Wand frontperson Cory Hanson corralled the same lineup that recorded last year’s Vertigo for his latest solo record, the American Songbook–infused I Love People. Nostalgia whistles through airy country-folk numbers like “Bird on a Swing,” his vocals delivered in a lugubrious tone that settles like an umami note beneath the verdant compositions. Ballad “Lou Reed,” meanwhile, remembers the great songwriter with collapsing keys, mournful swoons, wistful strings and sax, and a touchingly straightforward chorus: “You were a prince and a fighter/And you were a tai chi master.”
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Homeboy Sandman & Sonnyjim: Soli Deo Gloria [Dirty Looks/We Buy Gold]
Homeboy Sandman and British rapper and producer Sonnyjim join forces on Soli Deo Gloria, in which the latter steps back from the mic to let his Queens counterpart incant, drawl, ruminate, and flex over his freewheeling vintage productions. Spun together quickly, working both remotely and in-person, the duo settled into a jazz-suffused sound that allows Sandman to alternate between introvert and extrovert modes, delivering pep talks for himself and the world. “Whatever happens is supposed to happen,” he added in press materials. “So relax. Read. Never give up. Lead with love. Be yourself and love yourself.”
