SEVEN IN SEVEN
Welcome to Seven in Seven, where each week we would typically take a look at concerts coming to the region. With most shows on hold due to the pandemic, here’s a look at seven of the best albums being released July 30:
1
Torres — Thirstier Recorded in the fall of 2020 at Middle Farm Studios
in the UK, “Thirstier” marks a turn toward a bigger, more bombastic sound for Torres, aka Mackenzie Scott. The anxious hush that fell over much of her previous music gets turned inside out in songs tailored for post-plague celebration. Scott co-produced the album, drawing on her experience self-producing 2020’s “Silver Tongue” to push her music onto an even broader scale. Guitar-driven walls of sound, reminiscent of producer Butch Vig’s work with Garbage and Nirvana, surge and dissipate like surf in high winds, carrying her commanding voice to the forefront.
2 Death Valley Girls — “Street Venom”
Blazing Los Angeles rock troupe Death Valley Girls, whose particular blend of garage punk, proto-metal and communal music drapes
an air of occult mystery and white-hot energy over an underlying celebration of life and vitality, are looking in the rearview. While their 2020 album, “Under the Spell of Joy,” was the clearest distillation of the band’s ongoing mission to create a sound both riotous and transcendental, brimming with positivity even as it navigated dark melodies and rowdy riffs, they never lost track of their initial daredevil energy. The band’s debut album, 2014’s “Street Venom,” was given only a modest roll-out consisting of a small run of
cassettes, but the songs were so infectious that they continue to be staples in the DVG live set. For the first time, the record is receiving its proper due with a deluxe edition courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records.
3 Dee Snider — “Leave a Scar”
Like a scar itself, Dee Snider’s “Leave a Scar” is an illuminating abundance of angst etched in time, serving as a musical refuge and expressive output for the legendary Twisted Sister frontman. The auditory time capsule was written to express the anger, unease and pain Snider experienced during lockdown and expectedly emerges as not only blisteringly heavy, but relentlessly powerful. Each of the 12tracks on the LP further bolster the singer’s position as one of the most celebrated metal frontmen, showcasing not only that his vocal delivery and commanding swagger are as strong as ever, but that he is nowhere near stopping.
4 Skirts — “Great Big Wild Oak”
The debut full-length album from songwriter Alex Montenegro, better known by Skirts, is a convergence of Southwestern folk rock and contemporary percussion, adorned with Texas imagery and piercing guitar licks. Entitled “Great Big Wild Oak,” the record spans 10 intimate tracks that paint sonic portraits of Montenegro’s memories through impressive arrangements and warmhearted vocals.
5 Charlie Parr — “Last of the Better Days Ahead”
Charlie Parr’s new album is a collection of powerful songs about how one looks back on a life lived, as well as forward on what’s still to come. Its sparse production grounds the singer’s poetic lyricism, his expressive, gritty voice ringing clear over deft acoustic guitar playing that references folk and blues motifs in Parr’s own exploratory, idiosyncratic style. Throughout the music you can hear his sense of place; these are songs from the iron country, tales from the paper mill. On “Last of the Better Days Ahead,” you are met by someone who prizes quiet reflection over hustle and who shuns distraction for a long walk in the woods.
6
Poise — “Vestiges” Lucie Murphy has been getting to know herself again. As Poise, the New York City native is known for crafting dexterous melodies and emotionally charged lyrics alongside propulsive rhythms and playful vocal arrangements. On her debut album, “Vestiges,” she channels a devastating period of her life into a source of cathartic reprieve, transforming grief, bewilderment and uncertainty into a soundtrack for introspection and growth. It’s an essential reminder that we have the power to trust ourselves and to come out stronger, even during our darkest, most difficult moments.
7 Sweet Teeth — “Acid Rain”
The latest from the Swedish outfit Sweet Teeth, ”Acid Rain,” offers seven tracks of bittersweet and straight-forward alternative rock performed with a ton of energy and heartwarming honesty. Listeners will find the perfect blend of catchy, punky, fuzzy power pop and alternative rock with lyrics about heartbreak, smalltown ambitions and dreams side by side with noisy guitars and sugar sweet melodies. Sweet Teeth sounds like Hüsker Dü mixed with Flaming Groovies, Ramones mixed Big Star or even The Hellacopters mixed with Dinosaur Jr.