Rob Sheffield on Taylor Swift and the Power of the Fangirl
Rob Sheffield, Taylor Swift, and Swifties understand intimately that we owe it to ourselves to pay homage to the music that lights our hearts on fire.
Rachel R. Carroll
Rachel R. Carroll is a poet, songwriter, literary critic, and music journalist living in Los Angeles, California. They are currently pursuing their Creative Writing MFA at CalArts. You can follow them on Twitter @RachelRCarroll.
Halsey Reveals Her Truest Self Through Impersonation
Halsey’s The Great Impersonator reimagines her career throughout the decades, displaying a conceptual artist at the top of her game. A masterclass in honesty.
Maude Latour Tastes Life’s Sweetness on ‘Sugar Water’
Maude Latour’s ambitious debut LP suggests something rare: a visionary willing to trust her vision. The record offers a cohesive manifesto of mysticism.
MUNA’s New Live Album Is a Joyous Hometown Victory
For two nights in Los Angeles, queer indie-pop trio MUNA put on a joyous homecoming concert ten years of dreaming in the making.
Jack Antonoff Searches for Bleachers on ‘Bleachers’
Bleachers finds its primary strength in its serenity. Gentle moments of introspection about love’s redemptive power illuminate some of the brightest moments.
The Surreal, Dazzling Desert World of Melissa Broder’s ‘Death Valley’
Melissa Broder’s quality of being “terminally online” lends Death Valley an air of immediacy that grounds its surreal, dazzling moments in poignant emotional realism.
Acid Trips Meet Ancestral Trauma in ‘All-Night Pharmacy’
With the same shocking specificity that sets apart her poetry, Ruth Madievsky’s All-Night Pharmacy brings us uncomfortably close to everything the narrator witnesses in a hospital waiting room.
Taylor Swift’s New ‘Speak Now’ Nods to the Past, Shows New Path Forward
Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a nod to one of life’s central truths: you can’t go back in time, but there are always new paths forward.
Aly & AJ Relay Stunning Scenes on ‘With Love From’
Aly & AJ’s With Love From recalls classic Americana imagery and sounds like two women reveling in the joy of creating music representing who they are.
Jonathan Carroll’s Multiverse in ‘Mr. Breakfast’ Leaves Readers Hungry and Grumpy
There are seemingly infinite possibilities for how the ability to see into multiple lives might change a person; in Mr. Breakfast, Jonathan Carroll manages to avoid them all.
Samia Searches for Sincerity on Sophomore Record ‘Honey’
With ample self-awareness and a keen sense of the surreal, Samia delivers a sonically dynamic voyage through the monstrous and merciful extremes of intimacy.
Maggie Rogers Asks NYC Crowd to ‘Surrender’ to the Music
Creating space to honor intense feelings was the goal of Maggie Rogers’ NYC performance and she achieved it. The crowd left with a sense of “feral joy”.