Mdou Moctar Holds Nothing Back on Extraordinary ‘Funeral for Justice’
Even by Mdou Moctar’s high standards, Funeral for Justice is extraordinary. Its music and lyrics are searing, and the messages are essential in 2024.
matador records
King Krule Grapples with the In-Between on the Introspective ‘Space Heavy’
King Krule’s Space Heavy is a wild listening experience, more muted and introspective than past outings and seemingly reflecting our pandemic moment.
Water From Your Eyes Glance at Stardom with ‘Everyone’s Crushed’
Water From Your Eyes traffic between experimental music of the krautrock period of the late 1960s and early 1970s and today’s feminine pop sensibility.
Interpol Make Artistic Baby Steps on ‘The Other Side of Make-Believe’
Interpol’s The Other Side of Make-Believe has its share of moments that sound good while they’re playing but just can’t make a lasting impression after they stop.
Perfume Genius’ Ugly Season’ Questions the Accepted Meaning of “Ugly”
Michael Hadreas of Perfume Genius delivers his most experimental, wandering, and gorgeously unkempt album to date with Ugly Season.
Horsegirl’s Enticing Guitar Noise Could Use a Little More Songwriting
Horsegirl’s guitar tones are alternately cool and abrasive, and that sound sets the template for the band’s mixture of indie, punk, and art-rock.
Belle and Sebastian’s ‘A Bit of Previous’ Is Wrapped Up in Hooks
On Belle and Sebastian’s first album in seven years, A Bit of Previous, the cozy Glaswegians prioritize candor and retain a bit of their previous magic.
Fucked Up Commemorate 2011 Landmark ‘David Comes to Life’ with New B-Side Compilation
Fucked Up commemorate their 2011 landmark David Comes to Life with Do All Words Can Do, a B-sides compilation capturing the spirit of the original, even at a fraction of the length.
Pavement Harness Fans’ Hopes With the Long-Awaited ‘Terror Twilight’ Reissue
Ahead of their summer reunion shows, Pavement belatedly reissue their crepuscular goodbye, Terror Twilight, with a trove of additional context and offcuts.
The Dark Parts: Perfume Genius’ ‘Put Your Back N 2 It’ at 10
Perfume Genius’ 2012 album Put Your Back N 2 It offers a bleak yet comforting unpacking of sexual identity, addiction, physical abuse, and family trauma.
The New Pornographers’ Remastered ‘Mass Romantic’ Is Still a Kick 21 Years Later
The New Pornographers brought the hooks, so the melodies and earworms mostly rise above sloppiness on Mass Romantic. The newly remastered edition subtly cleans up these audio issues.
Snail Mail’s Songwriting Reaches Dizzying Heights on ‘Valentine’
Snail Mail’s Lindsey Jordan laughs, cries, and fights her way through Valentine, one of the best albums of the year. Snail Mail is about to get a lot bigger.