This album feels like a walk on the clouds, mood music for the soul, and a reminder that what’s old can be made new. Most of the dozen songs on “Introducing.” are about love lost, found, and saved. It’s layered with jangly keyboards, flute, Frazier’s rock steady percussion and the perfectly understated guitars that keep things moving. Featuring some of the warmest production yet by Dan Auerbach, who also released the album on his Easy Eye label, “Introducing.” is pure retro magic. On his solo debut we are treated to one of the finest soul records in decades, an album that could have just as likely been made in 1975 than today. In addition to being the drummer for the great Durand Jones & the Indications, Aaron Frazer is also the owner of one of the sweetest falsettos in modern music. They transcend convention and obliterate expectation. Some records manage to transport you to another place and time. Aaron Frazer - Introducing… (Dead Oceans/Easy Eye).

Yes, peak weirdo bandaids for sure, but alas music was one of the things that helped make that splendid isolation even remotely tolerable. Artists created pandemic albums, live streamed themselves and sold merchandise on Bandcamp and subscriptions on Patreon. Like a subplot of twisted post apocalyptic television, we live in a world of our own creation so of course the music never stopped.

A year without live music - what an unthinkable proposition. This was the year live music came back after an unprecedented hiatus. Jan 12♱6 min read (Khruangbin, Greek Theater LA, November 2021) New! You can now import subscribers into your email list.

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