What's New, Tomboy?
Damien Jurado · 2020
29 min · 10 tracks · indie rock
Gentle melodies intertwine with introspective lyrics, creating a reflective soundscape that captures life's fleeting moments.
Top tracks — play these first
-
→
Birds Tricked into the Trees Start here — establishes the sonic palette early
-
→
Ochoa — This track stands out for its poignant storytelling and minimalist arrangement, encapsulating the album's essence of quiet reflection and emotional clarity.
-
→
Fool Maria — With its haunting melody and evocative lyrics, this song delves into complex emotions surrounding loss and longing, representing the thematic heart of the album.
-
→
When You Were Few — This track features a delicate balance of nostalgia and melancholy, showcasing Jurado's ability to convey deep feelings through simple yet powerful imagery.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album features strong storytelling through lyrics and cohesive instrumentation, though it remains within familiar indie rock territory.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album features a consistent use of acoustic guitar and soft vocals, while the second half introduces more layered instrumentation.
- Several tracks employ a narrative style, with lyrics that tell stories rather than focusing on abstract themes.
- The album maintains a subdued tempo throughout, rarely deviating from a slow to mid-tempo pace.
- Composition 25% of the score
-
6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
-
7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
-
6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
-
6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
-
8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Little footprint beyond its audience. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- quick bursts of emotional insight
- for casual background listening
- short tracks that invite replay
- light-hearted reflections on life
Maybe skip if you
- prefer long, immersive experiences
- seek dramatic, sweeping narratives
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Late Career Highlight — Shows continued vitality and evolution in songwriting after previous successes.
- Career context
- Released in 2020, What's New, Tomboy? marks Damien Jurado's twelfth studio album, showcasing his continued evolution as a songwriter after the critically acclaimed The Horizon Just Laughed in 2018. Following a period of personal growth, this album encapsulates a more intimate and introspective phase in his career.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Sufjan Stevens· Iron & Wine· Bon Iver
Tracklist
- 1 Birds Tricked into the Trees Start here 2:14
- 2 Ochoa 3:10
- 3 Alice Hyatt 2:42
- 4 Arthur Aware 3:23
- 5 Francine 2:30
- 6 Fool Maria 4:14
- 7 When You Were Few 2:42
- 8 Sandra 2:42
- 9 The End of the Road 3:07
- 10 Frankie 2:46
If this landed
Records by other artists that run on the same instinct.
Carrie & Lowell
Sufjan Stevens
Shares introspective lyrics and gentle melodies, exploring themes of memory and loss.
Stranger in the Alps
Phoebe Bridgers
Features reflective songwriting and a soft sonic palette, delving into personal and nostalgic themes.
Our Endless Numbered Days
Iron & Wine
Offers delicate instrumentation and introspective storytelling, capturing fleeting moments in life.
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
Sync your library
Everything you track here works immediately — no account needed. Create one when you want to sync across devices.