Oh! You Should Check This Out The Round Table – Beloit College Round Table

Album Review: aloha Son Little

Being open to the beauty of accidents is my golden rule. Aaron Livingston (Son Little)

aloha opens with a simple bass line, a verse, and a chorus. It gets to the point, says it, and moves on. hey rose introduces the album, demonstrating elements that are infused into the tracks later on. A salacious bass line opens and folds under a picnic-basket vocal and its guitar, which walk down as the drums enter and guide the song into a chorus. The flow and elegance of the arrangement makes room for Livingstons vocal fry to crackle lightly like Rice Krispies, and for the guitar to speak its truth in moments of silence. Then the stage is set.

The songs flow into each other like streams into a river. about her. again., begins also with a steamy bass line, and breaks off into an almost whispering acoustic guitar inside a thick silence. The effect of that dynamic choice is wonderful, and creates space for the song to grow out of it, and it blossoms into an introspective led by another poignant vocal melody.

This pattern continues through the album, with songs taking lives of their own, but staying true to the family.

The family is known as Son Little, an alias for Aaron Livingston, who in addition to his own career has produced for Mavis Staples and The Roots, having won a Grammy with Mavis Staples for best soul performance. Having self-produced his first two records as well, he opted to employ the production prowess of French visionary Renaud Letang (Manu Chao, Feist). Their work in Paris culminated in a complete rework of the album, forced by a hard drive failure, and the results were, in a nutshell, successful.

Listen a little closer now, and look for the tambourine. Its in every song, and plays a huge part in crystallizing the percussion, giving the spaces between drums meaning, and adding sparkle and spice to the cymbals when they appear. In an album driven by clever melody and instrumental pairings chosen like chocolate and wine, the little touches of tambourine and phaser effects are enough to elevate it all into a cohesive and understandable truth. But sometimes the romantic fog of perfect bass and poppy tambourines dissipates and gives too much clarity. In the wrong context, the album feels like a bad date. The more you hear it, the more attention it demands from you. Listen to it by yourself or with your friends the first time around, and dont expect to party. Its a wallowing celebration of deep feelings in shallow waters, but its not a mess to clean up; its a respite on a hot day.

Released on Jan. 31, 2020, aloha is a musical journey born from the pre-COVID times. Remember those days? Listen and you just might.

New: Let The Festivities Begin Los Bitchos (2022)

Los Bitchos are a London-based band with a love for cumbia fusion. Hailing from four distinct corners of the world London, Sweden, Uruguay, and Australia these four women have lightning-in-a-bottle energy on stage, and their infectious beats and surfy mesmerizations have infected quite a few dancing bodies. This album is great for dinner, lunch, walking your dog, driving to Woodmans, driving back from Woodmans, and even putting away your groceries. Sometimes the album may seem like one 37-minute song, which is why its great for a commute or a walk in the park. Pick one song for a playlist to give yourself a taste, and work up an appetite for the next time theyre in town and buy the damn tickets. In short, Los Bitchos will keep your spirits up.

Like new: Mambo Sinuendo Ry Cooder (2003)

Los Bitchoss surf-garage-latin grooves can be somewhat indistinct at times, but where they lack in entertainment, they pick up the slack by reminding you of Ry Cooders Mambo Sinuendo, a legendary pop-jazz collab with members of Buena Vista Social Club. The record ebbs and flows, centered around the catchy and bodacious guitar melody of track five, Caballo Viejo. The whole album speaks from the past through Los Bitchos in a refreshing way, straying from nostalgia while retaining its integrity.

What to listen to right now

Turn Off: The Eagles, The Beatles, Creep by Radiohead

Turn On: candy grapes Foushe, Steve Lacy

Turn Up: Small Poppies Courtney Barnett

On Campus: Tae Laurent (Dionta Charles 22) debut EP: XTASY

Laurents debut EP is full of life and plug in magic. Theres a hint of mainstream energy and a lot of patience, beginning with GENIE, it sets a mellow background mood at half volume, and at full volume it will blow your friends car windows off with great power GEEKED UP is begging for a mosh pit literally and figuratively and will be sure to flow well in any playlist reserved for a fun time. The EP follows a predictable 4/4 high-hat driven vibe, but if its your size, its going to fit just right. Go ahead, try it on. Available on all streaming platforms now.

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Oh! You Should Check This Out The Round Table - Beloit College Round Table