featuring a mix of wistful acoustic strumming or balladic piano playing. One of my favorites is St. Paul, which describes losing touch in a long-distance relationship over a complex, sometimes crunchy piano solo. Another one of my favorites, Lucerne, breaks this mold with its folk-rock-esque drums paired with a catchy piano progression that gives the track a more energetic, complete feel. Overall, the unpolished aspects of this album gives each track something that cannot be engineered: heart. Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners have a penchant for songwriting that has been apparent from the very beginning. Selfishly, I hope we get a remaster or “anniversary” edition of this album some time down the road.”