David Woodard “Skeletons”
After a bruising battle with music distributors, Nashville rocker David Woodard takes all that frustration and plugs it straight into ‘Skeletons,’ a defiant blast aimed at the industry suits who wanted him to throw in the towel. The opener, “Circle of Friends,” sounds like a rallying cry for every indie artist who has ever been told to know their place. Woodard’s vocals are rougher here, often doubled and pushed into the red, while the music leans closer to the punk-pop punch of The Descendents than his previous work. Fans of The Well Wishers will enjoy this approach as well. “Carrying Everything,” “Déjà Me,” and “Between The Stupid and Clever” deliver some of the album’s strongest hooks. There’s plenty of attitude here, but Woodard never lets the aggression bury the melodies. “Skeletons” turns industry frustration into loud, catchy revenge, proving there’s still plenty of fight left in this Nashville rocker. It’s music that deserves to be heard.
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Scott Gagner “Sweet Tooth”
Minnesota singer-songwriter Scott Gagner’s new album feels like someone stumbling out of the darkness and blinking at the daylight. “Beyond the Blue” tells us to “open the door” and “find a thread” of happiness in a pretty messed-up present. The bouncy single “Sugar Rush” is a standout, with Gagner bouncing off the walls “like a human cartoon,” turning a sugar high into a surprisingly effective metaphor for choosing optimism when everything around you says otherwise. There’s a definite Todd Rundgren vibe here, especially his early work, with simple percussion and plenty of space around the melodies. “In The In Between” has a clever little song structure, while “Purple Heart” floats along on a mellow synth line accented by Rachel Hunter’s ethereal backing vocals. But beneath all those bright colors, Gagner keeps dropping hints that trouble is lurking around the corner. “Queen of California” and “Nothing Left to Lose” carry an uneasy sense of impending disaster, while “If It’s Really Over” sounds like the moment the darkness finally catches up. Gagner searches for reasons to stay hopeful (“Ear Can See”), but he isn’t pretending the world is suddenly okay.
Amazon
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The Low Priorities “Dice”
Sydney-based trio The Low Priorities score immediately with the opening title track of “Dice,” a jangly meditation on the randomness of life that lands a terrific hook in the chorus. The laid-back lead vocals give the songs a mellow, almost effortless feel, while the guitars bring plenty of melodic muscle underneath. “Somewhere in Between” keeps the momentum going, and much of the album follows this winning formula. “A Known Unknown” is an another standout, while “San Miguel” turns up the volume with heavier riffs and a story about an ’80s romance. “Vivienne” and “Ruler of Venice” are solid little narratives, both lifted by those tasty guitar leads. The Low Priorities keep things consistent throughout, although several tracks wander past without quite delivering the hook needed to stick in your head. Still, there are more than enough memorable moments here to make “Dice” an easy recommendation for fans of melodic indie guitar pop.