Weekly Music Roundup: Speedy Ortiz, Omar Apollo, Nicki Minaj
Week of Sept. 4: This week, winter memories from Omar Apollo, returns for Speedy Ortiz and Beirut, and a change of pace from Nicki Minaj.
Speedy Ortiz Returns With First New LP In Five Years
The band Speedy Ortiz, led by singer/songwriter Sadie Dupuis, has just released a new album called Rabbit Rabbit – named after the old superstition that if you say “rabbit rabbit” (or, in Britain, “rabbit rabbit rabbit”) at the start of each month, it brings good luck. Good luck seems to be in short supply in the stories told in these songs – Dupuis’s often caustic lyrics, leavened with sharp wit and her twisted-pop melodic gifts, are full of images of people trying to be something they’re not. “Scabs” is one of several tracks that begins with a brief, unidentifiable bit of psycho-calliope sound before bursting into kinetic, thrashing, guitar-driven life. “Who do you wanna prove you're a big dog to?,” Dupuis asks; “You turn the screw/But you're using the wrong size tool.” The song is a rhythmic puzzle – full of unexpected changes of meter, but barreling ahead regardless.
Omar Apollo’s Ambivalent Look Back Home
When Omar Apollo came out to his Mexican immigrant family, it was winter; the combination of icy streets in Indiana where he lived and the icy reception he got from his parents inspired “Ice Slippin’,” his new single. The song actually has a warm, R&B sound, as Apollo imagines a reconciliation: “if I take back my words would you return to me,” he sings – presumably adopting the character on the other side of the story; and the video, incorporating family video footage, suggests that the idea might not be so farfetched.
Beirut Returns, From The Norwegian Arctic
Zach Condon, the singer and multi-instrumentalist, founded the band Beirut, initially as a solo project, back in 2006. Over the years, the band has incorporated the sounds of Balkan brass music, French chanson, and regional Mexican styles – to say nothing of indie rock and electronic music. But Beirut hasn’t put out an album of new music in four years. During that time, Condon, beset by throat ailments and mental health issues, traveled to the island of Hadsel, in the north of Norway, to spend time in a cabin in a dark world. He also spent time in the local church, playing its organ, and that sound became the primary sonic element in the new Beirut record, Hadsel, which comes out on November 10. The first single is “So Many Plans,” whose lyrics reflect the song’s origins in the Covid lockdown. Condon’s voice, or more precisely, his many voices, are in fine form as the song’s arrangement builds from a quiet, folky start with a simple baritone ukulele accompaniment to something like a global hymn, supported by Latin percussion and trumpet.
Nicki Minaj Shows A Softer Side
Rapper Nicki Minaj will be releasing her new album in November, but on Friday she put out the single called “Last Time I Saw You,” a melancholy pop song that regrets the end of a relationship. For a rapper known for her swagger and trash-talking lyrics, the song is a bit of a surprise. Minaj sings on most of it, and even the one verse where she raps is unusually subdued (especially for her). The production features some tasteful electric guitar work and uses autotune subtly at first, although by the end it’s a big part of the vocal sound.
