5 Great Releases Discovered This Year (not from this year)
Remember how, a few days ago, I published a little article about how there are always a few albums that come out at the end of the year that I didn’t get around to reviewing for one reason or another, which I always feel a bit guilty about? Well, there are also albums that I discover in a year that I don’t write up because they’re from a totally different year and therefore not very relevant. As such, I figured I’d do a little recap on my fun discoveries from this year that weren’t released in 2023! Hopefully you enjoy them as much as I do!
Merta - “Minä” (2021)
It should come as no surprise that I friggin’ love this album, as Merta became my 3rd-most-listened-to band of 2023 despite me only starting to listen to them in November. Every single track on this release is a winner, with subject matter that seems to be covering all of the things I care about. Tracks like “Saarna,” “Palanut maa,” and “Sun kanssasi” proved to be instant hits in my household, while literally every other track eventually caught up to the first loves, with new favorites appearing in, among others, “Insomnia,” “Kipinä,” and “Hiukkanen,” all for different reasons. This is just a flawless, incredible release that I can’t stop playing!
Merta - “Kokonainen” (2020)
Obviously, when I started listening to “Minä,” I also had to check out “Kokonainen,” though I admit that I had a harder time getting into this album just because I was unable to stop listening to “Minä.” However, being released a mere year before, the album holds up in quality to its predecessor, being another relatively short (11 tracks, just under 37 minutes total) album that’s jam-packed full of high-quality bangers that are sure to get you moving, or at least thinking. Truly, you should pay attention when these guys write lyrics, because they’ve got something to say that’s worth hearing! I can’t wait for more in 2024!
Johanna von Hertzen - “Kasuaali” (2020)
Of course I started listening to Johanna von Hertzen after re-learning of her existence after Musamimmit vol. 2 in the fall, though I still didn’t learn about this album until I saw her again when I went gig-hopping in December. This is a really fun Finnish pop/rock album that has a lot of really great tracks. I found a lot of the material that I’ve loved live on this album, in tracks like “Kasuaali,” “Varo Joka Pelkää Pimeetä,” “Et Saa (Mua Omaksi Omistaa),” and “Riko Mut.” Fingers crossed that she’ll have a new album out sooner rather than later for me to devour as well!
Joss Cope - “Indefinite Particles” (2020)
I discovered Joss Cope and his music when he was playing at Helsinki Psych Fest’s Love Potion Psych Fest in the fall and I really enjoyed his lively material and presence. He also told some really interesting stories about being a father later in life that made me very curious about the sort of music he writes. The “Indefinite Particles” album from 2020 shines for its pleasant guitar riffs and that soft, echoey vocal sound that often is associated with psychedelic rock. I should probably send this to my dad!
Joss Cope - “Unrequited Lullabies” (2017)
When someone gives me a copy of their albums with a hopeful look in their eye, I will write something, lest my guilt get the better of me. As I understood, “Unrequited Lullabies” was an album of love songs to the children Joss never expected to have. As someone who chose to do the whole “kids” thing a bit differently, there are some really interesting songs in this short EP that get you thinking, all while invoking the sound of neo-psych acts or even the psych rock bands of the ‘60s. I hope to have more chances to hear him play live because I really enjoyed his energy!
