Album Review: Maya Hawke, Sports Team

Maya Hawk
moss
★★★

24-year-old Maya Hawke is almost at her feet on the stakes.She’s the daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, and her resume includes not only her music, but of course modeling and acting (you’d call her stranger things) – and on her second album, mossshe wants to prove her worth.

her first, 2020s blushinfluenced by old folklore, with her smooth and likable voice, moss It’s also full of what I tend to describe as tanka, adorned with groupie harmonies.

The record is ostensibly about a rebirth after years of collecting classic moss, with the sounds of spring in the gentle rain of piano arpeggios.

As the music washes up, it can be very hard to put your ears together, but every once in a while a line comes through — “I have to be stronger than I wanted to be,” she whispers on “Over.” sing. Like an empty block of wood slammed behind her, leaving her heart empty.

moss A very listenable but “background music” record that never really reaches an emotional peak or valley. I have.

she is taylor swift folklore is a huge inspiration and not surprising, but unlike Swift’s story, Hawk’s story feels free, like it’s just a glimpse of what’s going on without any context.

Combined with similar sounds: the same gentle acoustic guitar, a slightly vintage tone to her vocals, and the same listless melody throughout, it’s not satisfying. Finally, you may notice drooping eyelids.

stream: sweet tooth, over, luna moss

sports team
Goku goku!
★★★

Props to the London based Indie Scumps sports team: Goku goku! is a fitting name for a second album, notoriously the most difficult to release on the wave of album one’s success.

2020 debut, deep down happywhich struck a chord with a newly energized public with racing guitars and semi-intellectually socially conscious lyrics, reached number two on the charts, thanks in part to the band’s attention-grabbing antics (Lady Gaga). surpassed them) and was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

It was a quaint, infectious record – and Goku goku! Not far from that formula. It sounds like they either want to cement their sound or are afraid to try something different.If Goku goku! was deep down happy A B-side record, that’s not surprising.

The band’s sound was bogged down by their own success, dissipating the determined energy they brought to their debut. It’s even harder if you come from a privileged background and want to pretend you’re not – the criticism is mostly Cambridge University graduates, fascinated by their symbolism. has been regarded.

I’d love to love this album, but it feels like a drug. Overproduced and fairly thought-out touches, even if the occasional toe-tapping, there’s nothing to get you excited about. “Kool Aid” is a cynical post-rock song about siding with a government that only cares about their own interests. It is difficult to take such clichés seriously, or to accept such sermons from people who are more likely to benefit from such policies than many of us.

Politics aside, there’s something to enjoy as the band juggle delightful hooks, chunky riffs, and beats that tap into the unconscious rhythm center. Goku goku!However, as the name suggests, it’s wise not to take it too seriously.

Stream: The Game, R Entertainment, The Drop