April '24 Monthly Music Recap

Written By Brooke Shapiro

If you are anything like me, New Music Friday is a holiday.

Each week I awake with the excitement of opening Spotify and seeing which of my favorite artists have added to their discography.

Besides Spotify, I owe much of my new music discovery to NPR Music’s weekly New Music Friday editions of the “All Songs Considered” podcast. In the age of music streaming algorithms, digesting music journalism, in any medium, is not only a way to find a new favorite song you would have never heard otherwise, but also a way to support the often under-appreciated backbone of the music industry: the press. So, as an attempt to channel my inner Ann Powers and pay homage to the tastemakers I look up to, I’ll be giving a rundown of the best, most popular, and OTR’s favorite releases each month.

With new albums from big names like Girl in Red, Conan Gray and Maggie Rogers, April was a gift from the indie gods.

Chappell Roan delivers a new sapphic anthem with “Good Luck, Babe!”

In the words of Ms. Roan herself, Chappell Roan is “your favorite artist’s favorite artist” and “your dream girl’s dream girl” and her newest single, “Good Luck, Babe!,” is all the proof you need. Irresistible synth and heavenly strings underly Roan’s siren-like vocals in this queer-catered pop song. Roan perfectly encapsulates the all-too-common sapphic experience of wanting to be with someone in denial of their queerness with lyrics like, “You can say that we are nothing but you know the truth.”

Since the release of Roan’s debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” in September and opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her GUTS Tour, Roan’s star has been on the rise. With arenas and festivals full of people singing along to her songs and doing her signature “Hot To Go” dance, Roan is the sapphic pop princess we all needed.

Listen to “Everybody’s Somebody” and “Ramona” on Spotify.

Music for the soul: “Everybody’s Somebody” by Grace Cummings

When I first listened to powerhouse vocalist Grace Cummings’s new record, “Ramona,” I instantly knew it would be one of my favorite releases of the month. Cummings pours her entire soul into the 44 minute album full of raw vulnerability. Track six, “Everybody’s Somebody,” is perhaps the most powerful song on the record. The pained yearning in Cummings’s delivery of the lyrics never fails to command my attention, sending shivers down my spine with every listen. Cummings’s insanely powerful voice accompanied by dynamic instrumentals is heard throughout the album. “I’m Getting Married To The War,” for example, starts with instrumentals reminiscent of a 1950s love song coupled with lyrics of wedding imagery, but by the end of the almost-five-minute track, a rocking guitar solo mixed with Cummings’s repeated layered vocals is at the forefront.

“Ramona” is not one of those albums that I can merely listen to in the background of doing homework, but it is a true emotional masterpiece that demands my undivided attention to fully appreciate the divine musicality of one Ms. Grace Cummings.

Watch Maggie Rogers perform “The Kill” live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The queen of the buildup: Maggie Rogers and “The Kill”

After hearing her 2022 record, “Surrender,” Maggie Rogers secured the crown of providing the best buildups in modern indie music for me. Songs like “Anywhere With You” and “Shatter” make me want to ascend by the time I reach the end. While in her newest album, “Don’t Forget Me,” Rogers employs a more laid-back, folk rock sound, “The Kill” proves she still knows how to rev a song up all the way to the end. From the reverbed guitar that enters in each post chorus to the rising tension-creating chords in the bridge and final chorus, the thoughtful musicality of “The Kill” makes the song a true energetic listen. Lyrically, Rogers’s subtle lyric changes between choruses reflect the subtleties of a mutual disconnect in a relationship. In the first chorus, Rogers sings, “I was all the way in, you were halfway out the door” while in the second chorus she sings, “You were all the way in, I was halfway out the door.” The entirety of “Don’t Forget Me” is a sonic journey through nostalgia and self-growth, making it an album that can resonate with anyone.

Listen to “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT” on Spotify.

Taylor Swift and Florence + The Machine deliver “one hell of a drug” with “Florida!!!”

It would be impossible to do an April music recap without mentioning Taylor Swift. Swift’s 11th studio album, “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT,” broke Spotify streaming records, took over Twitter feeds and has been stuck in my head since its release. Of the 31 (31!!) tracks on Swift’s most honest album, “Florida!!! (feat. Florence + The Machine)” is the song I find myself going back to most. Whether it’s the ethereal blend of Swift and Florence Welch’s voices, the incredibly catchy chorus or the eloquent storytelling, listening to “Florida!!!” makes me want to inject the song into my veins. With lyrics like “Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine/ Well, me and my ghosts, we had a hell of a time,” “Florida!!!” is just one example of the brutally real songwriting on the album. While Swift has always been known to tell poetic and emotional stories through song, tracks like “The Manuscript” take her honesty to a new level: “He said that if the sex was half as good as the conversation was / Soon they’d be pushing strollers.” Other songs like “So Long, London” and “The Prophecy” are captivating results of Swift’s raw sentiment in her latest album.

St. Vincent harnesses an otherworldly sound in “Sweetest Fruit”

Listen to the official audio of “Sweetest Fruit” on St. Vincent’s YouTube.

While Annie Clark, better known as St. Vincent, is certainly not new to the alternative music scene, her newest album, “All Born Screaming,” is her first completely self-produced record, and it does not disappoint. Crammed with funky sonic elements and chaotically beautiful imagery, “Sweetest Fruit,” the album’s eighth track, is addictive. The alien-like percussive beat that opens the song and comes back with each verse contrasts Clark’s legato vocals and lyrics of admiration, reflecting the album’s theme of a twisted sort of romance. The stellar production of the synth-filled choruses proves that Clark is not only a talented musician, but also a strong producer. Clark’s use of unusual percussion throughout the album was set up by the first lead single, “Broken Man,” which was released in February. Yet, Clark still employs a full rock sound with songs like “Flea” and “Violent Times,” the latter a track with satisfyingly precise horn crescendos. With all this in mind, “All Born Screaming” is a true work of art.

Staff Picks:

May releases to look forward to:

  • 5/3 - “Can I Miss it for a Minute” EP by Nell Mescal

  • 5/3 - “The Prologue” EP by Alana Mars

  • 5/3 - “Radical Optimism” Album by Dub Lipa

  • 5/10 - “Can We Please Have Fun” Album by Kings of Leon

  • 5/17 - “Neon Pill” Album by Cage The Elephant

  • 5/17 - “AMAMA” Album by Crumb

  • 5/17 - “Beneath the Brightest Smile” Album by Sid Simons

  • 5/17 - “Lives Outgrown” Album by Beth Gibbons

  • 5/17 - “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” Album by Billie Eilish

  • 5/17 - “Room Under The Stairs” Album by Zayn

  • 5/17 - “Clancy” Album by Twenty One Pilots

  • 5/24 - “Model” Album by Wallos

  • 5/31 - “Chaos Angel” Album by Maya Hawke

  • 5/31 - “Submarine” Album by The Marías

  • 5/31 - “Take A Bite” Song by beabadoobee

  • 5/31 - “CONCRETE JUNGLE [THE OST]” Album by Bad Omens

Brooke Shapiro

Brooke Shapiro is the Music Extras Editor and Monthly Recap columnist for Off The Record and is double majoring in journalism and music at George Washington University. Besides music extras, she writes new music reviews, music news, and show reviews.

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