Tina Tyrell Baking from p 29 Tim Kinsella, ‘The Crossing Guard’ Maybe the main piano part here is a tad bit overwhelming. And you could also make an argument that talk of arm-less crossing guards could prove to be mostly disconcerting. But this weird little ballad — complete with backup vocals from Angel Olsen — is a decidedly silly affair. It’s sort of like eating a giant bowl of cereal and watching weird Saturday morning cartoons from Europe. It takes a little more effort to consume, sure, but it’ll still leave you feeling warm and hugely entertained. Bartees Strange, ‘Fallen For You’ This D.C.-based singer-songwriter does a lot of things very well on his debut album, 2020’s excellent Live Forever. But when he strips away some of the hip-hop vibes, the big moments of rock noise, and even some of his more playful tendencies, he can really sing to your very heart. “Fallen for You” is a prime example, and he moves effortlessly from making you sway lightly to all but drilling you into the ground with his sense of universal love. It’s the very best kind of full-body experience. 30 Snail Mail, ‘Pristine’ Lindsey Jordan (a.k.a. Snail Mail) has a rather multifaceted voice. It’s not powerful in a traditional sense, but it does have the splendid ability to lull you one moment and then devastate the next. That’s why “Pristine” is such a great song for this playlist: You can really ride the emotional currents, and feel all the highs and their accompanying lows like you’re playing some weird mental video game. Don’t fret, though; it’s actually less intense and far more soothing of a prospect that you might expect. Lindsey Jordan (aka Snail Mail) . Nina Simone, ‘Four Women’ There’s nothing about the majority of Nina Simone’s rich catalog that you could describe as “light” or “easygoing” (at least in any direct sort of way). But as she proves with “Four Women,” that’s mostly a good thing. Because underneath the socio-political context, which you should absolutely pay attention to any other time, her beguiling voice and piano mastery can transport you to another place entirely. What you do once you’re in this fresh dimension, of course, is entirely up to you. Belorusia, ‘Oneiro’ On the one hand, including more ambient music in a playlist about chilling out and slowing down time seems like cheating. But on the other hand, this song is absolutely effective at that mission statement. The last 90-ish seconds of its five-minute runtime, especially, are super effective, as you can practically hear and feel every note slowly dissolve. Like nachos for snack time, if it ain’t broke, then don’t bother ever trying to fix it. A. Savage, ‘Ladies from Houston’ Andrew Savage, frontman of punk-ish provocateurs Parquet Courts, doesn’t get nearly enough credit for his awesome solo album, 2017’s Thawing Dawn. Case in point: In an album of some truly stellar tracks, this standout is a powerful ballad of alt-country as if written by Cormac McCarthy. And none of that slow, sprawling narrative actually gets in the way. If anything, the song is sort of like being absorbed by a really good AMC drama, and being lost is somehow the most compelling experience ever. APRIL 14TH– APRIL 20TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
