Each month for the next year I plan to buy 2 or 3 albums in an effort to build my setup (see what I did there) where I can enjoy music without depending on and being affected by streaming services. Whether you also want to do that or already have or are perfectly happy with Spotify/Tidal/whatever, here are some albums I thought were worth buying you might want to check out.

Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii

Doechii is an example of the kind of rapper I like. I've heard many people dismiss recent rap saying that it's all mumbling and droning or extremely sexual and graphic lyrics. I'm not a fan of most of the mumble rap I've heard either, but I do like the in-your-face confident lyrics of people like Glorilla and Megan Thee Stallion. If you don't though don't ignore Doechii. The whole album shows she genuinely loves music and has clearly been working at it for some time. Her lyrics tell the story of trying to make a career out of music which I find relatable even though I've been working as a software developer instead.

I love how her lyrics range from fairly serious to not serious at all, some even in the same song. Her delivery is very expressive, you can hear her frustration, determination, excitement, her adoration. The stories she tells reminds me of conversations I had with friends in my early 20's.

My Method Actor by Nilüfer Yanya

Named after a Turkish pop star her parents liked, Nilüfer is a great singer who made a great album that reminds me of long bike rides. When you're out pedaling for more than 50km, you have to be careful not to burn yourself out going too hard, but you do still need to keep pushing. This album to me has a simlar pace and I enjoy listening to it when I'm in that sort of mood.

I use the title track, My Method Actor to test speakers and headphones. The bass part here is beautiful, but sounds like a mediocre, honking synth and not a real bass if the headphones or speakers are bad. As a bass player, this is especially important to me and so I tend to favor music like this with nice bass parts. In addition to the lovely bass, there's also plenty of nice vocal harmonies and other instruments to enjoy.

In Lieu Of Flowers by Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties

Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties isn't new to me, they were on my list of artists I for sure needed in my effort to build my own music library and get off streaming. Their most recent album seemed like a good place to start. Different vibes from the first two albums on this list, In Lieu Of Flowers is music I can't listen to when I'm feeling down unless I feel like crying. Paying Bills At The End Of The World often comes up in my mind randomly when I'm walking somewhere or on the train and happen to not be listening to music at the time. It feels like modern American folk music to me including the concern about how things are going in America.