OUT THIS WEEK
Bright Light Social Hour & Israel Nash, “Neighbors” EP. Whether it’s a fleeting one-off or a tease to a more extended collaboration, these three songs are an auspicious pairing of two prominent local acts who separately have pushed psychedelia in fascinating rock and folk directions, respectively. There’s clearly enough common ground between them for this to make a lot of sense, and the results push both acts into territory they might not have explored on their own. Two quick-hitting tracks up front preface the EP’s crowning moment, “The Forest,” a swirling journey that runs more than seven minutes.
Here’s the leadoff cut, “Lupita”:
Tomar & the FCs, “Heart Attack.” Yet another local album that was helmed by red-hot producer Adrian Quesada — whose presence was heavy in last week’s “On The Record” with Brownout and Croy & the Boys — this one’s a deep dive into burning soul and funk. Bandleader Tomar Williams is a ferocious, energetic vocalist, a quality that comes through loud and clear on these 10 songs. He gets plenty of support from the FCs, an eight-piece collective that supplements a solid guitar-bass-drums core with keyboards, horns and backing vocals.
Release shows Nov. 4-5 at C-Boy’s.
The title track and the leadoff cut “Do You Feel It” are the two tracks that have been pushed as singles so far on Bandcamp, but we’re especially fond of “Homeless,” which plays up an old-school Motown vibe:
Jonathan Terrell, “Color Me Lucky” EP. It’s just four songs, but if you’ve been looking for the full realization of Terrell’s considerable potential, this is it. The hard-hitting rock band Not in the Face got some major-league attention that faded (though the band recently has been playing shows again), and Terrell’s more country-leaning material was an intriguing turn but didn’t quite match the range of his talents. Everything comes together here: The acoustic-based rock tracks place the drama and emotion in Terrell’s voice front-and-center, and producer John Evans keenly fills out the arrangements with atmospheric accents. If you need a ballpark reference point, Matthew Ryan makes a pretty good one, but it’s clear Terrell has arrived at this peak from his own musical path.
Release show Nov. 19 at Indian Roller.
Here’s the video for the title track:
Jess Williamson, “Heart Song.” Somewhere between an EP and an LP, this seven-song release follows up the indie singer-songwriter’s “Native State,” another seven-song collection that came out in early 2014.
Release show Nov. 4 at Cheer Up Charlie’s.
Here’s the track “Say It”:
Gary Frank Taylor, “Man Sitting in Chair Playing Guitar.” Truth in advertising! A plain and simple title, yes, but if you’re a fan of acoustic covers of time-tested classics, you’ll likely enjoy Taylor’s 13-song collection of tunes from the Beatles, “The Wizard of Oz” and more.
Release show Nov. 6 at Hyde Park Theatre.
COMING SOON
NOV. 11: No Mind, “Zero Point Holiday,” release show Nov. 11 at Spider House Ballroom.
NOV. 12: Belcurve, EP, release show Nov. 12 at Blackheart.
NOV. 18: KP & the Boom Boom, “The Brave.”
NOV. 18: Churchwood, “Hex City,” playing Nov. 5 at Hole in the Wall.
DEC. 6: David Halley, “A Month of Somedays.”
JAN. 20, 2017: Matthew Squires, “Tambaleo.”
