Review Roundup 1/23: Bok Suna, Brendan Welch, Johanna Rose
This week's review roundup features Bok Suna's '90s-infused soundscapes, Brendan Welch's good-natured anxiety, and Johanna Rose's raucous, devil-may-care New Orleans jazz.
There are so many great albums, and never enough time! In this feature, editor Rachel Cholst celebrates some of the best queer country EPs and albums you may have missed!
Bok Suna -- Carnate
Seattle duo Bok Suna create '90s-infused soundscapes on CARNATE. No song on here hits the two-minute mark, but that doesn't make them any less impactful. Yuri Arakaki delivers her lyrics of pain and heartbreak with a silky smooth voice while drummer Oliver Hollingshead delivers less metaphorical gut punches. While the songs are largely mellow and withdrawn, "party hard" and "flower in a plastic bottle" provide a '90s alt-rock hard candy crunch in the center of the bubblegum ball.
Brendan Welch – Returning
Brendan Welch gives us a headphones-mandatory serving of good-natured anxiety on Returning. The album's first half gives us power pop gems like "Call And I'll Be There (On My Knees)," a '50s crooner with a jagged edge. "High Alert," the album opener, is a sensitive yet propulsive portrayal of hyper-vigilance. "Blue Sails" is a turning point for the album, a chamber pop anthem of diving into the unknown even as we wish we had all the answers. Returning asks us to confront our discomfort head-on – just so we can see what's on the other side.
Johanna Rose – Chain Smoking Below Sea Level
Johanna Rose joins in a long tradition of raucous, devil-may-care jazz on Chain Smoking Below Sea Level. Perhaps the best way to describe her sound is "if Louis Armstrong had heard of the Ramones." The album tips off with "Real One," a joyous gutterpunk ode to romantic mistakes made along the path to finding the "real one." Rose's inviting rasp transforms "Champagne" into a lurching waltz. Whether Rose and her band are quiet, loud, or skronky, there is an obvious dedication to music that can only come from the finest horns and strings of the Crescent City. This is already one of the best releases of 2026.
