By Samantha Federico
darzo
Single Cell (self-released)
Adar Seligman-McComas is darzo. Over the past two years, the band had a name change and Seligman-McComas went solo, yet darzo held on to release its debut record. The eight-track, 30-minute Single Cell packs a powerful punch in a swell of horns and drums that complement Seligman-McComas’ vocals. It’s a mesmerizing whirlpool of jazz and soul, with a dash of disco-pop that’s especially notable on “To Begin,” the closing track.
Recorded at Montrose Recording in Richmond and produced by Grammy-nominated producer DJ Harrison (who also plays keys in RVA-based Butcher Brown), Single Cell weaves a tale of self-discovery and empowerment as told on “Metamorphosis” and the album’s title track. With Seligman-McComas now based on the West Coast, fingers are crossed that Charlottesville gets a homecoming so we can hear these tracks played live (released May 2022).
Stray Fossa
Closer Than We’ll Ever Know, Born Losers Records
Stray Fossa’s new album is like going thrifting and finding a long-lost cassette from the ’80s. Is it simply undiscovered, or, better yet, a well-loved and worn relic of the past? Either way, we are lucky to find this talented band in Virginia.
Closer Than We’ll Ever Know is Stray Fossa’s second album—and it’s just as impressive as last year’s debut, With You Forever. Each track blends seamlessly into the next, guiding the record as a soundscape of modern time travel. With brothers Nick and Will Evans and best friend Zach Blount on different continents, Closer was created by collaborating online. “So Still,” the standout gift of a track about an impending breakup, is wrapped in dream pop indie happiness. From across time zones, Stray Fossa has set the bar higher for themselves, and Closer Than We’ll Ever Know is simply spectral (released June 2022).
Yard Sale
Yard Sale (self-released)
Garage band rock has a new rep in town with Yard Sale, a trio labeling itself “Emo from Charlottesville.” Yard Sale’s self-titled debut delivers a raw performance from Jakob Shifflett and brothers Caden and Mac Koslowski over 11 tracks that’ll take you from head bob to head bang. The album invokes smoke-filled garages, giggling, and telling secrets, while simply being present—like a scene from a teen movie in the ’90s. Yard Sale dives into angst on songs like “Broken Boy” and “Jakob’s Song,” and the final track, “Milo and Otis,’’ ends the album in instrumental harmony—a true showstopper that warrants eyes closed losing yourself to the music (released May 2022).