Welcome to 2024. Here at City Paper’s arts desk, we’re kicking the year and new local album reviews off with our inaugural Beats Me. Each month, City Paper music writers will dig through upcoming releases from D.C.-area bands, singers, rappers, and musical acts to bring you our take on what’s happening in the local sound and scene. It’s January, and I can safely say, the new year brings a ton of new music from a ton of local artists. —Sarah Marloff

Teen Mortgage, Teen Mortgage

From the depths of January rises an explosive burst of heavy punk from District-based Teen Mortgage. The pairing of vocalist-guitarist James Guile and drummer Ed Barakauskas has left a mark on the local music since the band released their first EP in 2019 through King Pizza Records. Teen Mortgage have shared bills with acts such as Alkaline Trio and, later this year, will tour the United Kingdom and Ireland with Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer. Despite their rapid success, the duo’s self-titled LP out this month is their first full-length album. Pieced together from preexisting recordings and a couple of new tracks, the project offers a surprisingly cohesive look at the duo’s work so far. In many ways, Teen Mortgage harkens back to punk’s heyday in D.C., when Dischord was novel and groups like Fugazi dominated the national stage. From its first track, the LP demands your attention: Guitar (including lines filtered to sound like bass) and drums screech in and out of mesmerizing, distortion-heavy bursts. The tempo is mosh-ready and fast-paced—at times so much so that Guile’s vocals are difficult to make out. The lyrics rework typical punk themes: capitalism, political corruption, and—in-line with the title—mortality. “Tuning In” explores this subject matter most impressively, tackling media polarization in snarling lines like “Media give you news where it’s side against side/ Broadcast a place to do all your hating.”

What really sets Teen Mortgage apart, however, is their instrumentation. Guile’s frenzied guitar riffs and Barakauskas’ roaring drum lines collide and divide in captivatingly unpredictable assortments of rhythm and melody. “S.W.A.S.” puts guitars in conversation with one another with harmonies neither dissonant nor melodious. “Sick Day” swells and contracts into heavy rages. The band favor sparse intros, fiery verses, and choruses and even fierier interludes. There are parallels to Turnstile, to King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Guile and Barakauskas play with negative space, pausing between dense musical phrases like they need to gasp for breath before continuing their tirade. Despite its patchwork construction, Teen Mortgage follow an identifiable arc, maintaining a frenetic feel before tapering off into an almost psychedelic pair of final songs, “Valley” and “Valley II.” The cool-down makes the high-energy tracks all the more sweet. Teen Mortgage’s album release party starts at 8 p.m. on Jan. 12 at Pie Shop. —Dora Segall 

Walk the Plank, Loathe 

Is it a hiatus when a pandemic shuts down the music industry? Is it a hiatus when there was no farewell show? Is it a hiatus when the new record was recorded before the hiatus? Does any of this matter? Maybe to some, but to the majority of music fans, good new music is good new music and Walk the Plank’s new EP, out Jan. 12, is quite good. 

The hardcore band’s four-year hiatus ends this month with the release of Loathe. The 1” EP opens with a galloping guitar on “Anti-Social Media” that’ll make any thrash fan happy. Singer Ian Crocker’s growl isn’t so growly that the lyrics are indecipherable. And the lyrics are worth noticing. “It’s time to learn to read a book, or at least learn to read a book” should put a smile on your face. The track’s bridge may be a bit of a nod to Ministry’s “NWO.” The guitar lines shimmer and shine between more classic riffage. It’s a great opening. The title track and “Boredom” continue with the same successful formula as “Anti-Social Media.” “Dugout” clocks in at only 100 seconds but doesn’t feel rushed or cut short. “Good Guy With a Gun?” could be a modern day Green Day song if it wasn’t sung with a growl. That’s not a bad thing. The best songs bookend the record, “Anti-Social Media” and “Closure.” Both have classic hardcore elements with a nod toward the now. The chuga-chuga riffs are present but so is some studio experimentation. They’re lyrically tinged with positivity and anger, giving people something to scream about and something to rally against. It’s Fucked Up meets Youth of Today.

Ben Green’s production is fantastic. He gives the record a radio-friendly quality, reminiscent of mid-’00s Rise Against. Walk the Plank may not be going for those brass rings, but these six songs show they could at least hang with the hardest of the hardcore and the shiniest, poppiest guitar bands. It’s only January, but don’t be surprised if this makes it on to some year-end best of lists. This is what you want in hardcore and D.C. punk. Maybe the hiatus does matter in a live setting. Their first show in four years will be their record release show. Walk the Plank’s album release party starts at 8 p.m. on Jan. 13 at Atlas Brew Works. —Brandon Wetherbee

Flowerbomb, Gloom Scroll Vol. 1

It’s no wonder that Flowerbomb won their first Wammie in 2021 for their debut album, Pretty Dark. The nine-track LP is lush with indie rock gems. In the time since that win, the quartet took home another Wammie in April, this time for Best Rock Group, and released a handful of singles last fall, including “Do It Again” and “I Don’t Wanna.” Now those two tracks have found themselves a home on Gloom Scroll Vol. 1, the band’s four-song EP that drops Jan. 19. With lyrics from lead singer Rachel Kline and music written by Kline and her bandmates, guitarist Connor White, bassist Abby Rasheed, and drummer Dan ABH (who also handled the album’s production), Gloom Scroll Vol. 1 is a fitting follow-up to their debut, easily sliding into the band’s indie shoegaze catalog while still feeling fresh. The two previously released singles open and close the EP, and in some ways they saved the best for last, choosing to end on “I Don’t Wanna.” The track is layered, taking listeners on a journey from a slow opening to a melodic second verse that slides into a catchy chorus offering a distinct blend of indie rock and dream pop. Kline’s voice is alternatingly husky and sing-along smooth, while the instruments create a lavish sonic landscape ripe with emotion. It’s a stunner of a song that gets better when you leave it on repeat.

The two previously unheard tracks, “Bruise” and “1998,” play a little less with pop. Instead, both songs lean in to Flowerbomb’s rock roots with driving guitar and steady drum beats. “Bruise” adds a bit of ethereal synth to round out the two-and-a-half-minute track. But it’s the aptly titled “1998” that demonstrates Flowerbomb’s ’90s alt-rock influences. The slight twang on the guitar at the turning point of the chorus—“’98 feels so strange”—has a vibe reminiscent of early Sheryl Crow. But the rest of the song—from Kline’s style of singing to the propelling beat and fuzzy, slightly distorted strings—recalls ’90s misfits the Breeders. Listening to it is a bit like traveling back in time to where alternative began. And like the Breeders, Gloom Scroll Vol. 1 is just plain fun to listen to despite the heaviness of the lyrics. It’s a great pair: like a beer and shot combo. Flowerbomb’s EP release party with Cherub Tree starts at 8 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Pie Shop. —SM

Mystery Friends, Utopia

A new chapter began when Mystery Friends began recording Utopia at the end of the COVID lockdown. The group has survived a rotation of members, with lead singer Abby Sevcik and synth-player/guitarist Dave Mohl standing as band’s only constants. To create their second LP, the two teamed up with additional guitarist Jay Nemeyer and producer-engineer Kyle Downes. The result is a synth-pop narrative brimming with funky bass lines and ’80s-esque melodic hooks, a more varied continuation of their previous dance music. The concept album follows a love affair from start to finish. Utopia bears notes of disco, new wave, and even ambient. The first track, “match,” is a euphoric love song complete with a saxophone solo, while “fever dream” glistens with electronic beats and CHVRCHES-reminiscent synth lines. A vibraslap and other quirky instruments make guest appearances. “Seratonin” gives off a summery feel that falls somewhere between shopping at PacSun and dancing in a club.

The album is a sparkler, but as the love affair sours, the music slows and darkens. Sevcik’s vocals take on an ominous edge as they shift into minor keys during “utopia.” “It feels too good to be true,” she sings. The opening line of the penultimate track, “I’ve been pretty tired” hits viscerally overtop a simple, atmospheric melody. “Apartment,” the album’s closer, is one of its strongest songs and certainly its most stunning. Muted and awash with reverb, it sounds almost underwater. Sevcik accents the repeated line “you still haven’t changed” with a unique and electrifying harmony. A crisp electronic beat balances out the fluidity of the music. The track ends abruptly as the flame that is Utopia extinguishes, leaving the listener to process the rise and fall of the relationship. Mystery Friends have proven their ability to get a crowd moving, but Utopia shows that they can be moody, too. Hopefully, more tracks like “Apartment” will come as they continue to evolve. Mystery Friends’ album release party with Kinda Evil starts at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the Atlantis. —D.S. 

Broke Royals, Big Dream

EPs are curious things. If done correctly, they can offer a glimpse of where the band is heading. If done incorrectly, they can land like a haphazard musical smorgasbord that leaves listeners scratching their collective heads. Big Dream, the new EP from D.C.’s Broke Royals, lands somewhere between the two. Their last album, Local Support, was a cohesive music statement produced by Bartees Strange. Big Dream was produced by the band and the lack of oversight from Strange, particularly when it comes to the songs’ arrangements, is quite apparent. With its driving-full-steam-ahead chorus, the opening track, “Big Dream,” plays like a lesser version of Arcade Fire’s “Month of May.” The song waits far too long to introduce the refrain (which lands with less than a minute left in the track). If introduced earlier, it would give a much-needed kick to the ear that has already settled into the unadorned melody of the verse and chorus. “One Look,” which borrows its opening from Foster the People’s “Pseudologia Fantastica,” showcases keyboardist Rebecca Basnight on vocals, but the arrangements—especially the basic chord progression that follows the melodic line on the chorus—doesn’t serve Basnight. Again, with less than a minute to go on the song, a compelling keyboard line is introduced that would serve the song much better if brought in earlier. “No Time For Love,” the song most similar to the material found on their last album, lands like a Jimmy Eat World B-side (right down to the “Oh, ohs”). The most interesting musical moment comes from “Toasted Almond.” With a Casio keyboard beat juxtaposed with an acoustic guitar, the song finds bassist Taimir Gore on lead vocals. Of the three vocalists featured on the EP (alongside lead vocalist Philip Basnight), Gore has a vocal tone that is the strongest and most distinct. It would serve the band well to use his cords much more in the future. If “Toasted Almond” is a sign of what the band can do, and they continue down this particular path, their musical future looks bright. Wrapping up the EP with an unnecessary cover of The Strokes’ “Is This It,” Broke Royals’ version, complete with processed vocals, turns one of the seminal songs of the New York early aughts music scene into a funeral procession. With this uneven outing, one wonders: Is this it? I sure hope not. Broke Royals’ EP release party starts at 8 p.m. on Jan. 27 at Songbyrd. —Christina Smart

New Singles

Bad Moves, “New Year’s Reprieve” 

At Wolf Trap’s 2023 Out & About festival, I saw Bad Moves heroically go on playing through a soaking summer storm while showgoers scrambled for their ponchos. The D.C. indie quartet—purveyors of anthemic guitar pop songs for underdogs—know a thing or two about fighting through life’s highs and lows, and that makes them uniquely equipped to write an honest holiday song like “New Year’s Reprieve.” Released on Dec. 19, it’s the first single from their upcoming third album, and with lyrics about scrubbing toilets for minimum wage through the most wonderful time of the year, it’s a welcome antidote to the overbearing holiday cheer that surrounds what is, for many of us, a work day just like any other. Thanks to the rhythm’s tongue-in-cheek Christmasy swing and the catchy backup vocals layered like a choir of carolers, you could sneak “New Year’s Reprieve” onto any proper festive playlist. But make no mistake, if New Year’s Eve left you feeling like the half-inflated snowman that’s only sort of still standing on your neighbor’s lawn, this one’s for you. —Taylor Ruckle

Wandering Bird, “Wandering Birds”

Wandering Bird’s new single, “Wandering Birds,” is not on their EP Wandering Bird. That would be silly. The band with a penchant for both wandering and fowl are taking a step forward in their newest release. Their aforementioned 2023 EP was much more folky and stripped down than this 2024 track. Though the act, finalists for City Paper’s Best Local Original Band, are going for a more large-scale, mainstream rock sound, it should please the same fans that gravitated toward their initial work. This single, “Wandering Birds,” is a bit more the Killers and Mumford & Sons and a little less Fleet Foxes. The production is quite an improvement from their self-titled EP, especially when it comes to Jason Cannata’s vocals. The guy can carry a tune. Wandering Bird play at 8 p.m. on  Jan. 18 at Songbyrd. —B.W.

Strutman Lane, “Lavender Haze” 

D.C. pop-funk band Strutman Lane teased a Taylor Swift cover to City Paper last year, and now the day has finally come. On Jan. 21, fans of both acts will hear Strutman Lane take on Swift’s “Lavender Haze.” Strutman Lane’s retro funk approach to the song transports you back to the olden days Swift attempts to recall in the track’s lyrics. Featuring a killer brass arrangement and synth solo, this track sounds like it could have come out in the 1970s. The band’s three-part harmonies sound smooth, buttery, and timeless. It plays like an instant classic that you’ll want to listen to again and again. Strutman Lane’s masterful arrangement, the result of its members being longtime friends and collaborators, creates a sonic experience—“that lavender haze”—that I want to stay in forever. You can hear the cover live when Strutman Lane takes the stage of Black Cat on Jan. 20 to play their biggest headline gig yet alongside another dynamic local act, Rock Creek Kings. Both acts represent the powerful present and promising future of the city’s music scene. You’re gonna want to say you knew Strutman Lane long before they have their own funky Eras-esque tour and sell out Madison Square Garden one day, which the band plan to do. Strutman Lane play at 8 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Black Cat. —Serena Zets 

Want to add your soon-to-be-released album, EP, or single for Beats Me consideration? Email: smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com.