WSUM's Weekly Adds: 1/31
- Post Authorby Music director
- Post DateFri Jan 31 2020
Every week at WSUM, our Music Director, Izzi, chooses her favorite new releases to add to our music library. Here are this week's favorites, presented to you by WSUM's Music Journalism Club.
Bambara, Stray

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Stay Cruel,” “Sing Me To The Street,” “Heat Lightning”
GENRE: Post-Punk, Noise Rock
RIYL: Protomartyr, Ought, Tropical F*** Storm
On their new album Stray, post-punk outfit Bambara subvert the harsh and stark sound traditionally associated with modern post-punk by providing a track list saturated with deep reverb and synth pads alongside the noisy, overdriven guitars more commonly seen in the genre. This is not to say the band's sound isn't driving and abrasive at times, but rather its aggression seems to float in a sea of warm echo and icy synths. Reid Bateh's baritone drones somberly over the album's sonically dense instrumentation, creating a chaotic and distant atmosphere. -Ayden Schultz
Kate Davis, Trophy

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Dirty Teenager,” “rbbts,” “Salome”
GENRE: Indie rock
RIYL: Courtney Barnett, Long Beard, Chastity Belt
In her debut album, former jazz prodigy Kate Davis delivers a melancholic love letter to the turbulent time we all know as adolescence. Lyrically raw and confessional in tracks like “Dirty Teenager” and “rbbts,” she reminds us of the earnest yet awkward yearning that a teenage boy might feel for a girl he crushes on at a party (“Suffice it to say she didn't see me / All of a hundred pounds and skinny jeans / Reeking of tobacco and egg and cheese / But in the moment the door shut she had become my world”). Instrumentally, these well-polished tracks are woven with bubbly drums and jangly guitars that complement Davis's alto voice quite nicely. Although she portrays the sentimentality of adolescence very well, Trophy lacks the angsty bite and sense of unhinged-ness that also comes along with being a teenager, which translates to the album feeling a bit homogenous. If you're looking for something new within this genre, Trophy is a solid release to check out. -Shelby Len
Marinara, I Feel Like Dog

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Regine 1,” “Adult Body,” “The Orchid,” “Regine 3,” “Hallie”
GENRE: Rock, Pop-punk
RIYL: Active Bird Community, Your Dog, Future Teens, Double Cuff
While the cover, depicting a dopey, hand-drawn humanoid dog, suggests a relatively funny, care-free punk rock album, Marinara's debut album I Feel Like Dog immediately surprises with its emotional depth. On the loud, rambunctious album opener, “Regine 1,” lead singer Nick Cortezi spins a quiet, contrasting tale about growing old and living with the consequences. This narrative continues throughout the LP, which could even be described as a concept album. Cortezi goes on to describe parties he doesn't enjoy (“Dedicated Wiring”), a relationship he quickly realizes is going under (“Ugly Sleeper”), and even a metaphorical story featuring an orchid (“The Orchid”) and a wasp (“The Wasp”), all over the backdrop of a tightly knit band that leaves room for everyone to shine. Overall, this album is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish, and standout songs like “Adult Body” will ensure fun times for all.-Jack Karnes
glass beach, the first glass beach album

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “classic j dies and goes to hell part 1,” “bedroom community,” “neon glow,” ‘“glass beach,” “dallas”
GENRE: Post-Emo, Power Pop, Art Rock
RIYL: The Brave Little Abacus, Weatherday, Sweet Trip, Candy Claws, 12 Rods
It's surprisingly hard for me to put into words my love and appreciation for The First Glass Beach Album, which was by far my pick for Album of the Year in 2019. I could easily cop-out and simply declare that it's a wonderfully ambitious post-emo epic with fun songs, but just stating that would truly undermine the poignant expressions of identity, pain, and triumph expressed in the album's one hour run time. Tracks like “bedroom community,” “glass beach,” and “dallas,” all tackle lyrical themes of isolation and alienation with unique sonic attacks and approaches to each.
To call the track “bedroom community” upbeat would be an understatement, the very indietronica-esque track is boisterous and bouncy but also delivers some very dark lyrics front and center for the audience. The same can be said of the eponymous track “glass beach.” Clocking in at seven minutes and 21 seconds, this track is easily the most dynamic on the whole album, taking the listener on a journey with guitars that almost dip into shoegaze boundaries and beyond, and passionate and heartfelt singing delivered by the band's vocalist, classic j. The song “dallas” is without a doubt the most bittersweet and melancholic on the album. Transitioning from a tortured and heartbroken first half, the second half of the track takes considerable influence from equal parts drum and bass as it does neo-psychedelia.
There is much more I could say about this album. It is one of the most honest and impassioned works of music I have ever heard, and it has soundtracked much of the last 7 months of my life. In a perfect world, The First Glass Beach Album would already have been inducted into the cannon of indie rock. Until then, I can only anticipate their next release with the kind of fervor and excitement I have never reserved for a band before. –Matt Jarosinski
Check out our playlist of this week's featured tracks on Spotify below.