With so much music being released on a daily basis, it’s easy to understand how some albums can be overlooked. Here are some from 2024 that you might have missed.
Listening to Father John Misty (aka Josh Tillman) can be a religious experience (even for an atheist like me), especially when it comes to his brilliant album “Mahashmashana” (Sub Pop). The title is a reference to a Sanskrit word that means “great burial ground,” and yet this is some of the most vibrant music you are likely to hear. Beginning with the near-epic (almost 10-minute) title track, with its mention of “the corpse dance,” Father John Misty once again showcases his affection for lushly orchestrated pop music with a retro bent. Just don’t get too cozy, because he slams us against the wall in “She Cleans Up.” But that kind of sonic shift is temporary because he continues to pour on the disturbing beauty in “Mental Health,” “Being You,” and the Sinatra-esque “Summer’s Gone.” However, FJM comes closest to nirvana on “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All,” an 8.5-minute scoop of vintage disco that should be spun in gay clubs far and wide.
A similar retro vibe permeates “Here In The Pitch” (Mexican Summer) by Jessica Pratt. Some queer listeners may have first become aware of Pratt via gay singer/songwriter Troye Sivan’s song “Can’t Go Back, Baby” on which he samples her song “Back, Baby” from her 2015 “On Your Own Love Again” album. As haunting as it is gorgeous, listening to the nine songs on “Here In The Pitch” is a little like entering a musical time machine. The arrangements are from an earlier era but still manage to feel fresh and captivating. It also helps that Pratt doesn’t sound like anyone else currently recording, which provides the songs with a distinctive personality. Standout tracks include “Better Hate,” “Empires Never Know,” “Nowhere It Was,” “The Last Year,” and “By Hook or By Crook.”
Nashville-based ally Mindy Smith (who has a performance at an HRC benefit on her resume) is back with “Quiet Town” (Compass), the Americana singer/songwriter’s first album in more than a dozen years. Cited by Kacey Musgraves as an influence (something you can certainly hear), Smith at long last returns with one of the most powerful albums of her career. The breathtaking “I’d Rather Be a Bridge,” described as “a plea for compassion and connection” deserves to become an anthem during these troubled times. Other notable numbers include “Peace Eludes Me,” the old-time country of “Farther Than We Should Have,” and the title cut.
If all you know of legendary percussionist Sheila E. is related to the time she spent in Prince’s orbit, then you only know a fraction of the story. A sought-after musician in her own right, she has released several albums, including her latest “Bailar” (Sony Music Latin/Stilettoflats). Featuring guest artists Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar (“Bemba Colora”), Rubén Blades (“Anacaona”), Debi Nova (“Possibilities”), as well as her parents Pete “Pops” Escovedo and Juanita “Moms” Escovedo, Sheila E. makes a long overdue return to form.
Sheila E. performs on Feb. 16, 23, and 25 on the Capital Jazz Supercruise, departing from Fort Lauderdale, as well as on The ‘80s Cruise from March 2-9, also departing from Fort Lauderdale.
