Orchestral Manoeuvres Help Lake Street Dive Reach Peak
Lake Street Dive’s origin story, which began in 2004, became a rich tale of team players contributing multiple music genres to a live-wire act that keeps soaring.
indie pop
Indietronic Antiheroes +/- Still Attract Over Two Decades In
A pandemic-era plan to soft-drop a series of EPs proved difficult, so New York’s digi-pop alternates +/- pivoted to a new LP that stands amongst their best.
Los Campesinos! Deliver Their Definitive Statement on ‘All Hell’
That All Hell is another high-quality release is not the least bit surprising; it’s Los Campesinos!’s best record and likely one of the finest of the year.
Clairo’s ‘Charm’ Is a Fatal Attraction
By using a fleeting moment of attraction as its concept, Clairo’s ‘Charm’ surveys the damage love affairs, both long-lasting and short-lived, can inflict.
Of Montreal Return with Catchy Musical Hooks
There’s enough strong material to keep longtime Of Montreal fans feeling connected while Kevin Barnes continues to indulge wherever their musical muse leads.
Cassandra Jenkins Trips the Cosmos on ‘My Light, My Destroyer’
Brimming with cosmic musings and darkened Americana, My Light, My Destroyer earns Cassandra Jenkins a place among the best contemporary singer-songwriters.
Rui Gabriel Comes of Age on the Reflective Triumph ‘Compassion’
It’s not easy to make a record that can soundtrack a barbecue and also provide balm for a dark night of the soul, but Rui Gabriel’s solo debut does just that.
Gracie Abrams and the Secret of Confessional Writing
The strong hooks on The Secret of Us provide the missing third dimension to Gracie Abrams’ songs and create a winning formula that could sustain more albums.
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.
Lake Street Dive Create Obligatory Fun on ‘Good Together’
While Lake Street Dive trot out their funk and soul instrumentation on Good Together, the record has few genuinely fun or moving moments.
Steve Dawson Brings a Direct Feel to ‘Ghosts’
Now armed with a full band, Steve Dawson’s songs have more musical heft on Ghosts, resulting in one of his best and more streamlined solo works.
The Decemberists’ New LP Is a Return to Form
The Decemberists straddle between the exotic and quotidian, the real and imagined, to reveal that existence is most interesting when lived in a liminal state.