Sounds Good is a monthly roundtable where we ask Straight staff what their ears are plugged into during one of our morning meetings. We’ve got a pretty diverse set of tastes, so there’s absolutely no cohesion here: just good vibes. And honestly, that sounds good.

Angela: I am bopping the Chappell Roan album every day. I love the balance it has of pop girl, fun energy juxtaposed with really sentimental ballads that are super contemplative and devastating to listen to. I find when I listen to it, I’m almost like a glutton for punishment because it just hits you right in the chest—like “Casual”. And “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” is a celebration of innocent joy and femininity and girlhood. It’s great to just celebrate that feeling without fear. 

I’m also really listening to the Dizzy album. It’s about being 25, and I am, in fact, 25. “Birthmark”, which is the opening track of the record, perfectly sets the tone because it has a poppy feel, but it’s actually super deep. It’s an album that if you listen to it at surface level, you’ll hear some pops, but if you really listen in, it becomes so much greater than that. 

V: Mid-20s representation. 

Angela: More representation!

V: I promised that if no one stopped me, I would just fill this with j-pop. So here we are. I listen to a lot of music in foreign languages while I work, because I find if I listen to stuff in English, I’ll get too caught up in the lyrics. I really like Kaho Nakamura; her voice has a very tragic quality to it. “そのいのち” (sono inochi, “their lives”) has this really amazing build-up; it feels like there’s a cool driving force that goes through it while you have this sad wailing over the top. 

And then I’ve also been going back to my pop punk roots. The Wonder Years have been around since like 2005; they started out doing the classic young punk thing of hating their hometown. Rather than staying stuck in that really juvenile space, the stuff that they wrote songs about evolved as they grew up. “Oldest Daughter” is told with such empathy and care. It’s a really affecting track. The evolution of pop punk and emo into what it’s become today is interesting: the way that it’s grown and matured.

Angela: I love the variety of takes we’re getting here. A true round table. 

Sara: I’m listening to a tale of two Charlottes right now, as in Charlotte Day Wilson and Charlotte Cardin. 

Angela: I love Charlotte Cardin. 

Sara: They're very different artists. Charlotte Day Wilson is one of my work go-tos. Her voice is so soothing and beautiful and old school, but then her songs are very contemporary. I find her really easy to listen to when I’m working; I don’t find her distracting at all. She’s got a new single called “Forever” but that’s about it for new music, which is really unfortunate. I could really go for some new Charlotte Day Wilson. If you read this, girlfriend: please.

And then Charlotte Cardin is very on the up. She’s a very cool French-Canadian singer. Her new album, which is called 99 Nights, came out this year. There’s a song called “Jim Carrey” that I really love. 

V: Is it about Jim Carrey?

Sara: When I’m working I’m not listening to the story, it’s purely just esoteric: how do I feel when I listen to it? So I couldn't tell you a single lyric other than the word Jim Carrey, which may not actually be in it.

Angela: It’s not about Jim Carrey, but it's about a man who is similar in energy to Jim Carrey. It’s so specific. 

Sara: There’s a song called “Puppy” on that album, that’s also really good.

V: I feel compelled to mention the song Mike dropped in our chat when I mentioned this, which is “Sweat Loaf” by the Butthole Surfers.

Mike (on Slack): This is what plays in my brain 24 hours a day.

Stephen (on Slack): I recently discovered the 1001 Albums Generator, which sends you a new album every day based on the 1001 Albums to Listen to Before You Die books series, so I’ve descended into that rabbit hole. The second album it sent me was KIWANUKA by Michael Kiwanuka, who I’d never heard of, but was blown away by two songs in particular: “Rolling” and “I've Been Dazed”. It’s like Leon Bridges meets Radiohead. Beautiful stuff. 

I’ve also been totally obsessed with the final track off Queens of the Stone Age’s latest album, “Straight Jacket Fitting”. Up there with the best work they’ve ever done.