Now With More Thao

Look outside your window.  If you're in Amherst, you will see: rain / wet leaves / gray / probably more rain.  If you are not in Amherst, I hope you see something nicer: kittens? / a baby? / woodsmoke from the neighbor's chimney?

Here also is something nicer to see: Thao Nguyen put out an album last month, and I almost missed it, but I didn't.  And it's great!  A departure from last year's plucky We Brave Beestings And All, Thao's Know Better Learn Faster funnels her powerhouse voice into a wistful, angry, clapping, brass-fed, strings-driven manifesto.  It's nice to hear her collaborating with other musicians on some tracks (I think I hear Sister Suvi on background vocals on "Body"), as well as branching out into probing and honest ballads ("The Give," "Oh. No.").

For a listen, head over to Stereogum, where you can download the title track for free!

For a gander, check out an old video (my favorite of the ones they've made so far):