Amiright? - "Husk of a Body" | Album Review
In every city’s music scene, there’s always that handful of bands that seem to be everywhere. Portland, Maine’s Amiright? has been one of those very bands for almost a decade. On Husk of a Body, the band takes their angular, cursive style of indie rock, pumps it full of depth, fuzz, and color, and drives that new sonic perspective into a lot of really interesting new directions.
SPELLLING - "Portrait of My Heart" | Album Review
SPELLING—the solo project of Chrystia Cabral—armed herself with a swarm of musicians from a 31-piece orchestra for her 2021 release The Turning Wheel; the impetus for the well-rounded, sonic alchemist that Cabral has morphed into. Portrait of My Heart represents what SPELLING does best: delivering the unexpected.
Funeral Commercial - "Dead Before I Die" | Album Review
Akron, Ohio’s Funeral Commercial brilliantly meld the angst and emotion of post-rock, shoegaze, math rock, and midwest emo on their most ambitious full-length project to date. On Dead Before I Die, Funeral Commercial are at their best, expressing the emotions that come with grief and loss in all extremities.
Sentridoh - "Really Insane: A Lou Barlow Compendium" | Album Review
More Eaze & Claire Rousay - "No Floor" | Album Review
Sharp Pins - "Radio DDR" | Album Review
Sharp Pins continue to deliver records that are inspired by the seemingly simple jangle of bands like Big Star and the Hollies, yet manage to meet those high standards of crafty and intelligent songwriting in a modern and inventive manner. Slater has managed to craft a power-pop work of art that pays its respect to its influences yet moves the bar forward.
Sumac and Moor Mother - “The Film” | Album Review
YHWH Nailgun - "45 Pounds" | Album Review
YHWH Nailgun has an economical prowess that bases everything that's going on around their drums and make the kinds of albums that oftentimes reflect more on what you desire and whether you trust your ears enough to lead you there. 45 Pounds is a strong contender for the real early 2024 rock album to have an opinion on.
The Ophelias - "Spring Grove" | Album Review
The Ophelias are no longer a scrappy Cincinnati quartet, and they have the accolades to prove it. On their fourth album, lead singer Spencer Peppet sharpens her visceral storytelling skills to confront old ghosts and untangle conversations she only accessed in her dreams. Emotive and intimate, each of the thirteen tracks explores emotions far beyond heartbreak, instead touching on personal transformation and queer joy.
Hypothetics - "The Crossing" | Album Review
Minor Conflict - "Parallels EP" | Album Review
Parallels EP’s blurry presentation, its delightfully melodic shifts, and stark lingering moods create an intentionally deceptive listen. It’s an expansion on what the band has pushed forward, with so many manners of change and growth that are worth looking into as they progress. Minor Conflict are always looking for spaces where positive growth and newfound insights intersect.
Witch Victim - "Witch Victim" | Album Review
Avery Friedman - "New Thing" | Album Review
Avery Friedman’s debut LP New Thing wants to scratch under the surface, to look at and feel the sensations of the unknown. The album is feeling its way forward, presenting some of its findings along the way, and showing them with sound that is curious about life, discovery, and taking that leap into what is unseen.
Anika - "Abyss" | Album Review
Whelpwisher - “Same Mistakes” | Album Review
Whelpwisher’s Same Mistakes sees no need to bury technical skill beneath complexity. Ben Grigg is a songwriter who can seemingly churn out effervescent rock songs in his sleep. Whelpwisher is like the Chicago fuzz-pop Santa leaving songs at your front door. Same Mistakes is just the latest gift to arrive.
The Jesus Lizard - "Flux" | Album Review
Momma - "Welcome to My Blue Sky" | Album Review
Tunic - "A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung" | Album Review
Tunic’s A Harmony of Loss Has Been Sung is a meatgrinder of syncopated distortion, clarity of grief, unfiltered lyrics, raw textured instruments, and hard hitting repetition. It’s no wonder this album of disparate sensations provides a release, a mode of muted catharsis as the sound they produce scratches at the air, grasping for it.
