Pop Duo Kit Sebastian Thrill on Thoughtful ‘New Internationale’
Kit Sebastian’s New Internationale is a robust pop masterpiece, a boldly artful work that is refined but not restrained, tasteful but never bland.
art pop
Swiss Duo Citron Citron Make Minimalist Art Pop on ‘Maréeternelle’
Citron Citron’s Maréeternelle is accessible avant-garde pop still edging toward highbrow. It highlights the ultramodern sounds coming from Geneva’s underground.
Susanna Distills Life with ‘Meditations on Love’
Norway’s Susanna aims to distill the world and bring it down to a set of uncomfortable truths on this album. Love will tear us apart again and again.
The The’s ‘Ensoulment’ Is Pithy and Perceptive
Life is hard, and the world is a dangerous place. The The’s Matt Johnson has never shied away from these realities. He’s as pithy and perceptive as ever.
Tim O’Brien of Blood Is a Multi-Dimensional Man
It’s raucous, it’s queer, and it’s uncompromising. Blood’s Tim O’Brien is sticking to his guns. “I won’t change the [band] name for the sake of search engines.”
Blood Deliver Catharsis on ‘Loving You Backwards’
Blood’s LP builds and occasionally explodes, providing catharsis in sounds more than shouted lyrics. It sounds more like a balm than ripping off a Band-Aid.
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.
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.