Dream-Pop Heaven: Jeff Runnings on For Against’s Landmark ‘Coalesced’ at 20
For Against’s Coalesced is an undeniably mature work, softer and less angular than prior efforts, and a culmination of everything they were aiming to accomplish.
dream pop
The Haunted Youth Forges Superior Dream Rock on ‘Dawn of the Freak’
The Haunted Youth’s Dawn of the Freak sports dream rock veering from thoughtful to Autobahn-kinetic while cultivating a background mood ideal for moping.
What Part of Me: Remembering Mimi Parker (1967-2022) of Low
Low’s minimalist sound and orchestration depended on the voice and steady drumming of Mimi Parker, which provided an essential heartbeat for the band.
Sobs’ ‘Air Guitar’ Singapore Pop-Rock With Fortitude
Sobs’ Air Guitar is a jubilant, unapologetic salute to dynamic pop-rock for listeners who prefer their bubblegum with a bit more fortitude and viscosity.
Taylor Swift Mines Intrusive Thoughts For Pop Artistry on ‘Midnights’
On Midnights, Taylor Swift reflects on the ghosts of the past and maps the rarely straightforward journey of fully becoming one’s self with pristine popcraft.
GADADU Make Mesmerizing Noise on Jazzy, Neo-Psychedelic ‘The Weatherman Is Wrong’
GADADU’s music has always been a balm for the dreariness and anxiety inherent in everyday life. With The Weatherman Is Wrong, they continue to confound and fascinate.
Living Hour Embrace “The Feels” on ‘Someday Is Today’
Canadian dream popsters Living Hour capture grief with sluggish tempos, minor key chord progressions, and numbing moments of disassociation on Someday Is Today.
Goon Shift Gears to Indie Folk on ‘Hour of Green Evening’
Goon’s Hour of Green Evening is seductive, willowy music with a surreal edge, like Skygreen Leopards’ hallucinatory indie folk, but without the shrill chord changes.
Hayley Kiyoko Widens the Breadth of Pop on ‘Panorama’
With Disney deep in her past, pop star Hayley Kiyoko’s Panorama navigates queer relationships with self-assuredness, packaged in accessible pop hooks.
On Astragal’s ‘Pure Cashmere’ Early ’80s Post-Punk Finds a New Home
Astragal reincarnate what made 1980s post-punk so compulsively listenable, helping them stand out in a fascinating genre with precious little competition.
Field Guides Mine Ethereal, Tuneful Territory on the Striking ‘Ginkgo’
Field Guides’ Ginkgo derives from a profoundly organic, indie-folk space that encourages a stream of consciousness and unique melodic lines seemingly plucked out of thin air.
Noah Deemer’s ‘The Sleepwalker’ Plumbs the Depths of Consciousness
Noah Deemer’s art-pop debut, The Sleepwalker, seeks to access deeper consciousness. Dreamy and off-kilter songs seek to unearth deeper emotions.
