254. SUCKER by IAN SWEET

So I'm covering this just released 2023 record after just one day of listening because there's something about it that has captivated me. IAN SWEET (yes, what's up with these stylized band names?) is what Jillian Medford (essentially the only member of this 'band') goes by. So, yeah, it's kind of confusing - your band essentially consists of only you, the name of your band sounds like the name of a guy and you're a girl. Did I mention the all caps?

But don't let that detract from the music which, as I mentioned, has gotten its hooks in me. If you go into your listening of this record with the mindset that it's a mix of indie / bedroom pop and shoegaze, you'll know exactly what to expect - and you'll like it. Add IAN SWEET to the list of acts I can't wait to see live in a small venue.

With less than 24 hours of listening it's difficult for me to parse my recommended tracks to just a few, but here goes: I'm a big proponent of an album opener being a great track as that's where most listeners start and so it is the artist's best chance to convince you to continue with the rest of the record. So, it should go without saying that 'Bloody Knees' is where you should dive in to this record. Next I love the opening guitar in 'Comeback' - I think it's an arpeggio, but I'm no musician - I just like the way it sounds. Also, Radiohead fans will almost immediately draw comparisons to the opening notes of 'Let Down' off OK Computer. Then continue with 'Emergency Contact.' Speaking of similarities, the second 'Clean' started I was transported back to 1999 with the great track 'Hello' by James swirling in my head. This type of "deja-vu" tends to be very personal so you may or may not hear it, but I definitely do (or maybe I just needed an excuse to be able to add 'Hello' to my playlists). Finally, end with the sparse album closer 'Hard.'

Friendly reminder to check out my playlists on both Apple Music and Spotify where all the tracks I mention are included - you'll find links in the email newsletter and on my site.