In this two-part series, contributing writers and musicians Maria Arroyo and Dustin Sclafani partake, perform, and report on the Play Music Conference.  They each give us an inside look at the spectacular annual event with an artist’s perspective to attending the music education panels as well as performing on their respective nights. That Mag readers, it’s time to prepare your favorite beverage and sit down to read a real treat.

We begin Part One with singer, song writer Maria Arroyo:

“She networked her ass off and that’s why this room is full. Give it up for Maria!” – Jim Logrando, Co-founder of Play Music Conference

Hearing this had me in tears for the best event of 2023! I’ve been writing for That Mag since 2019, and in that time, I haven’t really introduced myself. Aside from being a writer, I’m a singer/songwriter from the Philly area. I moved to the city to continue furthering my music career. Being able to see this conference come to life as the first Music Conference in the City of Brotherly Love is truly something special.

I was ecstatic when getting the email confirming that I, a singer/songwriter who just started playing live shows last year, got accepted to perform Play.  I was beside myself with excitement, anticipation, and a whole lotta nerves. 

I’ve gotten pretty comfortable performing my own songs, but there’s something about knowing that the professionals who live and breathe this industry every day are going to be watching you perform that really brings those nerves to a new level.

Some industry professionals I’ve known for a couple of years are co-founders of the Play Music Conference. Brian Cronin of That Mag and Mirror Image Media, Jim Logrando of Craft Services, and Rob Schwartz of Who?Mag. This also includes speakers Lou Plaia of Sentric Publishing, and Gino Caporale of 418 Music. This even includes some speakers who I’ve heard of through the grapevine during covid but never met in person like, Fiona Bloom of The Bloom Effect, Barry Heyman of Heyman Law, and producer Steve “Me. Mig” Migliore.  All of which I finally got to meet and were all lovely. 

I say all that to say there were a lot of industry professionals speaking and attending the conference, so I always want to make the best impression I can. 

Take me out to Play Music Conference: 

Thursday night was the kickoff party at Milkboy on Chestnut. I’ve been to a handful of conferences in the past years, and the kickoff parties are always one of my favorite parts. This is because it allows artists like me to network without the pressure of the official conference with other artists and industry professionals that we get to hear speak through the weekend. The introduction at the kickoff party makes it easier for me to approach people during the conference, because we’ve already met, but in a more low-key setting. 

The kickoff party was a blast. There were a ton of artists that I got to network with, that ended up being great conference buddies throughout the weekend. The atmosphere was great and I think went off without a hitch! Throughout the night, there were performers of all types that kept the music diverse and interesting. They also had a special award ceremony for “Play Recognized Champions of Music” highlighting Dyana Williams of Influence Entertainment, councilman David Oh, talent buyer John Harris, and producer/engineer David Ivory, who continue to help music creatives in any ways they can. 

Throughout the night, everyone I spoke to agreed that this type of event in Philly was long overdue. Another similarity was everyone’s excitement to be a part of this inaugural event. All the artists that were playing, myself included, were just so grateful to share their music with others but also revel in the success and promotion of each other.

Early Friday morning (but thankfully not too early as we were out wayyyy too late the night before) was the start of the official Play Music Conference at the University of the Arts.

Their space was incredible and I really loved their support for this event. Most of the day was full of incredible panels with topics on Touring, NTFs, and Networking, to Publishing, Distribution, and Finance. They were all incredibly insightful and educating. My favorite panel on Friday had to be the “Collecting Royalties: Distribution, Publishing Admin, & Mechanical” with speakers like Jennifer Costello of JC3 Publishing, Lou Plaia, creative Tim Pattison at BMI, and others. Panels that touch on publishing and distribution are always on all conference agendas because of how important it is in making sure you’re being paid for your work, and that your work is heard. This is also one of the most confusing parts of the music industry so it can’t hurt to hear it explained to you a couple more times. 

After each panel, the speakers were able to chat and answer any questions the crowd had in a smaller, more personalized setting upstairs. It allowed conference attendees to seize their moment to talk more with speakers that really stuck out to them. 

After the panels, there was a Networking Event in the host hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Center City, who created a fantastic atmosphere for the weekend. These are always fantastic times to try to catch the speakers that you weren’t able to during the day. I was able to network with a ton of different people, one being Nikisha Bailey, global Co-chair of D&I for Women in Music. We had a great conversation about the Philadelphia music scene and I got to know more about her on a personal level, which you can’t always get during the panels. She was open and incredibly honest about her experiences and truly inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing. 

After the Networking Event, it’s music time! 

Sometimes at conferences, you run into the issue of not being able to catch everyone that you want because the venues are so spread out. Having attended countless conferences before, the Play team knew this and stayed smart by keeping all the venues within a block or two of each other. With all of the sets being 20 minutes, the short walk made it easier to catch all of the acts throughout the night.

Since I didn’t perform until Saturday, I could take Friday night to just soak in as much music as possible, which is exactly what I did. Some of my favorite acts of the night were Supreem Da Rezarekta, Sean Eric, Madison Ryan Band, Big Rick Energy, and Nitro Nitra. Their stage presence, energy, and remarkable songs made the weekend a night to remember. The other thing I loved about all these acts was their approachability after their sets. They were all just as excited as we were about their music and conference, and that always makes the connections better. The sense of community with a ton of the acts that were selected to perform was immense and really added to such an amazing atmosphere to be a part of. 

Day Two of the Play Music Conference was just as amazing as the first one! The panels of this day included talks about radio, producing, music marketing, music videos, and knowing when to need a team. I felt that they did a great job in formulating the panels so it covered a lot of different aspects of the industry that are important to know. They also chose to not have panels running at the same time. A lot of bigger conferences will have multiple panels at the same time and you have to decide which one is of more value to you, which is a tough call to make. Having one panel at a time ensures you don’t have to miss anything unless you’re just not interested in the topic. And if the interest in that particular topic wasn’t there, the speakers from the previous panel were around so you can continue that conversation. 

I really loved the Music Videos and Visuals panel as I haven’t seen a panel on this specific topic before. Speakers included Rob Schwartz, Andy Gesner of HIP Video Promo, Dwayne McCleary of Uplifted Inc, and Anthony Flores of Obie Records. They all had different paths leading to where they are now, so they were able to offer a ton of different perspectives while remaining unanimous in the fact that the visuals are an increasing importance to the music being released today. They really dove deep into the fundamentals of visuals and how they can be used in a multitude of ways to help and enhance the music you’re releasing. Another panel that I really took an interest in was Knowing When To Need A Team which had everything from a publicist and an artist manager to an entertainment lawyer. Panels like this always interest me because it shows that there are many paths to take in order to be immersed in the industry that we love, even if it’s not as an artist. Once again, Play Music Conference knocked it out of the park with its panels and speakers and really did a great job of having something for everyone attending. 

The biggest thing that stood out for me for this conference in particular was the way that the advice and tools given to us were ones that actually pertained to the level that the majority of attendees were at. Most of us attending are either just starting out, or have been in the game, but only for a short period of time. We don’t have thousands of dollars for recording, or three grand to drop for a publicist to work our music. They gave us tangible advice for the level of our journey RIGHT NOW.

There were a lot of realistic tricks and tools shared that we could implement straight away and even if some of their services were out of our price range or not right for this stage in our career.  They were upfront about it, and also provided alternatives that suited our needs, and our pockets. The speakers were all well-spoken, talented, and stayed engaged throughout the conference, which I just appreciate so much. 

After the last set of panels, most everyone headed to the last networking event before the night of music, but not me. I had to head to soundcheck for my show at O’Neals Pub, which is really where the fun began!

They were incredible and had a loaded baked potato to die for.  Soundcheck went, well, okay. Honestly, it wasn’t great but to no fault of anyone. I just get super nervous before a show, overthinking until I explode, ya know, all the things you do when you are a perfectionist. I get back to my hotel room to warm up, get ready and give myself the biggest pep talk I can. 

I should also add that through the last two nights, I’ve been talking about my show, inviting people to check me out, handing out business cards, sharing my socials, etc. All the things you do when networking with others. While there were a lot of faces I remember from other conferences, there were definitely a lot more new ones, so I want to make a great impression and hope that I’ve engaged them enough that they’ll want to check me out in person! I try not to have a high expectations of a full house because sometimes things come up, people have friends that they want to see, and sometimes, they’re just not interested. With this in mind I try not to worry about who will/won’t be there. You have to put on a great show either way.

Fast forward: Back to O’Neal’s

That room, from the front of the stage to the end of the bar, was PACKED. Packed with all the people I invited, packed with those people telling OTHER people about me and them wanting to check me out for themselves. It hit me. “Maria, you are about to perform your first packed show full of music industry professionals and artists,” and my heart couldn’t be racing faster.

I try my best to settle my nerves, but it’s hard. I want to put on a great show. I want everyone to enjoy coming to listen to me, but I always think about the worst-case scenario. Luckily, I had a ton of day-ones on my side. The entire Big Fat Meanies band was there to support me, all of whom I went to college with and are the best cheerleaders,  and my fiance,who is truly my biggest fan, was there so I knew that even IF my worst-case scenario of “everyone is going to hate me” was true, I at least knew these guys didn’t. 

It’s now 8:10 pm and the biggest knot has formed in my stomach. I get on stage and start setting up. I look out and pinpoint my day-ones. My fiance, Todd, is in the back corner, just in eyesight where I need him, and BFM is in the other corner. My other cheerleaders, who I actually met at ANOTHER conference, Elle Taranis and Pepe were front-row recording for me. 

Showtime!

I sing my final song, and the loudest applause erupts from the crowd. I have absolutely put on the best show to date and I couldn’t be prouder of myself. I sang and sounded great, I didn’t fuck up the chords, and I really gave it my all. I said my thank yous and was about to head off the stage when the co-founder of Play Jim Logrando jumps on stage and hugs me and tells me what an amazing job I did. He looks to the crowd and says “This room is packed. She networked her ass off and that’s why this room is full. Give it up for Maria.”

This had me in tears. All my hard work of fiercely networking and creating relationships paid off in ways that I will never forget. I got off stage, and with the help of my friends tore down my set, and then got to enjoy the rest of the night knowing that I left it all on O’Neal’s stage. I spent the rest of the night on cloud nine knowing that this rush of adrenaline and excitement is what makes all the nerves worth it. We spent the rest of the night listening to some fantastic artists like Minerva, Big Fat Meanies, Shame Penguin, and so many more. This was truly a weekend to remember. 

Final thoughts

If you’re just starting out in your music career or you’re a seasoned vet, go to the music conference. You can’t learn enough, and this industry changes every day. The friends and people you met? You remember them for a long time and already looking forward to the next get-together. 

The inaugural Play Music Conference was definitely one of the biggest wins for 2023, and the sky is the limit with them. I know they are going to step it up even MORE for 2024. 

You can see Maria Arroyo perform this weekend at the “Women Against Abuse” Benefit Show on Saturday, March 4 in honor of International Women’s Week, located at The Fire, on West Girard Ave. Come out and support these incredible women, including Jershika Maple, finalist of NBC’s The Voice.

Click here for event and ticket information! 

Play Music Conference

Rapper and singer/songwriter, Bbymutha, performed at FLOODfest at the Mohawk in Austin, TX, part of the South by Southwest celebration of art, technology, music and business.

One of the realest voices in modern pop music, Bbymutha, brought everything she had to a killer set at SXSW. Her heavy-as-Hell mashup of rap, R&B and electric blues hit a hot, packed room just right. Austin may have a hipster reputation, but it’s still Texas. Serve up thick, heavy Southern heat in those beats, lay down those brilliant too-real lyrics about love, death, sex and God, and we will shout out. We know righteous testimony when we hear it.

It wasn’t a perfect show, if such a thing exists. Tech problems marred early songs, though Mutha brought the crowd through with solid, engaging patter while the Mohawk‘s excellent crew did business. Venue limitations also blurred the mix in spots, softening Bbymutha‘s strongest point: those raw, literate, lacerating lyrics. Those limitations saw the crowd dwindle and attention drifted in spots.

At the same time, Bbymutha stays an elite performer and one of the best writers in the business. The show had hips shaking and heads nodding, even if some old heads regretted a lethal lyric or three getting lost in the murk.

Connect with Bbymutha

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The new album, Candle To You, is the riveting, expansive new album by the contemporary folk artist, Ad Vanderveen. What is so unique about this record is that most of the album was written on the mandola and features instruments like the pedal steel, violin and viola, bass, drums/percussion, and harmony vocals. Because it was written on the mandola, it uniquely looks towards past timeliness and stillness.

On the opening track, “Do What You Love,” Vanderveen is both a storyteller and an advice-giver. He sings: “you need a miracle to make it on through… love what you find or you find what you love… do what you love and you’ll be taken care of…” It’s such a beautiful folk song with beautiful, gentle instrumentals and vocals.

The Amsterdam-born Vanderveen was born overseas, but his classic voice echoes the influences he borrowed from the folk/Americana greats like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and more. This can especially be heard in the second track, “Following In The Wind.” The close resemblance in his voice to Young’s is incredible and the lyricism in this song is real.

“Over Time” is just a terrific storytelling song where he sings about going to visit an old friend, which put him on old memory “spin” and looking back “overtime” is just different looking back over your life. It’s such an interesting song. I really enjoy the tempo and energy of this track.

“All The Way Thing” talks about humility and love being an “all the way thing.” I love the lyricism in this song from Vanderveen. It’s a very honest and humble song.

On “Miss That World,” he gets a little more country with the gentle acoustic guitar playing in the background, and violins quietly being played beautifully. There was also a bluesy harmonica solo that took place after the first verse.

If Vanderveenb sounded anything like the folk greats earlier, he definitely took influence from them on the album’s last track on “Air Guitar.” You can just hear Neil Young or Bob Dylan’s influence on him.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the songs on this record. It had some really decent songs on it that I enjoyed. I definitely recommend giving it a listen if you’re into Americana/folk music and into artists like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, or Woody Guthrie.

Connect with Ad Vanderveen

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Singer/songwriter, Arnab Sengupta, shares his new album, Leap of Faith, out now.

On his third album, Sengupta incorporates different aspects of inspiration such as life experience, which will appeal to many different listeners. The sound incorporates various different genres from jazz, blues, world, and classical.

The first track, “Face In The Crowd,” talks about being in the crowd and trying to find yourself.

My songwriting journey started way back in 2006 after a good 15 odd years of having assimilated a plethora of musical styles and genre, by studying, performing and nurturing Contemporary music in various capacities. It was my last year in the frivolous 20s. I was soon entering the more mature 30s and various incidences and situations impelled me to look at life much more deeply from within.

Musically the harmonic sophistication of Jazz music left the most enduring impression in my artistic expression. I was not a great improviser, but I couldn’t get enough of beautiful chord changes. But it wasn’t until 2015 that I released my first record ‘Refrain’ which I feel is a very bold album, very fresh, creative and is harmonically rich and lyrically deep and evocative. I recorded this album in an online mode with the help of musicians from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The lyrics largely focus on my inner journey of self-discovery and self-expansion.

“My second album ‘Inadvertently’ was recorded the following year in 2016. By that time, I had found a steady musical direction and style with my original music and was well established in my unique sound. This album too, was recorded with the help of the musicians in New York via online exchanges. The words and music have a slightly more straight ahead jazz feel to it than “Refrain,'”

“For ‘Leap of Faith’ I wanted to try out some new styles and sounds. The creative ideas for the songs in this album have spanned over 5 years, which entailed my migration to Australia, my experiences of setting up life in a new environment, my learning and regular practice of Vipassana meditation and dedicating my musical direction to learning and practicing Jazz piano with my teacher from New York. So this album did mark a ‘Leap of Faith’ in many ways. The songs in this album are more versatile and there is a certain stylistic variety which shines through, though the words are still about my pursuit of the final frontier – the ultimate truth and meaning of Life.” – Arnab Sengupta

The second track, “This Way,” has a funky jazz feel and I love that. Sengupta creates these genre-bending songs that have intelligent lyrics. The end of the song features a really cool guitar solo. He sings “life has been full lies… following the rules of my father and mother… I don’t who am I… the face in the mirror keeps changing..”

On the next track, “Leap of Faith,” he sings about taking a chance, taking a leap of faith. They sing “how do I know what lies ahead? Only if I take a leap of faith…”

The “Perfect Line” track opens with an incredible jazzy, yet bluesy piano, bass, and drum session. The music is so classic and beautiful. It features a great brass solo that really gives the track some depth and texture.

Connect with Arnab Sengupta

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Connect with Gracie Abrams

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The Gothic pop singer/songwriter, Venus Blake, unveils her brand new, compelling album, The Other Side of Midnight, available now on all streaming platforms. Filled with topics of insolation, addiction, and lost love, Venus’ powerful vocals and intense lyricism make this artist one to watch.

Upon pushing play on the album, and listening to the first track, “Hungry Ghosts,” I could tell that Venus Blake is an artist with a unique voice, an incredibly talented and compelling lyricist, and a talented multi-instrumentalist. “Hungry Ghosts” is an anthem for the outsider. It’s a song for those who feel lost, for the lonely, the broken, the sad, and the ones who feel like they don’t belong.

The second song is titled “Red Wine” and this track opens with the most beautiful piano base paired with her delicate, soft vocals. This song is about an isolated artist, alone with only a piano, and a bottle of red wine. It’s a song that yearns for poetry, magic, and romance.

On the track, “Tragedy,” Venus sings about the pain of loving someone who is in the depths of addiction. It talks about how she wants to escape, but is unable to let go, and refuses to give up on them.

The next song, “Love We Lost,” is an excellent example that showcases her incredible powerhouse vocals. The track is about yearning for “lost love” and about things that have happened in the past. A song about a breakup that never thought would happen or a love that you thought would last forever until the end. Venus Blake‘s voice soars in this song and truly shows her range and multi-instrumentalist abilities.

I really enjoyed the track, “Here Comes The Flood,” because it has a darker vibe compared to the songs prior to it on the record. The track is an angry breakup song, one-minute singing, “there is nothing in the world that I would ever give up for you my baby’’ then the next singing, “‘’never thought that I would miss you but I do…” The flood that she sings about is both the “flood” of tears, while also destroying everything to do with her ex-lover.

I love the song “Ashes.” It is absolutely beautiful. The song is about “all the people we used to love,” the places we used to call our homes, and all the memories and “ashes” they leave behind for us. The song is a heartfelt, sincere, and gentle track that illustrates her powerful vocals and her ability to paint an image with words.

Overall, the album is a great example of a unique and powerful vocalist whose songwriting capabilities are able to illustrate her emotions and experiences in a way that the listener can understand easily.

Connect with Venus Blake

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Today, February 15, 2022, the Santa Cruz-based singer/songwriter, Stel Furet, shares his brand new, conceptual debut EP, human nature machine, available now.

“Human Nature Machine is a telling of my journey and I think most people can relate to it. It’s full of imagery meant to be inspiring and thought-provoking,” says Furet. “I haven’t quite put it into words yet, but I believe the EP is about the relationship we have with ourselves and how that relationship carries us through the world. How human nature drives us unrelentlessly forward as a collective machine.”

The EP opens with the track, “33 1/2,” a rootsy track that illustrates the simple and beautiful melodies that Furet has written in this song. It has a great tempo and it reminds me of artists like Blind Melon, Neil Young, The Wallflowers, and many similar singer/songwriters and artists from the 90s.

The second song on the EP is called “Just For Me.” On this track, it’s obvious he has some female inspiration and sings about all the things that he loves about this woman.

The song “Chelsea” opens with excellent electric guitar work and breaks into Furet singing about the neighborhood of Chelsea in New York. The guitar instrumentation in the track is just fantastic.

Following “Chelsea” is the track “Next Tuesday.” Furet sings “if you’re around next Tuesday/let’s take the train/out of the city/and we’ll look out on the world/as we roll on down the tracks/and dream about forever/about things getting better/we’ll make it home again…”

The final song on the EP is “The Mirror,” a beautiful piano-based track where Furet sings about things being unclear for him and that he’s unable to face himself in “the mirror.”

The EP features Stel Furet on vocals, guitars, and keys; John O’Reilly Jr. on the drums; Ed Kornhouser on the keys; Jenn Grinels with background vocals; and Jason Littlefield on the bass.

Connect with Stel Furet

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The 21-year-old singer/songwriter, Julia Pratt, discovers the beauty and finds catharsis in her new single, “Tried and True,” out now on all streaming platforms.

The track showcases Pratt’s vocal layering and her harmonies, with a beautiful piano and synths performing in the background.

“Tried and True was my attempt to articulate the internal monologue running through someone’s mind during their last moments. I wanted it to sonically capture the feelings of desolation, longing, resignation, chaos, and exhaustion that can accompany a nervous breakdown. Lyrically I wanted to tell the story of someone trying to find the words to say goodbye to their loved ones, acknowledging the pain they’ve inflicted on those closest to them but still desperately wanting to explain themselves one last time. I wanted the background vocals to mimic how it feels to gasp for breath, and after I decided I wanted that to be the focal point of the song the story flowed from there,” said Julia Pratt.

Pratt definitely has soul and an R&B vibe to her music. Actually, when I first heard her voice, she reminded me of Billie Eilish. If she could find the right songwriters to fit her voice, and this track is definitely a start, I think she could definitely be extremely successful in not only the regional Philadelphia market but possibly nationally as well.

Connect with Julia Pratt

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‘Sleeplore’ EP Artwork

Written by Ashley Paskill

The Scranton-based artist, Clyde Rosencrance, releases his debut EP, Sleeplore, under his project of the same name. The album will be released across music platforms. It was mastered by multi-Grammy award-winning engineer, Brian Lucey, and features multi-platinum artist, Anthony J. Resta, along with other guest artists.

Despite this being Sleeplore‘s debut album, Rosencrance has performed with Yellowcard, The Roots, and Everclear, and has released music with Ourafter and the Magdalyns. He also works with various artists through his personal studio, Republic Audio Studio. 

“These songs were written and recorded over a period of more than 10 years while working on other projects,” said Rosencrance in a press release. “My goal was to capture the essence that helped define the Sleeplore sound by handpicking through my catalog to set the course for what’s to come. The songs are a rollercoaster ride of introspective thoughts and emotions with production that helps place you in those various states.”

The album consists of six songs that are unique but still clearly Sleeplore. They all have a calming quality in the instrumentation and the mixing that transports listeners into the world of the songs. Each song captures the listener’s attention and draws them in. The mixing is clean on all of the songs, so the lyrics are easily heard and understood. This is not something that is done easily.

While the songs’ lyrics are vague in nature, this allows the songs to be relatable since they can be applied to various situations. There may only be six songs on the album, but the lyrics and the music capture so much emotion and story, far more than longer albums put out in today’s world. 

Rosencrance says the project’s sound is influenced by artists such as Sparklehorse, Sigur Ros, Radiohead, and Coldplay, which definitely shows through. The album features rock elements while still having a trance-like sound.

Overall, this album is really well done. It is clear that a lot of time and energy went into crafting each song and the overall sound of the album to be coherent. The songs each had something unique, but all of the songs flowed together nicely. The end of the album, “Easy,” leaves off with listeners wanting more, which means that the album did a great job of drawing listeners in and capturing our ears for the duration. This album is a much-appreciated escape from an otherwise chaotic world and personally, I have been wanting an album like this for a while now.

Connect with Sleeplore

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Australian singer/songwriter, Courtney Barnett, unveils her third album, Things Take Time, Take Time, via Mom+Pop, out now.

To me, this album feels raw; like she recorded it all on a whim, over one long, productive weekend. Her drawled delivery drips with depression, angst, love, anger, jealousy, acceptance, whimsy, and honesty.

The arrangements are sparse but well-produced. Each track feels like a conversation with some unknown lover on the other side of the line. She laments her lyrics like someone who continues the argument long after the other person has left the room. “And another thing, let me tell you…” (while wagging a disapproving finger in the air). She’s scratching back at someone who cut her deep. She is recovering from lost love. As it goes with any kind of healing, these things take time to fully unfold and reveal whatever life’s lessons you can glean from that experience. 

In the video for the opening track, “Rae Street,” she complains about her neighbors and sits on the floor in a small apartment strumming a guitar and singing; when she’s not walking dogs or staring out the window being nosey.

In the second video, for the album’s fourth track, “Before You Gotta Go,“ Barnett seems to be saying an amicable goodbye to a lover while she wanders beaches, forests, and deserts with a microphone, recording nature. She also records a horse, a sea cave, some moss, a few trees, the ocean from a dock, tiny houses, etc. while suggesting that they cut caffeine out of their diet.

The single, “If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight,” features Barnett and a three-piece band jamming in the desert and striking moody poses under cactuses, while she opines not getting texted back from her crush.

On the track “A List of Things To Look Forward To,” she sings about waiting for letters while the world burns around her, as she picks up packages from her doorstep filled with pots and pans and recipes with which she makes a tiny birthday cake with three candles. She mails a letter and then gets a guitar in the mail which she opens to find a Fender guitar. She then plays chess by herself and wanders moodily across a hilltop with her new guitar.

I like this album. It’s honest. It rests comfortably between stripped-down instrumentation and smoothed-out production. It must have come out of her brain all at once. It’s like one long diary entry about a few different passionate flings. There are some socially oriented lyrics: “Light a candle for the sufferin’, Send my best wishes with the wind, All our candles, hopes and prayers, Though well-meanin’ they don’t mean a thing Unless we see some change…”

This is then immediately and laconically followed by “I might change my sheets today…”, bringing it immediately back to her mundane self-centered worldview which makes me think this is a heartbreak record.

Don’t get me wrong; there are many legendary heartbreak records; I wrote one myself. This is a great album. I love it for all its quirks and complaints and fantasies and melancholy sadness. However, there are such beautiful lines here including this gem: “Sorry that I’ve been slow, you know it takes a little time for me to show how I really feel, won’t you meet me somewhere in the middle? On our own time zone…” Bravo, Courtney. You did it again. Another fantastic album.

Connect with Courtney Barnett

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