Retro Roundup: February Featured a Surprisingly Robust Selection From Some of My Tried and True Favorites

Spoon and Beach House are always reliable while Shout Out Louds make a great comeback.

Earlier this week, I featured Everything Was Forever, the latest from Sea Power. Even after following the band for almost twenty years, the record stunned me with how stellar it is. I’m not the only one either, as after eight records, EPs, and soundtracks, Sea Power is on track to land the number one spot on the UK Albums Chart for the first time in their career (c’mon fellas, you can beat Ed Sheeran).

While I’m usually here to provide you with all of the latest and greatest from up and comers, February has shocked me with how many great releases have come from the old favorites I would place with Sea Power. Influential during my teenage years and college days, I’d consider all of these artists darlings, but I leave the expectations at the door when it comes to their new albums in their second decade-plus of existence.

Here are three records from this month that should be applauded and not lost in the shuffle.

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Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa

After I heard 2001’s Girls Can Tell, I knew Spoon changed my music tastes forever. Put simply: without Spoon, indie rock doesn’t exist as it does today. The five-year break between albums seems to have done the band well, including leader Britt Daniel returning to Austin, the band’s hometown. By far their most rock and roll record since Ga Ga Ga Ga, Lucifer on the Sofa punches like few others have in recent memory thanks to the live setting and array of producers that worked on the album, like the legendary Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Sleater- Kinney, and a million others).

Put Lucifer on the Sofa on your turntable, crack a beer, and take a break.

Lucifer on the Sofa is available now on Matador.

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Beach House - Once Twice Melody

When I included Once Twice Melody in my list of most-anticipated records of the winter, I discussed the album’s promotional cycle, which consisted of releasing this 18 song double album over the course of four “chapters,” starting back in November. Something with this approach still doesn’t sit right now that the complete Once Twice Melody is here. I simultaneously am burnt out on it, yet I feel like I need to spend more time with it. If you’re experiencing the album for the first time as a whole, there might be a different impression as this is a lovely set of songs, including the first installment of the title track, “Superstar,” “ Pink Funeral,” and “Through Me,” which are all new classics for the band.

Like Spoon, Beach House has consistently excelled at being themselves and updating its sonic approach with each record. On Once Twice Melody, Beach House shifts its unique brand of dream pop by including an even lusher mix of strings and powerful synths.

Once Twice Melody is available now on Sub Pop.

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Shout Out Louds - House

Whoever booked for the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland in the mid-00s knew what was up as I found myself there on an almost weekly basis. I recall seeing Sea Power and Shout Out Louds within the same month, so I’ve been on a bit of a nostalgia trip this past week when both of these seasoned groups released their most robust material in quite some time.

If you don’t recall “Very Loud,” “Tonight I Have to Leave It,” or “Impossible,” Shout Out Louds are a reliable indie pop group from Stockholm that has bounced between indie and major labels throughout their career. On House, they’ve returned to their roots on Swedish label Bud Fox and sound reinvigorated after a few passable albums. There’s no fat here, as House cruises along with eight energetic songs in a little over thirty minutes. I honestly missed their last one but can say I’m enjoying House as much as I did their first two albums, with the cavernous percussion of “Mixed Up” and “My Companion” proving to be unexpected high points.

House is available now on Bud Fox Recordings.