Good harvest this week.

1. “I CARE” by Turnstile
   
   An easy hit on arrival, this one starts out with a lively, 80’s-style synth pop beat. What takes it from good to great is the seamless transition to a moody, guitar-heavy chorus that sounds like it could be lifted from blink-182’s “Stay Together for the Kids.” Holding it all together is a driving snare and lyrics stained with a hopeful naivete.
   
   Those who appreciate the dark guitar instrumentation will like “Never Enough“, the title track off the same album, which further echoes the 90’s pop punk/emo vibe. For the record, I like it too, but the nearly two minute outro was not for me.
   
   One trend to watch in Gen Z rock is the tendency toward longer songs.
   
   
   
   
2. “Au Pays du Cocaine” by Geese
   
   Is it too late to jump on the Geesewagon? The Brooklyn scene tends to overrate the band given their hometown hero status, but I keep finding their discography is too uneven to lend itself to any kind of cohesive fandom. That said, their best songs are as good as anything coming out right now, and this is one of them.
   
   Awesome use of a horn section to punch up what is otherwise a pretty saccharine ballad. Would make a great wedding first dance and should probably be a staple for indie movie soundtracks for the next year. The title strikes me as insufferably faux-edgy, but don’t let that scare you off. One of the best tracks of the year, to date.
   
   Long outro warning!
   
   
   
   
3. “wait a minute” by Arlie
   
   Put Arlie in the Geese bucket: they are too inconsistent (and not always for the sake of originality) to be one of my favorite bands; yet, over the last decade or so, they have consistently had a song or two leak into my most played tracks of the year.
   
   I am late to the party for “wait a minute”, which debuted on their 2022 album BREAK THE CURSE, but I am happy to be here. In many ways, I think of this track as a pretty fantastic Beatles knock-off, and in fact if the vocal harmonies were as tight as The Beatles, it would be a truly great song. This song is a fun listen, a mood elevator, and a surprisingly deep reflection.