Contradiction In Disguise

K-The-I “Go-Go Girls” – As he raps a complicated, somewhat conciliatory love letter to a woman who is either already estranged from him or on her way there, K-the-I sounds like a man making his way through a hostile environment on this track. The mood is stormy from the start, but by the middle of the song, it’s as though he’s chasing a beat being blown away by a windstorm, and dodging scratches that come off like downed power lines sparking on wet pavement. (Click here to buy it from Mush.)

Soccer Team “Say Forever” – By nature or nurture, Soccer Team’s Melissa Quinley’s voice bears a strong resemblance to that of Liz Phair, and this song’s direct lyrics and soft-focus lo-fi ambiance only emphasize that impression. Of course, this is no bad thing given that Phair’s first two LPs still stand as two of the previous decade’s best singer-songwriter efforts, and that Phair herself isn’t about to record anything as low-key and intimate as this any time soon. Soccer Team’s debut album overall isn’t nearly so Phair-ish, but it’s a smart, unassuming record that makes a strong case for spare indie-pop songwriting of the same lineage as Unrest, Barbara Manning, and the Young Marble Giants. (Click here to buy it from Dischord.)