Review Roundup 3/13: Mal Blum, damsel., Emma Jean Oakley
This week's review roundup highlights Mal Blum getting into character, damsel.'s warm melancholy, and Emma Jean Oakley's defiant heartbreak.
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!
Mal Blum -- The Villain
This is a tricky one, given that The Villain centers on the breakup of two semi-public figures: Mal Blum and content creator Gabe Dunn. However, Blum has stated in interviews that while The Villain channels the experiences of his divorce, the album finds him portraying characters who lean into Blum's worst impulses. "I'm So Bored" is deeply cutting, with the protagonist reveling in casual cruelty. "Gemini vs. Cancer" provides some vulnerability, even with the song's frenetic pace. But it's the final song, "Husbands and Other Strangers," that guides us slowly towards the grief that has been blocked up to this point by anger.
damsel. – Animal Songs
damsel. brings us a set of warm melancholy on Animal Songs. Her knack for melody makes these songs seem familiar in the best way – like an old friend you haven't seen in a decade, but you are thrilled by all the new things they're up to. "suncatchers" dwells on the loss of a friendship as youth slips away, while "safe" takes on some adventurous territory: damsel.'s percussive delivery brings to mind Max Garcia Conover. One of the standouts on this lovely collection, though, is "lover of man," an exuberant exploration of the relationship between David and Jonathan – a story conveniently overlooked by fundamentalists of all stripes in spite of the plain text.
Emma Jean Oakley – Throw Me a Bone
Emma Jean Oakley hits us with a familiar drawl on Throw Me a Bone – clearly inspired by artists like River Shook and Mariel Buckley, Oakley excels at songs of hangdog love that refuse to give in to the inevitable. The title track is the money, but Oakley throws us some curveballs that show her pushing behind the parameters of your typical Americana album. "Arsonist" has some intriguing indie pop influences infused with a warm twang. "Loving God" connects entering a new relationship with the fear of annihilation – how do you avoid being consumed by that new relationship energy? Meanwhile, "July" takes me right back to my twenties – a song of defiant heartbreak, where you take stock of the damage, knowing that you'll live – somehow – to see another day.
