Quick Picks: Wrapping Up January's Highlights

January may start slow for new music, but this year offered plenty of great new albums, including Rozi Plain, Teen Daze, and Oddisee.

As someone who is annually counting down the days until spring, I have no desire to revisit January, a month of time spent staring out the window, longing for some warmer temperatures.

As far as new albums, the first month is notorious for a slow reboot, but the 2023 version is low key stacked. I’ve already covered Billy Nomates, patchnotes, Gaz Coombes, and Margo Price, all records that I’ve really enjoyed. My intention was to roll these out last week, but then the annual Rock Hall noms fell into my lap.

So here are three records from last month that you really shouldn’t miss:

Rozi Plain - Prize

I’m always thankful when someone tells me to return to a record that I didn’t click with and I end up really enjoying it. In this case, it’s Prize, the latest album from Rozi Plain. An initial spin didn’t click, as I found it to be a comfortable art pop record with a folk edge. Luckily, Karl Blakesely of New Music UK encouraged me to give it another chance. The result? It’s become one of the records I’ve listened to the most this month. I still think it’s a bit slow of a start, but once the wicked little synth melody on “Help” kicks in, Prize is a tasty little record that rewards with its subtleties with each listen. I’ve included a few of the songs in my weekly playlists. It’s impossible to not compare Plain’s voice to Aldous Harding, so if you’re into her similar blend of folk and chamber pop, give this a listen. Be sure to stick around, as the b-side is also the most vital part of this album.

Read Karl Blakesley’s Prize review here.

Prize is available on Memphis Industries.

Teen Daze - Natural Movement EP

Over the past decade, Vancouver’s Jamison Isaak has released a grip of fantastic albums under the Teen Daze moniker. Though he started out in an electronic-tinged indie pop mode, he’s progressed into more atmospheric outings (Bioluminescence, Themes for Dying Earth, Themes for a New Earth, and Morning World are nothing short of essential in my book) before taking a house and dance music turn on 2021’s