Phoebe Bridgers - If We Make It Through December
It feels like we’ve always had Phoebe Bridgers; the truth is, we’ve only known her for a few years. In that short amount of time, she has, in the most divinely humble fashion, become the respected leader of a high order of young artists, and one of the most effective storytellers in present day music. She has delivered every marker of her career in a graceful, nonchalant manner that has an air of “I just felt like doing this” and yet, impeccably and meticulously planned. Every move she makes, whether baring her body and soul for Playboy or promising to reimagine a Goo Goo Dolls classic on the condition the sitting president is successfully voted out of office, seems an immaculate artistic statement.
In her latest release, “If We Make It Through December,” Bridgers brilliantly constructs a new perspective on the Merle Haggard holiday heartbreak hit. It’s the same storyline, but instead of getting dressed up in deceptively cheerful western wear, this time it’s chilled by the beautifully haunting cries of the bitter wind, conjuring images of Bridgers’ signature sad ghosts. At the close of perhaps the most collectively difficult year in a generation, the lyrics hit right in the gut. With this frigid account of a single parent struggling to keep the heater burning for her daughter, let alone afford a Christmas tree or gifts, Bridgers reminds us there’s always someone worse off than we are. True to form, she’s donating all proceeds from this track to the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles, in hopes of making life a little easier for women experiencing houselessness in the area this season. “If we make it through December, we’ll be fine,” she croons, with only halfhearted assurance. With Bridgers to soothe our tattered hearts, perhaps we will. Photo by Nona Limmen.
— Karyna Micaela on December 11, 2020
Henry Jamison - The Wilds
Henry Jamison is a storyteller at heart. It may be in his blood — his father, a classical composer, and his mother, an English professor — but Jamison is a writer and artist in his own right, evidenced by his debut album The Wilds (released October 27th). Beyond writing, recording and arranging the album all on his own, Jamison has a special ability to bring each track to life. Take his song, “The Wilds”: it’s instrumentally rich without being overbearing, letting Jamison’s narrative whisk you away. “The Wilds” sounds like an old-time American love story - unassuming and familiar, but nevertheless, still surprising.
— Natasha Cucullo on January 7, 2018
Moses Sumney - Plastic
Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.
— Dara Bankole on October 22, 2017
