Slow Crush’s ‘Thirst’ Proves They Are Aptly Named
Slow Crush’s Thirst has scattered interesting musical moments, but much of it is buried under constant guitar noise and not enough melody.
post-punk
SPRINTS’ New LP ‘Swimming’ Reaches for the Stars
SPRINTS remain emotive but more polished and reflective, questioning rather than acting—though often admitting defeat as the songs grow louder.
Shudder to Think – “Thirst Walk”/”Playback”
Shudder to Think pick up where they left off with two new singles.
Snooper Find Form and Focus on ‘Worldwide’
On Worldwide, Nashville egg-punks Snooper hatch from chaotic oddity into a fully realized band, channeling frenzy into sharp, urgent songs.
Nation of Language Create a ‘Dance Called Memory’
Dance Called Memory is something of a pivotal album in its own modest way. It’s Nation of Language’s most introspective and darkest record.
The Pale Fountains Practically Invented Twee Pop
For the Pale Fountains, The Complete Virgin Years is evidence of a group that had more ideas than two studio albums would allow. A few of those ideas were sublime.
The Sick Man of Europe’s Music Is Succour for the Soul
The Sick Man of Europe highlights the adverse effects of complicity in the digital age, resulting in a Kafkaesque nightmare; this record serves as a clarion call.
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The B-52’s Created Some of the Finest Queer Pop Music
The B-52’s often get relegated as a “party-pop” outfit, but their subversive legacy runs deeper and stranger than any casual fan would know.
Swans’ ‘Birthing’ Wants and Demands Transformation
Swans’ Birthing isn’t so much music as a reaction against music—a disavowal of melody, pleasure, and your nervous system’s comfort threshold.
Gang of Four Memoir Is Full of Spit and Vinegar
Jon King’s Gang of Four memoir To Hell With Poverty! is full of spit and vinegar, a bit tetchy with a sly sense of humor.
Viagra Boys Discover Tenderness in the Grotesque
Viagra Boys’ self-titled album is a gleefully unhinged feat of epic silliness—just as musically brilliant as it is absurd, as willfully brutal as it is carefully constructed.
Heartworms’ Debut Makes a Claim For Greatness
Heartworms’ Glutton For Punishment is a highly intelligent, essentially perfect album. At 37 minutes long, it’s a precision-cut diamond.