Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
SEVEN music IN SEVEN
Welcome to Seven in Seven, where each Thursday in this space we typically take a look at shows coming to the region over the next week. Due to the coronavirus pandemic though, venue doors have shuttered, and no concerts are taking place. That doesn’t mean the music stops, and new releases are coming out weekly from artists you know and love and some waiting to be discovered. Whether your musical tastes are rock ’n roll, jazz, heavy metal, R&B, singer-songwriter or indie, there’ll always be something to check out on the docket each Friday. Here are seven of the best hitting shelves and streaming services on June 26:
1 Johnny Cash — “Easy Rider: The Best of The Mercury Recordings”
Between 1986 and 1991, Johnny Cash had a brief dalliance with Mercury Records, which is spotlighted on the new box set “The Complete Mercury Recordings 1986-1991,” available in 7 CD or 7 LP configurations. For the casual fan, there’s the pared down “Easy Rider: The Best of The Mercury Recordings,” a newly assembled collection that compiles 24highlights selected from the Mercury catalog. The set features Cash’s updated interpretations of classics songs “Get Rhythm” and “Tennessee Flat Top Box,” the rare Bside “Veteran’s Day,” a cover of Elvis Costello’s “The Big Light” and his collaboration with U2, “The Wanderer.”
2 Becca Mancari— “The Greatest Part”
Expanding beyond the homespun rootsy vibe of her critically acclaimed debut, 2017’s “Good Woman,” Becca Mancari incorporates a grittier, more experimental palette on her new LP, “The Greatest Part.” It resides in a liminal space between grief and joy, pain and forgiveness, sorrow and liberation and marks a significant sonic and emotional evolution, balancing unflinching self-examination with intoxicating grooves and infectious instrumental hooks fueled by explosive percussion and fuzzedout guitars. Produced by Paramore drummer Zac Farro, the record is raw with lyrics that reopen old scars to explore the psychological turmoil Mancari weathered
growing up gay in a fundamentalist Christian home, while at the same time examining the ties that continue to bind her to the family she loves.
3 Lord Finesse — “Motown State of Mind”
Legendary rapper, hip-hop producer and founding member of the influential collective Diggin’ in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), Lord Finesse is back with his most ambitious project to date in “Motown State of Mind,” a set of handpicked Motown classics remixed and reimagined. Curated and arranged for the new generation, going back to the original masters and sources, the remixes include chart toppers such as Michael Jackson’s “I Wanna Be Where You Are” and DeBarge’s “I Like It” alongside deep cuts from Motown’s catalog like Sisters Love’s “Now Is The Time.”
4 Diana Ross — “Supertonic”
Keeping with the remix theme, “Supertonic” is a
special kind of Diana Ross magic. Absolutely authentic, it’s her voice, her electrifying sound in music that has no boundaries, blending the past and the now in a collection that features new remixes of nine of her classics. The record was produced by Ross with remixes by producer Eric Kupper from the original multi-tracks of the masters taken from the Motown vaults. Included on Supertonic are three Billboard No. 1Dance Club Songs Chart singles that reached the pinnacle during a 15-month period in “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “I’m Coming Out/Upside Down” and “The Boss.”
5 Khruangbin — “Mordechai”
“Mordechai” comes two years after the release of Khruangbin’s acclaimed breakthrough, 2018’s “Con Todo El Mundo,” and was preceded earlier this year by “Texas Sun,” the group’s collaborative EP done with Leon Bridges. As a first for the mostly instrumental trio, the new album features vocals prominently on nearly every song. It’s a shift that rewards the risk, reorienting Khruangbin’s transportive sound toward a new sense of emotional directness, without losing the spirit of nomadic wandering that’s always defined it.
6 Lauren Calve — “Wildfire”
Lauren Calve has a lot to say, but she does it subtly as opposed to in your face. Her lyrics, intonation and songwriting resonate with
the listener, leaving them to ponder what they’ve just heard and wanting more. On her latest EP, “Wildfire,” she delves into interesting territory using memorable imagery and meter to write about complex issues too little found in popular music today, such as the increased polarization and divisiveness prevalent worldwide. Things like corporate greed and its role in both the climate crisis and gun violence, women’s’ stories that are dominating public consciousness and even the precarity of online dating. Calve’s compositions find their ground in the sounds of blues and Americana, guitar and lap steel, but their strength lies in how they go beyond tradition into innovative melodies, structures and arrangements that define their originality.
7 American Dream Machine— “Deadhearts”
Founded just one year ago, American Dream Machine’s songwriting has reached a remarkable maturity in such a short period. Catchy hooks, punchy riffs and driving, heartfelt, introspective lyrics flow throughout the 10tracks on “Deadhearts,” the group’s debut LP. Each song represents a piece of the band members’ collective soul, reflecting on their musical influences and drawing lyrics from personal experiences and relationships. When so many other bands are trying to layer musical styles on top of musical styles, it’s refreshing to have some straight-ahead rock and roll.