Bartees Strange Remains Shockingly Great on ‘Horror’
Fear may have inspired Bartees Strange’s new LP, but the songs on Horror are some of his best to date. He is one of the key artists of this decade.
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‘Rome’ Captures the National’s Amazing Live Show
Rome proves to be a strikingly good example of a great National show, even if nothing quite compares to the real thing.
Cocteau Twins and Harold Budd Visit ‘The Moon and the Melodies’
The collaboration between ethereal pop trio Cocteau Twins and avant-gardist Harold Budd, The Moon and the Melodies, hits vinyl for the first time since 1986.
Helado Negro Enables Paths to Grow on ‘Phasor’
There is an openness to Helado Negro’s world. His new album Phasor is a dream(y) wake-up call you want to snooze your way back into.
Future Islands Give Hope with ‘People Who Aren’t There Anymore’
Future Islands’ new LP is that rare album where you might find yourself with the unusual but life-affirming compulsion to dance and quietly sob at the same time.
Cocteau Twins Reissue ‘Four-Calendar Café’ and ‘Milk & Kisses’
With dream pop in ascendance again, the final two Cocteau Twins albums appear on vinyl in North America for the first time, newly remastered by Robin Guthrie.
The Breeders’ Long-Beloved ‘Last Splash’ Is Re-Issued Again
It’s too bad these new songs weren’t parlayed into the bulging bag of goodies that was the 20th-anniversary re-release of the Breeders’ Last Splash.
Buck Meek Steals Away to the Lo-fi ‘Haunted Mountain’
Reality is much scarier than special effects. Big Thief guitarist, Buck Meek’s music on Haunted Mountain has its charms thanks in part to its purposeful flaws.
The National Find Heart on ‘First Two Pages of Frankenstein’
Indie rockers The National use every tool in their toolbox, from devastating lyrics to a Taylor Swift feature, to create a cohesive and expressive ninth LP.
Tearing Down the Fence Between Lisa Germano and ‘Happiness’
With 1993’s Happiness, Capitol Records tried to sit Lisa Germano on a fence between Americana and alternative. With 1994’s Happiness, 4AD Records dismantled the fence.
Dry Cleaning Seek Bright Spots Amid a Deadened London on ‘Stumpwork’
Dry Cleaning follow last year’s breakthrough debut with Stumpwork‘s indie-flavored post-punk woven together via Florence Shaw’s dispassionate musings.
‘WOMB’ Reclaims Purity Ring’s Distinctive Electropop
Although Purity Ring's WOMB never stops sounding good, the bops came easier in 2012. WOMB is an effortful return to form for the electropop duo.