These new albums, songs rise to the top of the local scene
It’s a nice problem to have, but it’s still a problem.
The Milwaukee music scene is so stuffed with talent and quality releases right now that’s it’s virtually impossible to cover everything.
Starting now, we’re trying to rectify that with a new feature — Must-Hear Milwaukee Music — that highlights the strongest albums and songs that have dropped within the past month, or are set to come out in the not-toodistant future.
So here are the best new releases coming out of Milwaukee to check out in January.
Four must-hear Milwaukee albums
1. “Crookhaven,” Crookhaven: There’s such an incredible intimacy to the folk duo’s debut — you feel as if you’re eavesdropping on soul-searching conversations for “Dear God” and “Little Dove” — while “For Cate” and “Picture This Summer Day” marry the warm elasticity of Scott Dangerfield’s croon with Bertrand Legrand’s lush arrangements. So it’s shocking to discover that the work on the album was done literally an ocean apart, with the Milwaukee-based Dangerfield and French composer Legrand emailing each other recordings across two years to come up with the final product.
2. “Dark Matter,” Faux Fiction: Everything about Faux Fiction is both brighter and dirtier on this EP. Frontwoman Gabby Kartz pushes her voice to soaring new heights, recalling Paramore’s Hayley Williams on “Get It Right,” before it curdles into a sinister snarl for “Skin,” with great grunge arrangements to match, led by Kartz’s own nasty guitar work. “Dark Matter” drops Friday, and the band plays a release show at Company Brewing Saturday.
3. “Friend a Dinosaur,” Paladino: With three singers and songwriters, there are a fair amount of cooks in the kitchen for Paladino’s debut fulllength, and the album swings from funked-up slow burner “Duck and Cover” to the sweeping Netflix-andFacebook-condemning “It’s Over” to “Sad Little Country Song,” which actually sounds more like earnest ‘90s Americana rock. Nevertheless, it all works thanks to its consistent conviction and passion.
4. “Teeth,” GGOOLLDD: A weaker band would have fallen apart after its chief songwriter left the fold. Not GGOOLLDD. Gone is the band’s ultrapolished, and popular, seize-the-dayand-dancefloor synthpop, replaced by something even stronger: prickly, slightly distorted rock paired with more complicated lyrics and satisfying synth melodies.
Three must-stream Milwaukee songs
1. “Elated,” Grace Weber: The Milwaukee-born, New York-based Weber ended up in Chance the Rapper’s orbit two years ago, appearing on his Grammy-winning “Coloring Book.” For her next album, she’s teamed up with Chance’s go-to creative team the Social Experiment, who bring familiar gospel grooves and buttery soul to Weber’s latest single, “Elated.” Weber steps it up, too, her voice exhibiting greater strength, technique and vulnerability, as she sings about being ready to be loved.
2. “Roll With It,” Ethan Payton: You’ll think Drake within a few seconds of pushing play, but that doesn’t make “Roll With It” any less of an accomplishment. With smooth, laidback vocals, R&B singer Payton exhibits low-key promise and great potential, and producer Charley Cooks’ dancehall-flavored production is unshakeable.
3. “Talk For a Moment,” Twin Brother: After expanding Twin Brother to a six-piece, and releasing one of the strongest local songs of 2017, “Bombs Will Fall,” frontman Sean Raasch made the surprising announcement that Twin Brother would cease to be a band. But the name is living on as a solo act, with an album out in February. The first taste scales back on “Bombs’” bombast, but fills out the space with soul-cleansing organ, sparsely effective guitar and Raasch processing the pain of an abandoned relationship.