Hearing Things

John Wilson in The History of Concrete. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. The appeal of documentarian John Wilson’s work lies in the element of quiet surprise. You strap in for one thing—like tips on tracking packages, as seen in the finale of his HBO series How To With John Wilson—and you end up at a cryogenic freezing plant, meditating on the impermanence of life itself.

Emily Massey’s voice floats through the spooky old mansion with a longing that could break a ghost’s heart. The Slow Pulp singer sounds both ragged and determined as she runs through “Spill,” a bleary slow-burner from the Chicago-based band’s third album of aching indie rock, Melodie. “So could you tell me you love me/Say it out loud/Wanna find out,” she pleads to an empty billiards room during soundcheck.

The allegedly AI-assisted artwork for the Alchemist and Oh No’s recent collaborative album as Gangrene, Better Than McDonald’s Rap album covers are my life. For the past few years, I’ve been able to pay for every meal I ate, every tank of gas, and every rent check with money made from hand-drawing and painting visuals for underground rap records.

Welcome to the latest installment of Five Albums, the weekly feature for paid Hearing Things subscribers in which we review a handful of new records catching our attention. As music journalists, the question we get most often from friends is how to stay on top of what’s happening now. This is our attempt to provide a practical answer. Corus is a social app for sharing and discovering music. Post your favorite songs and match with people that share your taste.

Words Matter is an interview series where songwriters whose work means a lot to us talk about lyrics that mean a lot to them. Brian Ennals doesn’t give you much time to contemplate his words before they start flying straight at your jaw. Many rappers use wordplay and metaphors to get their points across in clever ways; Ennals writes plainly, with an unfiltered directness mixed with stark honesty. The result is equal parts blistering and hilarious.

Image by Studio Arsh courtesy of Critical Minded Hearing Things is partnering with the grantmaking and learning initiative Critical Minded to publish the following adapted selection from Liner Notes: A Critic’s Notebook, a new collection exploring the changing landscape of music criticism through essays, conversations, and reporting from critics of color.

Five Songs is a weekly series for paid Hearing Things subscribers in which we each choose a new song we like—or don't!—and write about why it has our attention. This week, we've got industrial desert blues from one of the world's best new bands, goosebump-raising R&B about going country, the coolest possible new direction for Miley Cyrus, and more. Gain access to and everything we do at Hearing Things—including podcasts, album reviews, and more—by signing up for our free 30-day trial.

In June, the estate of legendary Houston producer and turntablist DJ Screw announced that his full catalog—previously available exclusively through physical tapes and unofficial YouTube uploads—would be released on streaming services.

What does it take to redefine, rebuild, and reconstruct a sound? This week's picks for Five Albums all attempt to answer that question—and two of them are Must Hears! Gain access to everything we do at Hearing Things—including podcasts, album reviews, and more—by signing up for a free 30-day trial. Read the full story Sign up now to read the full story and get access to all posts for paying subscribers only. Already have an account? Sign in

Photo by Bellamy Brewster. The music industry can be dictated by the churn of the release schedule—an album drops after a roll-out and then it’s on to the next. It’s something we’ve talked a lot about here at Hearing Things, as music critics who have in the past felt obligated (or even forced) to listen to, process, and review albums as quickly as they drop.