Prez Reviews the new adds on 91X in 2023

[President Squidward]

...but actually finishes it this time.

So last year I made a project for the 2022 songs, but never finished it. This time I plan on doing so for 2023, if you want my thoughts on 2022 songs though, feel free to let me know!

https://www.91x.com/top-91/top-91-2022/

As my alternative kick and radio loves has grown more and more over the year, (but still no 91X meetup!!!), I continue rating the songs my alt station adds for new music, as they continue their classic alt format.

Unfortunately, we don't start the first add of 2023 with a positive note:

Death Cab For Cutie - Pepper (2022)

 

It seems like everyone really loves this new Death Cab album, claiming it to be their best since 2008's Narrow Stairs. My thoughts on Death Cab is, I love a lot of their singles. The Transatlantic era, the Plans era, the Narrow Stairs Era, Codes and Keys era and Kintsugi era, Thank You For Today I don't know, I think I liked them? But, this time around, I feel Asphalt Meadows had their most boring singles to date. I can't stand Here to Forever with how middling it is, Roman Candles is a good idea but it feels too short, Foxglove Through the Clearcut is the best one, but not one I go back to, and now, Pepper. Which I just listened to again right now, and I can't tell you anything about it. The lyrics are fine, but I usually listen to music from a production standpoint, and it has nothing to offer. The chorus isn't catchy, the production is just okay, and ends nicely, but it's not enough to save me from not falling asleep.

4/10

The Murder Capital - Return My Head (2023)

 

Okay so, since September 2022, after 3 months of 91X having no new music show after kicking out Tim Pyles from doing his own, Hilary (the midday DJ) made Planet Nu Nu, which is super good. And since then, some songs have gotten added that were played first on there, like Easy On Your Own by Alvvays, or Growing/Dying by the Backseat Lovers, and in 2023, that practice is still happening! This time around, we got an Irish Post-Punk band that makes me wonder why no commercial alt station is adding them. This song is super fun, and it rocks. I like the chorus, I like the production, and I'm super happy 91X is giving love to this band. I gotta check out Gigi's Recovery, it seems to be a well received album, and I'm a sucker for post-punk revival.

7/10

 

Fall Out Boy - Love From the Other Side (2023)

 

I remember memeing this comeback, fearing the worst, as Fall Out Boy's been in a bad spot since they revived themselves in 2013. I love their 2000's stuff, but was never a fan of anything besides The Phoenix in 2013. Save Rock and Roll sucked, American Beauty/American Psycho was bad, and M A N I A I don't even wanna know. So, you think they'd continue down a bad path, making electropop or something.

But, things are a bit different in the alt landscape. There's been a bit of a revival of the alt rock of the 2000's, the emopop, the pop-punk, so you think maybe these guys that were a part of that in the 2000's would revive it.

And, that's what they did, but with a modern touch. And by that, I mean with how Patrick's vocals have been nowadays, they have a higher pitch feel to them, but everything else still feels classic, not the best thing they ever done, but it's still good. I like the production, the chorus isn't the best, but everything else I like.

7/10

The National - Tropic Morning News (2023)

 

The National are back, and my history with this band isn't that big, I did like The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness, and they had some good post-punk in the 2000's, they never been my favorite post-punk group, the guy's voice is a bit more soft, they have a bit of a sombre tone to their music, so it never really excited me as much.

However, I'm really liking how chill this song is. Good melody.

7/10

Boygenius - $20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJFaEfwu6J8

There has been a bunch of indie female artists lately blowing up, and they've all been utterly fantastic. Japanese Breakfast, Mitski, Soccer Mommy, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, all artists who have appeared on 91X and for some reason no commercial station will touch them. This time around, it's a supergroup of Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. I need to check out the Boygenius records, but this is a rather solid indie rock tune. Not my favorite thing I heard from them, but it's still enjoyable, and it's awesome seeing 91X focus on this, a band that deserves the buzz.

6/10