What I've Been Listening To (May 2025)

I listened to so much good music in May, not to mention how three of my most anticipated albums/EPs for the second quarter of the year were released after long waits. So, with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely.

The first of my anticipated May releases was Kilo Kish’s new EP, Negotiations. The singles were a complete vibe, and I enjoyed the overall style of the visuals—which were this tired office aesthetic. And the rest of the EP lived up to my expectations. It continued with the moody pop and electronic infusion featured on the singles.

Then the second of my most anticipated May releases was Pink Pantheress’ newest release. There are some mixtapes that just feel like albums (like FKA Twigs’ Capri Songs), and that’s pretty much how I view Fancy That. It was a whole lot of fun to engage with. I also wasn’t very familiar with UK Garage before this, but now I want to delve more into that genre.

And finally, there was Lethal. I loved it so much. It was everything I like about Rico Nasty’s past discography but from a slightly different angle. Lethal was a combination of rap and punk rock, and Rico Nasty leans into what she does best here. It just works.

Emotional Oranges is one of the duos I checked out last month, with their album Orenjii. It was solid R&B with influences that called backed to music from the 90s and early 2000s (which is kind of a trend lately)—and if you’ve listened to any of it, some of the songs here might feel familiar (such as That Girl). But, the album had plenty to offer, because its influences weren’t the sum total of what it was. Instead, it used its references effectively, and delivered an album firmly grounded in the group’s style. It was fun.

And last but not least, one of the most unexpected (and surprising) finds from last month was Better Dreaming by Tune-Yards. The duo is new to me, and their new album came up under my recommendations. Some bodies of work are what I would describe as smooth, and Better Dreaming fits that bill perfectly with its indie alternative sound. This was very easy to listen to.

Singles that made it to my playlist: Cali by Clea, No Holding Back by Joya Mooi featuring Joeyturks, The Only Love We Know by Naomi Sharon, Messed Up Ways by Abi Ocia, Toes in the Grass by Adanna Duru, Rozzelle Court by TheBabeGabe and The Human, Spend It by Cydnee with a C, Maybe by HIHEME featuring Yourz, and three songs by Ambar Lucid (Stranger Dressed In White, 6am, and I Feel Everything).

Short Stories I Read In April

It’s the twenty-ninth of May. So it’s time to write about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in April.

Buried Deep by Naomi Novik (Buried Deep and Other Stories)

On the short fiction front, I started April by reading more from Novik’s short story collection, Buried Deep and Other Stories. This time, I tacked the titular story, Buried Deep. This one was a retelling of a Greek myth, reimagining the story of the Minotaur, Ariadne, and the labyrinth into a short tale about the bond between siblings and the unfortunate circumstances which the two found themselves in. It was a time period/society which didn’t leave them with many options either, and it was the kind of situation that was lose-lose no matter which way it was approached. That being said, Novik’s treatment of the myth offered an interesting spin. So Buried Deep was another good one from this collection.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Buried Deep and Other Stories)

And, finally, I reached the short story that was one of the reasons I picked up this collection to begin with. Spinning Silver is still one of my favorite wintery novels, and for the longest time I was curious about the original short story. And, I liked this version too. It was essentially a condensed version of the novel, especially the first few chapters—although the book greatly expanded on what happened and added the perspectives of Irina and Wanda. This narrative was much more straightforward and followed only Miryem and the consequences of her boasting. Spinning Silver is easily one of my favorites from Buried Deep and Other Stories.

From around the web…

• The Uselessness of Dachshunds [Maggie Stiefvater’s Substack]: I liked this essay about creating art even when it doesn’t have a specific value.

What I've Been Listening To (March)

When I’m not reading, I’ll often reach for music—and sometimes just to have noise in the background. Lately—and thanks to having the Spotify app on my tablet—I’ve gotten a lot of amazing recommendations, which has greatly expanded my playlist. That and the fact that some of my favorite artists returned in March and the end of February with new music. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely.

Banks is one of my all-time favorite artists, and at the end of February, she returned with her latest album: Off With Her Head. This is one of Banks’s best (as well as cohesive) albums to-date, which leaned into this pop and alternative style of sound. Does it experiement as much as Serpentina? Well, no, but Off With Her Head still gets creative with what it does. At the end of the day, it was a VERY "Banks" kind of album, and that’s exactly what I was looking for.

Desires by Giift was an EP which popped up under my Spotify recommendations, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance, because it was fantastic. And, by the end, I was left wanting more. Desires had a particular vibe to it, which I enjoyed. It lands firmly in the R&B space, but it got creative with the sound, particularly on the closing song, All I Need (one of the best tracks).

Nao is another one of my favorite artists, and she was also back with new music. Jupiter was an R&B and Soul album done Nao’s way, and it was incredibly fun to listen to. Tonally, it was almost a sequel to her sophomore release, Saturn, back in October of 2018 (which remains one of my all-time favorite albums). And Jupiter lands pretty high on the list, when it comes to my the stuff I’ve listened to so far in 2025, and I appreciated it for its lighter tone and blend of genres.

Next, I checked out Antidote by SYNGA. This one was also a recommendation, and I was looking for something that had a similar vibe to Banks’s music, to tide me over during the seven days left before Off With Her Head was released. Antidote was moody pop music, so it checked all of those boxes and then some.

Michi is another new-to-me artist (found through a recommendation on Spotify), thanks to her new album, Dirty Talk. This was a solid funk and disco album with lyrics that often delved into the nuances of relationships, which offered a chill/smooth listening experience. If you listen to it, though, it’ll feel a little familiar around the edges, especially if you’ve listened to those genres before in any capacity, but it still feels lively and fresh—basically an updated and unique take while still paying homage to its inspiration.

And, of course, last but certainly not least was one of my most anticipated March releases: Lady Gaga’s Mayham. It was a callback to her other albums, but rather than remaining grounded in a vintage era, it was an upcycled affair doing what Lady Gaga does best with a blend of genres including rock, pop, and funk among others. The singles, Disease and Abracadabra, did have a bit of a different tone and substance than the later end of the album, but it was still a great album and a lot of fun to listen to. And it also reminded me of what makes Lady Gaga a great artist.

Some singles that have made it onto my playlist: Reprogram by Kilo Kish, Cut Up by SAILORR, Butterfly by Marina, Falling In Love by R.A.E., and Anxiety by Doechii.

New Year, New Stuff

With the New Year there are a slew of new books, movies, albums, and TV shows to look forward to. So here’s a brief list of some of the media I’m waiting for…

Books…

• Kata Basis by R.F. Kuang
• The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater
• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
• When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
• The Capital of Dreams by Heather O’Neill
• Black Woods Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
• The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcette

Albums…

• Eusexua by FKA Twigs (January 24)
• Hurry Up Tomorrow by The Weeknd (January 31)
• Club Shy Room 2 by Shygirl (February 14)
• Jupiter by Nao (February 21)
• The Right Person Will Say by Lana Del Rey (May 21)

So, that covers it for now. As always, this list will change as more information becomes available later in the year. What are you looking forward to in 2025?

We're Back & Some House Keeping

 

Hello. I know it’s been a while. Our Thoughts Precisely went on hiatus in December and, honestly, I needed the time away from the internet and from reviewing. And then, I ended up extending my break, since the state where I live has gone through a series of destructive wildfires. (I wasn't in the evacuation zone, but the there have been red flag warnings for wind in my area.) But, I digress. I, honestly, didn’t do too much reading in the conventional sense, a couple of novels but mostly a variety of essays and columns ranging in subject from science to history, think pieces, personal essays, and reviews from publications like Reactor Magazine (formerly Tor.com). And, during that time, I really got to thinking about the ways I wanted to engage with the book community and social media going forward.

Some housekeeping…

I’m not quitting the blog, but I have decided to scale back on the number of posts. For a few years now, I’ve maintained the schedule of posting three times a week (typically Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). But, going into 2025, I likely won’t have a consistent schedule like that anymore. It takes time to maintain, and I’ve reached the conclusion: I don’t want to spend that much time on it anymore, besides the fact that some books I just want to enjoy rather than making decision with “blog content” in mind.

Content wise, nothing much is changing. Music will likely be condensed into Music Mondays and “What I’ve Been Listening To,” rather than individual albums having dedicated posts. For Short Stories, I may or may not do more with the miscellaneous (from around the web) section; we’ll see.

Other than that, I have no blogging resolutions, and I’m just going to go with the flow for 2025.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! It's officially 2025, and we hope everyone has a marvelous day. We're not back to blogging just, so we'll see everyone later this month!