Lambchop’s ‘Punching the Clown’ Is Worth the 4-Year Wait
With acoustic guitar and banjo, Lambchop return to their Nashville roots, while the choruses create yet another idiosyncratic background for musings on America.
merge records
Elanor Moss Accepts Contradiction on ‘The Knife, The Needle’
Elanor Moss’ The Knife, The Needle shows what the songwriter set out to answer: you can live with contradiction. Indeed, love is a knife and a needle.
M(h)aol’s ‘Something Soft’ Is a Post-#MeToo Gut-Punch
M(h)aol’s Something Soft is a powerful feminist punk album. It highlights the stakes of inhabiting the female body in a world where safety is conditional and fleeting.
Fruit Bats’ Sketchbook Album Feels a Bit Too Even
On Baby Man, Fruit Bats’ minimalist-maximalist approach showcases his vocal capacity, but it will only be relished when the mood hits just right.
Superchunk Have No Hope… Well, Maybe a Little
Chapel Hill legends Superchunk continue their remarkable second run on the catchy, political Songs in the Key of Yikes. Mac McCaughan chats with PopMatters.
Superchunk Reckon with the State of the Union
Chapel Hill’s finest Superchunk return with another ten songs of righteous, catchy anger and dark humor. It’s one of the best records of their reunion era.
Sacred Paws’ Bright, Upbeat Rock Is Back in Action
Sacred Paws are defined by Ray Aggs’ always-in-motion guitar lines and Eilidh Rodgers’ hyperactive snare drum rolls. Here, they add banjo, and synths to their sound.
Camera Obscura Find That Life Goes On No Matter the Direction
Earlier, Camera Obscura contrasted their mocking pessimism of adult life with innocence. The group may still be twee, but their sneer has become more of a frown.
Ibibio Sound Machine Elevate Their Sound on ‘Pull the Rope’
Ibibio Sound Machine have gone from exciting transcontinental party upstarts to a soulful, sophisticated phenomenon. Pull the Rope is a refreshing new chapter.
Superchunk’s ‘Foolish’ Is Genre-Defining Indie Heartbreak
Foolish was Superchunk committing to staying indie amid turmoil, and the scene is better for it. Their discography is filled with iconic singles defining American indie rock.
Rosali’s ‘Bite Down’ Sounds Classic
Rosali’s Bite Down is a deceptively smooth ride that threatens to pull you under at any moment. Its classic sound draws from Fleetwood Mac and 1970s music.
Mary Timony Explores Grief with Clear Eyes on ‘Untame the Tiger’
Rock guitar virtuoso Mary Timony’s Untame the Tiger is a clear–eyed, unsentimental, top-shelf record that emerged during hard times.