For the second year in a row, my favorite album was a record that came out very early in the year. In 2023, I selected Christine and the Queen’s phenomenal epic “Paranoia, Angels, True Love” as a record that spoke to me on a very personal level. It wouldn’t take much effort to understand that the larger appeal stemmed from how radically confident the 96 minutes were in exploring every emotional pain that comes with identity. It was immersive and operatic, shameless in the passions that singer Rahim C. Redcar craved. While I unfortunately can’t say that his follow-up, the dance floor ready “Hopecore,” made my favorites list, it’s more because this has been a great year full of odd twists and turns.
My selection for 2024 takes a little more unpacking to fully understand. Hurray for the Riff Raff’s “The Past Is Still Alive” was released at the end of February and immediately won me over. As someone who was a fan of “The Navigator” and “Life on Earth,” I was still surprised with how quickly I locked in. It has quickly become my favorite of theirs and I haven’t gone long without humming the melodies. While I also loved records by Allegra Krieger and Clairo, they never quite matched my willingness to put on “Alibi” and vibe for a few minutes. Alynda Segarra knows how to craft a narrative that hooks you in and makes you imagine a contemporary vision of American folklore.
If there’s anyone who deserves to write the great American tale of this moment, it’s Alynda Segarra. I first became aware of their work when they were interviewed by Tuck Woodstock on Gender Reveal. As a non-binary Puerto Rican, they have a duality that allows for rich conversation with contemporary politics. While “Life on Earth” is a more direct commentary on the immigrant experience, there is still that conversation about what it means to live in America and what it takes to appreciate the basic freedoms. They have hopped on trains and lived as a vagrant in their youth. There is a connection to living by instinct that I’ll never fully have and, I think, explains why “The Past Is Still Alive” feels lived in. There is that reminiscence that doesn’t pander to nostalgic trends. Instead it’s asking us to consider stepping away from “the noise” and appreciate nature.
While not a perfect 1-to-1 ratio, it reminds me of Lana Del Rey’s “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” where there is a need to escape the jaded city life and discover the self amid nature and wide open spaces. Pull yourself away from constant stimulation and think for yourself. Don’t be afraid of the emptiness around you. Look down and analyze the dirt you walk on. Watch animals run freely. Breathe in the fresh air and recognize the joy of being one with the world around you. There is a spiritualism to the record that is refreshing and encourages a recontextualizing of narratives lost in the larger system. It’s about rediscovering humanity. The major difference is that while “Chemtrails” feels a bit slight and lacking larger clarity, “The Past Is Still Alive” fulfills this wandering journey with a sense of completion.
But why was this speaking to me so much? On a surface level, I could chalk it up to being the best written album I heard this year. There hasn’t been a line that has impacted me as much as the opening of “Alibi” when Segarra sings, “You don’t have to die if you don’t want to die/You can take it all back in the nick of time/Maybe even be a good friend of mine/Baby I.” The earnestness they sing with over an acoustic guitar is so powerful and captures a sense of optimism that runs throughout. While later songs tie in stories of identity and rebelling against larger systems, “Alibi” feels like the pep talk you sometimes need. It’s the message that encourages you to live with grief, but also to keep your spirit alive. You can work on improving yourself and appreciating what life has given you.
It's a difficult topic, but Segarra has found a way that picks me up on a sad day. The way the bridge sings about how “time will take you for a ride” only adds to the greater sense of surviving the wear and tear. There’s stories of “track marks” and rolling “snake eyes” that reflects on the reality that we’re not always going to win. And yet, they keep returning to the message of living. It’s the wake-up call. It’s the warm hug where Segarra tries to get their friend to “live again.” Given where this album goes, it’s amazing that we start on this melancholic note. There’s sadness, but there’s also hope.
And it’s about here that I understand why “The Past Is still Alive” resonates with me. As much as I’ve tried to make this year’s Snapshot series about things other than the presidential election, it’s been hard to not be consumed. I’ve been transparent about the dread I’ve felt since January and how the top candidates in most major parties didn’t inspire hope. As the year has gone on, that opinion has shifted based on the various factors. In some ways, it was painful because there was always the sense that things could “go wrong”… and I’d argue they did. Not shockingly. It’s hard to be befuddled having lived through 2016.
However, you spend so much time consumed by the controversies that it’s easy to think that the world will fall apart. Election Night was especially rough as I still think of the people I respected on social media discussing their anxieties, some alluding to suicidal behaviors and self-harm. It can’t help but impact your overall view of the larger world. For as much as I’ve grown to believe the “strength in numbers” mentality, that we’ll all protest our way back from ruin. There is always that doubt that the worst will happen because we have seen that in 2021. There is definitely concern, but I’ve seen the good. As Segarra sang, “You don’t have to die if you don’t want to die.” There are ways to endure and find community. Trying to tackle a federal level problem at first is foolish. If you’ve seen any Godzilla movie, you need to work your way up to the big attack.
Despite all of this, I wouldn’t call Hurray for the Riff Raff’s latest a directly political record. In fact, the opening song is more about grief. However, I think there is a spirit that exists within the larger framework that suggests being queer in America is its own radical act. This is a record that reframes Americana as something other than Norman Rockwell paintings. This is one that transcends the hallmarks of 20th century nostalgia in favor of a wayward nature reminiscent of The Beat Poets. Segarra sings about traveling across the country and noticing these small things informing her life. Tracks like “Hawkmoon” and “Snake Plant” reflect a journey of self that constantly finds Segarra questioning the lessons they were taught and coming to a different conclusion. The interchangeable nature of referencing her soul as girl or boy allows for a non-binary perspective that is as fluid and as ever-changing as the environment.
The record also ties into my personal desire to spend the next years exploring. For as accomplished as I’ve felt in my creative endeavors, there is this fear of being stuck in a rut. Listening to songs like “Dynamo,” you get the vivid sense of wandering through the Midwest in search of greater purpose. In the song, there is isolation even in an environment that hypothetically offers a lot of social opportunities. There is a need to find fulfillment, and every song captures a different facet of it. More than anything, I find myself feeling inspired to pack up and go on the road for a while. This may take some time, especially as I need more of a financial stability before taking those risks. Even then, I imagine having a new perspective would help a lot of my personal outlook.
Because what you get online is only a fragment of reality. For as much as can be determined by social media commentaries, there are thousands of other stories that aren’t reported on. Politics may seem awful, but there’s still a reason to love living anywhere in this great nation. There’s communities that I’m sure would open my mind to new ways of seeing the world. My mother visited New Orleans earlier this year and has been sharing stories. There’s a rich culture, and it makes me wonder what other pockets would have. I’m not necessarily the most assertive person so it’s doubtful that I’ll get the full experience, but I have to take those risks and develop a curiosity.
The romanticism is something that has grown over time. It has become especially prominent in the past few years as I’ve tried to become less reliant on the internet for stimulation. I’ve found a lot to appreciate on a local level, but my eagerness to keep learning means I probably should expand my reaches. While I can’t say that I’ve listened to a lot of folk music, I want to believe it’s like Segarra’s take that encourages a sense of connection with environment, of understanding that history is more than textbook. There is a need to notice that time doesn’t always progress the same way for everybody. We don’t have to end our passions if we don’t want to. It’s okay to keep looking so long as you feel fulfilled in the quest.
As I begin to wrap up this sprawling post, another reason that “The Past Is Still Alive” resonates with me is because of Segarra’s Substack. I impulsively signed up one day for their weekly updates and have found myself intrigued. They’ve traveled to Australia and done covers of songs like Rancid’s “Olympia.” I’ve gotten to see how their year has evolved with what they’ve described as one of the most successful tours of their career. From what I understand, this has been a very successful year for Segarra, and I’m happy for them. I’m hoping they are taking the next year to relax and find the next big plan. While I’m no longer on the paid subscription, I remain excited by every update in the hope of finding those small revelations popping through these already insightful little stories.
I’m not sure if I’ve done a great job of conveying what this record means to me in a linear fashion. That may be in part because its meaning has evolved and changed. While I’ve listened to a lot of great records, none of them have inspired my mind to tune in quite like Segarra’s. It inspires me to wander, to see the world as more than a binary and that despite any doom and gloom on the horizon, Segarra is part of a culture of surviving. There has been a lot holding them back throughout their lives, but they keep thriving. When my mind strays, all I have to do is put on “Alibi” and remember what make life worth living. Time will take you for a ride. Try to hold on and get the most from it.
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