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.
matador records
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.
Lucy Dacus Peeks at the Past for ‘Home Video’
Home Video brings Lucy Dacus’ early era to a sort of summation without any sense of her artistic momentum slowing down.
Yo La Tengo Leaf Through Their Back Pages on ‘Sleepless Night’
Do six disparate pieces, culled from the dusty corners of Yo La Tengo's career make a satisfying whole?
Perfume Genius Purges Himself and It’s Contagious
You need to care so much about your art to pack this much meaning into not only the words, but the tones that adorn and deliver them. Perfume Genius cares so much it hurts on Set My Heart on Fire Immediately.
