Vampire Weekend Return to Form While Adding New Wrinkles
Only God Was Above Us demonstrates that melodic, clean guitars are welcome but optional and that Vampire Weekend have plenty of other tricks up their sleeves.
art pop
Maggie Rogers Turns Inward on ‘Don’t Forget Me’
Maggie Rogers’ latest album, Don’t Forget Me, is a soft and breezy return to the musician we met on her debut studio effort Heard It in a Past Life.
Poland’s Coals Seek Solace in Relaxing Melancholy on ‘Sanatorium’
Polish duo Coals always looks for something new in music, and Sanatorium is no different. But in the lyrics and emotions, it’s a return to the past.
Julia Holter Goes Underwater to Find Room to Move
Julia Holter drips her semi-conscious thoughts on the musical canvas to access her artistic sensibility, but she seems a bit unsure of the process.
‘Fire Escape’ Is Alena Spanger’s Thorny, Soaring Solo Debut
Alena Spanger’s music is full of odd twists and unconventional choices, but that’s what makes Fire Escape so enjoyable and undeniably beautiful.
This Is Your Life: XTC’s ‘Oranges & Lemons’ at 35
In 1989, XTC released Oranges & Lemons, one of their finest. There are nods to trippy 1960s touchstones, but it’s more of a lush, power-pop celebration.
Brian Eno’s ‘Here Come the Warm Jets’ After 50 Years
Brian Eno’s approach captured the best of what we wanted from punk, new wave, prog, glam, and classic ’60s pop and channeled their excesses by relying on chance.
Against All Odds, Laetitia Sadier Is Still ‘Rooting for Love’
Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab sees love as a solution for our contemporary ills, whether personal, political, or planetary. The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Mark Trecka Crafts Inventive Gloom on ‘The Bloom of Performance’
Paris-based experimentalist Mark Trecka incorporates a slightly more traditional song structure on his excellent new album, The Bloom of Performance.
The Last Dinner Party Hypnotize Listeners with ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’
The Last Dinner Party committed an act of mass hypnosis, swiftly securing the top spot on many lists of 2024 indie darlings. Let’s figure out how they did it.
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The 20 Best Pop Albums of 2023
The 20 best pop albums of 2023 radiate with unstoppable playlist power, much-needed sweet escapism, self-reflection, self-criticism, and killer melodies.
Katie von Schleicher Isn’t Trying to Be Cool
Brooklyn alternative pop artist Katie von Schleicher discusses her brilliant new, dreamy album, and why she allows the freedom to be herself.