2020s

Benjamin Kassel

Apr 4, 20223 min read

The contained emotion of "How Long"

Instrumental, lyrics, and video combine to present Tove Lo as a fragile narrator who tries to remain calm through her sorrow.

"It Gets Dark" is a welcome new release in multiple ways

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 12, 20224 min read

"It Gets Dark" is a welcome new release in multiple ways

It's an excellent pop track on its own, it came with an album announcement, and its message is welcome as I work through internal matters.

"Wild" is yet another success from Spoon

Benjamin Kassel

Mar 3, 20223 min read

"Wild" is yet another success from Spoon

The ever-excellent band combine classic rock influences with their modern indie sound on a recent single.

"Inner Light" speaks to my anxious self in a re-emerging social climate

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 25, 20225 min read

"Inner Light" speaks to my anxious self in a re-emerging social climate

Elderbrook and Bob Moses' lyrically driven house production has been a personal anthem since I first heard it about half a year ago.

On "Dirt," Keane are true to themselves as they decry an all-too-familiar conflict

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 15, 20224 min read

On "Dirt," Keane are true to themselves as they decry an all-too-familiar conflict

Their title track from last summer's EP has an unavoidable gravitas as it speaks to the fallout the innocent suffer from war.

"Intrasport" shouldn't work as well as it does, but I can't stop dancing to it

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 11, 20225 min read

"Intrasport" shouldn't work as well as it does, but I can't stop dancing to it

In complete King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard style, its weirdness only makes it better.

"Say Nothing" does all the talking itself

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 5, 20223 min read

"Say Nothing" does all the talking itself

Flume's new release is chock-full of fascinating details as he plays with time and musical space.

I felt down, but "KEEP IT UP" helped me be a bit more positive

Benjamin Kassel

Feb 1, 20223 min read

I felt down, but "KEEP IT UP" helped me be a bit more positive

Rex Orange County's new release is a simple indie pop slice that speaks to the drive one gets from valuing themself and their endeavors.

I'd been hoping for a Years & Years collaboration like "Sweet Talker," and it delivered

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 23, 20223 min read

I'd been hoping for a Years & Years collaboration like "Sweet Talker," and it delivered

Olly Alexander finally making a true house track — alongside Galantis — was an excellent decision in the production of his first solo album.

"Gospel for a New Century": organized anxious chaos

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 17, 20224 min read

"Gospel for a New Century": organized anxious chaos

I got hooked on Yves Tumor's sound from this track alone and the complex internal war it captures.

"Sacrifice" is both a dance floor-ready pop anthem and a narrative turning point

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 12, 20225 min read

"Sacrifice" is both a dance floor-ready pop anthem and a narrative turning point

In The Weeknd's newest single, he revels in his old lifestyle one last time before his outlook on love shifts across the rest of the album.

Carpenter Brut's cover of "Maniac" places the listener inside the mania

Benjamin Kassel

Jan 3, 20224 min read

Carpenter Brut's cover of "Maniac" places the listener inside the mania

A "darksynth" retooling of a 1980s movie soundtrack classic gives the lyrics and title a much more fitting treatment.

Turning a critical ear to "good 4 u," one of 2021's standout pop tracks

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 26, 20214 min read

Turning a critical ear to "good 4 u," one of 2021's standout pop tracks

In Olivia Rodrigo's smash summer hit, I hear what may be an inflection point for pop music in terms of sound and the business of crediting.

Tracking Jon Batiste's influences on "FREEDOM"

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 14, 20214 min read

Tracking Jon Batiste's influences on "FREEDOM"

The R&B and jazz virtuoso's artistic voice is shaped by multiple iconic inspirations — including some from his hometown.

"Dreams" demonstrates the power of recurrence

Benjamin Kassel

Dec 1, 20213 min read

"Dreams" demonstrates the power of recurrence

Gorgon City utilize mediated repetition — particularly of a single element — to create and reinforce their track's titular aura.

From Adele to her son and within herself, "My Little Love" presents a grappling with divorce

Benjamin Kassel

Nov 22, 20214 min read

From Adele to her son and within herself, "My Little Love" presents a grappling with divorce

A standout from her new record, the string-guided track breaks new ground for Adele in just how personal she allows her narrative to be.

The 10-minute version of "All Too Well" is a pop magnum opus

Benjamin Kassel

Nov 12, 20215 min read

The 10-minute version of "All Too Well" is a pop magnum opus

10 minutes, 13 seconds. 111 lines of lyrics. It's a daunting feat to attempt, but Taylor Swift passed her own test with flying colors.

Benjamin Kassel

Nov 5, 20214 min read

"Valentine" excels as an album opener

Snail Mail's superb second record begins with a tone-setting build-up and bang.

"People, I've been sad" perfectly captures how the world has been as of late...

Benjamin Kassel

Oct 21, 20214 min read

"People, I've been sad" perfectly captures how the world has been as of late...

Last year, Christine and the Queens delivered a song which became increasingly poignant in the months following its release.

"People of the Pride": wait, this is Coldplay? ...Actually, it totally is

Benjamin Kassel

Oct 15, 20215 min read

"People of the Pride": wait, this is Coldplay? ...Actually, it totally is

While a departure from their known sound, this highlight from their new album — over a decade in the works — fits the band's character.

Unfortified Castle

Music opinions thrown from a glass house.