Rina Sawayama – “Catch Me in the Air”
Sawayama’s rise to becoming a mainstream pop star seems like it’s only an album away, and the bulk of this EP, for better or worse, proves that, and on top of that, that she would be a good one. “Catch Me in the Air” is something special though, combing one of her most widely appealing pop hooks, with a just slightly left-of-center consideration of motherhood. It sounds true to Sawayama and for what it’s worth, overcomes its clunky lyricism better than “This Hell”.
Mo Troper – “Play Dumb”
This kind of bedroom power pop falls squarely between of Montreal’s Cherry Peel-era and The Unicorns, earning those comparisons handedly. Like those bands, Mo Troper has an innate ear for melody and pop craftsmanship, but on “Play Dumb”, he exceeds himself, creating not just the best song on the album, but one of the best songs of the year. It’s not just because of the addition of a full band, although it certainly helps, instead, it’s that Troper has a passion here that often eludes him, and unlike most of the other tracks, there’s nothing slight about it.
Pi’erre Bourne – “Psane (feat. Don Tolliver)”
As a producer, Bourne has become so sought after, that it’s easy to forget that he can hold his own as an emcee. It doesn’t help that he puts out so much filler between proper albums, but Good Movie, like The Life of Pi’erre 5, has Bourne’s full attention. “Psane (feat. Don Tolliver)” might be the best summation of how compelling he can be. Bourne doesn’t only have great chemistry with Don Tolliver but on the production end he’s able to weave together electro flourishes and a galloping bass line into something that can even add profundity to a chorus as inane as “No I go crazy/Pull up Mercedez”. Given the amount of repetition here, that’s a real compliment.
The Orchids – “Didn’t We Love You”
The Orchids were one of the great guitar bands of the late 80s/early 90s, and 30 odd years after their heyday, it’s hard to expect them to even approach their previous success. They don’t, and not just because the jangle is gone, in fact, now their guitar tones owe more to Stars and Doves, especially in how they’ve aged since the early aughts. Still, they deserve more praise than Stars did on their last outing, (although significantly less than Doves). The result is more than a few mediocre tracks, that bring down the better work here. On “Didn’t We Love You”, The Orchids know they can’t capture their previous glory, and they don’t try to, instead they lean towards a minimal and glossy guitar soft pop. It does sound 20 years old, but it’s effective and well structured, and even hints at maturity.
Stereolab – “Magne-Music”
The French group’s latest in the Switched On bootleg series is far from necessary for anyone but completists, but there’s plenty here to justify the runtime. Nurse with Wound’s collaborations are reliably withdrawn and Autechre’s remix of the Dots and Loop’s cut “Refractions in the Plastic Pulse” is a match so obvious it warrants a full-length. Of everything though “Magne-Music” provides the precision and energy of the best Stereolab tracks, with a soft gurgling beat and Lætitia Sadier competing with the rhythm section. The song builds and takes away enough to make it as captivating as anything that was put on a full-length album, or anything pre-2000 for that matter.
